Rock Island Argus. (Rock Island, Ill.) 1893-1920, 1910-02-04

ClnclnnaJl, OElO, FED 4.-1He uS
fense in the Ford case rested at 2:15.
None of the witnesses summoned by
it was present.
Usual Crowd Present.
/ Cincinnati, Feb. 4.-The usual large
crowd was in court when the trial of
Mrs. Jeanette Ford was resumed to-
day. With Charles Warriner, the
chief witness, out of the way the road
is now open for a speedy termination
of the trial, although several more wit
nesses have been summoned. While
their testimony will be interesting, it
is not expected to be as sensational
as that given by Warriner.
State Suddenly Rests.
! After hearing several witnesses the
state suddenly rested the case. and
court at lourned until this afternoon.
The defense expects to finish the tes-
| timony today.
Cooke War Path.
Chicago. Feb. Al will make some
startling statemepts-n-I L am caued-t0-
the witness stand in the trial of Mrs.
Ford" said Edgar S. Cooke today.
Mrs. Ford has been annoying me and
my family 10 years because she has
some letters of an improper nature 1
once wrote her. She had her innings
and now I am going to have mine"
Uncovers Chain of Thefts.
Cincinnati, Feb. A chain of
embellishments extending over many
years and finally eliminating in the
almost wholesale looting of the Big
Four railroad treasury was the start
ling story told by Charles L. Warri-
ner, defaulting local treasurer of the
road, in his testimony yesterday in
the trial of Mrs. Jeanette Stewart
Ford for blackmail.
Warriner represented himself as
man pouring out gold with both
hands and in ever-increasing amounts
to keep sealed the mouth of the wo-
man, who, through her alleged infat-
uation for one of the accused embez-
zlers, E. S. Cooke, had learned the
secret. Frank Uomstock, Warriner's
predecessor as local treasurer, was
declared to be the third man.
Warmer Remains Calm.
Calmly and in unrrff1ed tones War
riner told the almost incredible story.
1t was his fourth and last day on the
witness stand, for when the court
adjourned his examination was con-
cluded. Only twice during that time
did the man allow his marvellous
composure to desert him, and then
only for few brief moments.
According to the witness, when he
assumed office as local treasurer in
1902 he learned that Cooke was short
in his accounts $4,000. He also
learned that his predecessor, Com
stock, was short $10,50O. He him
self was a defaulter, and to prevent
his crime from being discovered he
engaged to conceal the thefts of the
two former officials.
Cash Not Accounted For.
In the story of the gigantic theft
there is one question which has never
been definitely answered and the at
torneys for the defense today made
another futile effort to obtain is solu-
ton. What became of the $643, 900
which Warriner has confessed to hav- |
ing stolen?
The witness declared that he had
paid approximately S16S,OO0 in |
blackmail and that $4,000 had been !
stolen by others than himself. The |
remainder of $4,000 is explained
by him as having been lost in "specu-
lation.i
Where Memory Failed.
Although he knew exactly the |
amount embezzled and the approx !
mate amount of hush money paid (
to all questions as to his investments /
he replied that he could not remem- |
Der how much money he had put into 1
any particular enterprise. He reiter-
ated monotonously that he could /
not recollect" until his questioners
became discouraged and abandoned /
their efforts.
Trade Activity Uneven.