The Marion daily mirror. (Marion, Ohio) 1892-1912, 1910-05-05
]. D. GILLESPIE 4.
ENTERS PLEA
Denies Guilt and is Out on
Bond.
HE APPEARED VOLUNTARILY
Ross Says He Does Not
Know Gillespie.
Attorney Fred T.. Cutlery Makes n
Statement to Columbus News Pa
permen--Date For the Trials Have
Not Been Fixed.

While his attorneys asserted that
the indictments against him were che
result of malicious attempt to get
even with James Ross, also indicted
for starting graft Investigations, j.
d. Gillespie, wealthy farmer near
LaRue and former commissioner of
Marion county, pleaded not guilty to
accepting three bribes of merchandise
aggregating $10f.75, yesterday, in
Judge Rathmell's court. He gave
$500 bond, $500 on each of the in
dictments against him. signed by
Warren b. Ferris, local brick man
ufacturer, and +. A. Coon. Marion
county farmer, and was released until
his trial is called.
Ross, earlier in the day in the
same court, pleaded not guilty to the
three indictments charging him with
bribing Gillespie, and was released
on $500 bond signed by his business
associate, John w. McCafferty, and
ex-Sheriff George j. Karb. Hamilton
G.. DeWeese, indicted for collecting on
false accounts for witness fees ag-
gregating s24 while n deputy state
fire marshal in 1907. pleaded not
guilty to each of the two charges and
was released on $1,000 bond signed
by A. ID. Heffner. vice president of
the New First National bank.
All Protest Innocence.
All three men declared they were
innocent.
Ross was represented in court by
Attorneys Cyrus Huling and James
A. Allen; DeWeese by Attorneys Bel
cher and Connor, and Gillespie by
ex-Congressman Grant Mouser and
Attorney +. T.. CUTLERY of Marion. |
Prosecutor Webber has not yet fixed
the date for the trials of the three
men. They will all be given an OPP
portunity to clear their names of the
charges at an early date. The pros
ecution will be marked by the same
forcible and impartial efforts that
have characterized all of the trials
of Prosecutor Webber, who has prov /
ed an implacable foe of grafters as
the county's legal officer.
Declares Charges False.
"The charges against Gillespie are
false" declared Cutlery. "The COM
mssioners never purchased more
than $50 worth of office supplies
from the Ruggles- Gale company in
any year of Gillespie's admlnistra ton. |
In 1907, when Ross is alleged to have
given Gillespie $40.75 worth of mer-
chandise, purchases from the con-
cern aggregated only SIG, while n |
year later. when my client Is charged |
with receiving $G4 of bribes the pur-
chases of the commissioners were
only $l3. 1t Is preposterous to say
that Ross would give such large
commissions for 50 small purchas-
es,
'Other Marion county officials pur-
chased their own supplies and the
commissioners merely ordered the
bills paid after such officials had o.
KID the bills. Marion county res
idents We're astounded when they
read an account of the indictments
against Gillespie I'm yesterdays State
Journal. They believe the charges
false, and to express their faith I'm
the accused Marion man, who has
been lifetime resident of the
county, many volunteered to sign
his bond"
Will Claim to he Strangers.
Both Ross and Gillespie will assert
during their trials that they were
not acquainted on the dates men
toned in the indictments. Gillespie
said yesterday he never met Ross
and the latter declared he did not
know the Marion county man---o. s.
Journal.
Lion Fondles u Child.