Rock Island Argus. (Rock Island, Ill.) 1893-1920, 1910-06-04
VANCLEAvEMUST
PRODUCE PAPERS
Witness Sent Back to Spring.
field to Secure Required
Evidence.
WILL BE HERE MONDAY
States Attorney Gives Similar Or
ders to j. w. Crum, Clerk in
Insurance Department.

At noon today the Rock Island coun-
| ty grand jury adjourned to reconvene
Monday morning at 10 o'clock. 1t is
expected that indictments will be re-
turned in the Fraternal Tribunes loot
| scandal next week. 1t is understood
over dozen true bills will be found
against men, several of whom are
prominent in fraternal insurance .af-
fairs in the state, who are charged
with the wrecking of the Fraternal
Tribunes order.
James r. B. VanCleave of Spring
field was to have been a witness be-
fore the jury this morning, but he was
not called for the reason that he failed
to bring with him from his home rec
ords of transactions that are expected
to further tighten the charges of en-
bezzlement that a number of insur-
ance men whose names are involved
in the scandal under investigation will
have to defend. Mr.. VanCleaye was
ordered to report here again Monday,
and he was given to understand that
unless he brought with him the docu-
ments that are desired by the grand
jury he may imperil his personal stand
ing with the public. Mr. VanCleave, it
will be recalled from earlier testimony
offered before the grand jury here,
drew from the Chicago Title & Trust
company the $4,000 reserve fund that
the Fraternal Tribunes had on deposit
there
Wilson Checks Out S35,OOO.
This withdrawal of funds was after
the American Home Circle had been
merged with the FraternGl Tribunes
and the officers of the former society
had gained control of the combination
of orders. Mr.. VanCleave, according
to the testimony of w. c. Niblack,
president of the Chicago Title & Trust
company, drew out the reserve fund
| and placed it on deposit with the Lin
coin National bank in Springfield. Mr..
VanCleave at that time was president
of. the Lincoln National bank Subse-
quently he retired from the head of
the institution. What the grand jury
is seeking to ascertain is by what au-
thority Mr.. VanCleave withdrew the
funds from the Chicago bank and
placed them on deposit with his own
bank in Springfield. 1t has been shown
by testimony already offered that
shortly after the deposit of the $57, 900
with VanCleave's bank S35. coo of the
sum was checked out by Thomas W.
Wilson, who was head of the merged
societies. The money was drawn on
one check signed by Wilson. Mr.. Van
Cleave is expected to tell here in what
u IL
whom it was paid. He is understood
to have the discriminating records and
the states attorney has demanded of
him that he produce them here This
he has promised to do, and a sensa-
| tional story may be looked for when
Mr.. VanCleave testifies the coming
week
Crum Must Return Again Also.
]. w. Crum, a clerk in the insur-
ance commissioner office at Spring
field, also failed to bring here with
him certain records that the grand
jury is DESTROYS of seeing. These rec
ords are understood to have bearing
on the official authorizations of the
negotiations between the American
Home Circle and the Fraternal Trib-
unes. Crum was instructed to report
here again Monday.
George d. Brainard Of Peoria. for
mer head of the Mutual Reserves, was
witness before the jury this morn
ing. The Mutual Reserves was one Of
the orders with whom the officers of
the American Home Circle at one time
sought merger. A. L. Hereford of
Spring field, president of the Court of
Honor, and Ira ]. Bell of Springfield,
head of the American Patriots. were
witnesses yesterday afternoon. Both
had had dealings with the officers of
the American Home Circle
George w. Kenney, a Springfield at
torney, was in the city yesterday as
volunteer witness, but he was in
formed by the states attorney that
his testimony was not desired.