Perrysburg journal. (Perrysburg, Wood Co., O. [Ohio]) 186?-1965, 1911-09-22
D|EGLE DENIES ALL GUILT
DECLARES HE NEVER SAW MON.
EY WRoNGFULLY USED.
Convicted Sergeant-at-Arms Asserts
He Is Not Aware of Guilty Acts by
others Under Indictment.

Columbus, O.-Rodney j. Diegle has
turned his back on all chance for sus-
pension of his three-year sentence to
the penitentiary.
His statement at Dayton, prepared
while in seclusion with his attorneys, de-
clares his own innocence of every charge
in which his name has been used and
asserts that he has no knowledge which
would be of service to the prosecution in
the legislative bribery cases. Diegle says
that in his statement to the Cleveland
Plain Dealer he told all he knows
The position taken by the bribery-con-
vfcted senate sergeant t-at-arms throws
him entirely on the mercy of the higher
courts. Judge E. b. Einkead who pre-
sided in the Diegle trial; Attorney Cen
eral Il. S. Hogan, and Prosecuting Attor-
ney B. c.. Turner. who conducted the
| states case, are united in the conviction
that the higher courts will affirm Die
gle's conviction. The statement in part
| is as follows:
Dayton, o.. Sept IA, 1911-Some time
ago n statement signed by me, and con-
| corning my case, was published. and
| hoped 1t would be unnecessary for me
| to make any further mention to the pub
| lie concerning myself or my affairs. How
| ever, in view of the continued un-
| sought, undeserved and undesirable no.
| toriety to which / have been subjected.
| and the wholly unwarranted stories OF
| confessions, mysterious disappearances,
| sudden reappearances, fake interviews
! and other sensational matter referring
| to me that for weeks have been so prom
inent in the daily press, 1 make this ad-
| ditional statement with the fervent hope
| that my position and my affairs be final
| ly made clear, and that my ordinary
movements and my everyday business
| affairs in the future may cease to cause
| such unusual comment
| / wish n en1Dhn ticallV rnDeat at this
time what 1 have always strenuously
| maintained since the very inception or
| the alleged Legislative exposures, that l
| have no confession of any character or
| of any sort to make. A confession prima
| facie implies guilt or guilty knowledge,
| am not guilty. l have no guilty knowl-
| edge of the guilt of others, and say this
| now, even in the face of an adverse find
| ing of jury. l have never been ad-
| verse to making a truthful statement
| concerning my actual knowledge OF leg
islative matters, and did make such
| statement more than week ago to
! newspaper friend who proffered his kind
| ly offices in my behalf. felt at the time
| what has since proved to be the case.
| that the hearsay knowledge 1 possessed.
| and rumors that heard would come far
| from satisfying the state to the extent
| Of interfering in my behalf
Now, what has caused all this hue and
| cry, this vortex of sensational journal
| ism that has whirled about the head OF
Rodney j. Diegle?
/ was elected sergeant-at-a of the
Ohio senate by the unanimous vote OF
my party; / endeavored to do my duty
as such official faithfully, and 1 trust
may not appear egotistical when l say
that by close attention to my duty, and
| my noninterference in any or all pending
legislative matters, and my absolute re-
fusal ever to act in the capacity of a
lobbyist for any man or any measure,
earned for me the respect and friendship
of the presiding officer, and every MEM
ber of the senate regardless of party af-
filiation.
AS sergeant-at-arm of the senate l
had no vote 1t has for years been
the custom of the sergeant-at-arms of
the senate, to accept extra compensation
for furnishing information to those in
terested in the same concerning the
status of pending legislation, such as
committee meetings, introduction of bills
and so forth.
1 was exception to this custom.
However, there was services that / was
asked to perform, that did not in proof
of which 1 can truthfully say that a
canvass of the Ohio senate will show that
every one of the "a members of that body
will make affidavit, that from beginning
to the close of the last session, l never
asked one of them to vote either for or
against any measure or any bill; nor to
support or oppose any amendment to any
bill, either in committee or on the floor
of the senate; and have often been told
| by those in q position to know that l am
the only official within their memory to
follow this course.
Now, with reference to the last session,
II any money was actually used for the
purpose of influencing legislation, II was
entirely without my knowledge. / never
did see any money unlawfully used. Such
We're the conditions. and my position
4 tl,o a1A DftNn NnFttB fha
accompanying sensationalism and public
ity; the greater portion of which, for
some unaccountabe reason, seems to
have centered about me until those who
do not understand the situation or do
not stop to ana%ze 1t may be pardoned
il they think that / am charged with
and have been convicted in the lower
court of THE Crime of the Century"
With what am / charged? The indict-
ment against me alleges simply this:
That Rodney j. Degle carried a message,
the contents of which message the grand
Jury are unknown, from F. S. Harrison
to Senator l.. r. Andrews, by reason OF
which message Andrews went to the
Chittenden hotel and met Harrison and
there solicited and accepted money to
influence his vote. 1t may not be gen.
orally known that during the entire prog
ress of my trial the alleged message was
not mentioned. 1 never carried a mes
sage from Harrison to Andrews, never
arranged meeting between these mer
and at that time never knew that Sena-
tor Andrews knew such a man as Harri-
son existed. / am innocent of the crime
of which l was convicted and have &c
J maintained from the first. The only
truthful evidence l could give in these
cases would be unqualifedly in favor o.
the defense. So much for the dictograpf
. cases.
1 have at this time but one request Il
make, and that Is, that / be granted
> citizens right to have my case fairl.
heard and adjudicated by the proper tri
r bunal
5 No man innocently convicted likes L
further face possible punishment and ad
8 ditional disgrace. Yet no man of homo
: and the instincts of decency can pur
! chase immunity or freedom by false o
+ malicious statements of what he doe
not know. RODNEY j. DIEGLE.