The Marion daily mirror. (Marion, Ohio) 1892-1912, 1910-05-04
Charged With Accepting
$104.75 in Brides.
MERCHANDISE WAS ACCEPTED
James Ross is Named as the
Briber.
Former County Commissioner Is
Charged I'm the Indictment With
Having Been Bribcd Into Allowing
Padded Bills for Supplies for the
County.

James Ross, a Democratic state cen
| tral committeeman and former sheriff
of Franklin County, and j. ID. Giles
pie, former Republican commissioner
OF Marion County, for bribery; and
Hamilton G.. DeWeese, a. Demo
cratic inspector in the state building
| and loan department, formerly in
charge of the speakers bureau for the
state committee, for making out and
lreceiving payment on a false account,
were among the 10 indictments re-
turned yesterday by the Franklin
County grand jury, after six days
session.
None of the men was arrested yes
terday. They will be arriagned in
common pleas court and their bonds
fixed today.
Three separate indictments were re-
turned against Ross ana Gillespie Ross
is charged with giving three brlbes of
merchandise, aggregating $1O475 to
Gillespie, July 27, 1907, Dec. s, 1908 and
March 4, 1908, to influence the latter
in passing upon certain bills for office
supplies TO be presented to tha Marion
County commissioners by the Rug
giles Gale Company, of which Ross was
then president.
The three indictments against Gil
lespie charge that he received the al
legged bribes from Ross on the dates
mentioned.
False Witness Fees.
There are two indictments against
DeWeese, charging him with collect
ing on false witness fees $24 from the
state in 1907, while assistant state
fire marshal under the ID. s. Cream
er administration. one indictment
charges him with unlawfully collect
ing $11 and the other $13.
A penalty of one to 10 years i'm
prlsonment in the penltentiary is the
punishment for convictions
Of the charges against Ross and Gil
lespe. DeWeese, because of the size
of the amount he is alleged to have
received, Is only charged
with a msdemeanor, punishable by
$500 fine and 30 days Imprisonment in
the county Jail or workhouse.
Ross said yesterday he did not know
Gillespie and consequently never had
any business dealings with the man.
He asserted he would appear i'm court
this morning with an attorney to give
bond and to plead to the indictments.
Fancy Apparel Given.
According to the indictments against
him, Ross played on the weakness of
for fine hosiery and wearing
apparel. The first indictment charges
that he gave Gillespie n bill of goods,
July 81 1907, amounting to s4O75. In
i, according to the indictment, were:
Two pairs of shoes at $3.50 and 81
each.
Two pairs women's hose at 80 20 and
$3.50 each.
Pair OF slippers 80.
Three pairs socks $50.
Six shirts, $l6.50.
The second indictment charges that
Ross, on Dec. g. 1898, gave Gillespie
$50 raincoat, and the third AYERS he
gave the Marion County official $33. so |
In merchandise, March 4, 1908. In the
asst bill are items for n $25 raincoa
half dozen pairs of socks, two neck
les and a pair OF shoes.
Ross is charged with "unlawfully
md corruptly, with intent to influence
him, the said Gillespie, as county
of Marion County, with
respect to his official duty, towlt: to
Influence him as such officer in the
approval and allowance of bills and
for the Office supplies to be
presented by the Ruggles-G Com
pany to the Marion County commits
Gillespie Is charged with unlawfully
and corruptly receiving the merchan-
disc for being influenced in the allow
ance and approval for payment of bills
to the Marion County board
Of commissioners by the RuggesGale
Entrapped by Own Books.
Ross, by the grand Jury's action was
caught in the trap which he himself
set to have indicted state and coun-
ty officers who are alleged to have
pronted i'm permitting the Ruggles-