The Irish standard. [volume] (Minneapolis, Minn. ;) 1886-1920, 1911-02-25
|ND|CT B0SSCOX
FOR PERJURY
CikClNNATiAN HELD FOR TESTi.
FLYING FALSELY BEFORE
GRAND JURY.
PENALTY THREE TO TEN YEARS
Denies That He Received Rake-Off
From County Depositories-
Accused Prominent in Ma
tional Politics.

! Cincinnati, Feb. 22.-Gcorge B. Cox,
! for years head OF the Republican Or
sanization in Cincinnati, Il prominent
factor in state and national politics,
president OF the Cincinnati Trust com
pany and widely known in theatrical
circles. because OF his interests in that
field, was indicted by the Hamilton
county grand jury on charge Of pep
jury.
The basis Of the charge is that Cox
testified falsely before grand Jury
on March 2l, 1906. in denying he had
received any of the interest money
which several banks. according to dis.
| closures before the Drake Investigate
ing committee, paid to county treas,lr
ers as recOmpense for the deposit Of
county funds in those banks.
The specific case upon which the
/ ton OF John H. Gibson, who served
two terms as county treasurer. from
1900 to 1904 Gibson testified before
the grand jury that Cox had received
e4S.6O0 of the SGT OG4 which the banks
gave to Gibson as 'grats,ities" during
the latter's service.
This was the amount which Gibson
following an invest igation by the grand
jury OF the Drake disclosures.
Two other treasureN. Tilden r.
French and Rudolph n. Hynicka, also
paid considerable sums 10 the county.
French turning in $as,4h0 and Hyn-
lrka $58.44O. Immediately after Cox
had been Informed ny a reporter Of
his Office in the Cincinnati Trust COM
pany to 70 to the court house to enter
an appearance and give bond.
Required Bond Given.
Prosecuting Attorney Henry r.
Hunt had recommended to Judge Cor
man. presiding over the criminal d.
vision OF the court OF common pleas,
that the bail he fixed at $1,000. This
WAS done and the required bond was
given by Cox with Abraham Fuerst,
prominent in local Democratic circles,
AS security.
Although this was the first time
thai any formal accusation had ever
been placed against the political lead
ar, he betrayed no emotion and there
was nothing in his attitude to reveal
that he had bnen moved in the least
by his Indictment
Mr.. Cox in speaking OF the indiot-
ment said:
II do not consider this an indict-
ment In the true sense of such action.
IT. was purely political move and was
brought about by political conditions.
was selected by a Democratic judge
who drew the names OF the grand jur-
Ors from his inside pocket instead Of
from the jury wheel as the law re-
quireS. consider the action Of the
grand jury one of the most outrageous
proceedings emanating from body
connected with a court"
The law under which the grand jury
returned the Indictment provides that
in case Of conviction for perjury the
penalty shall be Imprisonment in the
peni,entiary for not more than ten
years nor for less than three years.
Witnesses Threatened.
While the clerk was copying the
indictments for the sheriff in order
tina, the latter might serve them.
Judge German addressed the jury and
in II manner. the public.
he said he had heard that prOspec-
tive witnesses before the grand jury
had been threat ened and that others
who had testified had been questioned
as to their statements before the in.
quisitors. The judge said thnt no one
had right to question witnesses o,
Jurors and that arrests would be made
If anyone attempted TO do 80.
He also declared that talk about the
grand .jurys being illegal because il
had been drawn under his personal d.
rection instead of from the jury box
as has been customary, might be CON
sdcred a contempt of court.
The Indictment quotes the testimony
given by Cox before the 1906 grand
jury This was the body which in
vost igaled the payment Of bank "gra
tuit'es" to the county treasurers and
afterwards reported that these pay
menls had become so customary thai
criminal proceedings because of then
We're not advisable
the fact that the grand jury was re
viving the old issues Of "grat,ities
YVES revealed when Gibson was sum
mOned before ii and, upon refusing tt
answer certain questions, was com
PEELED to do so by order Of Judge Cor
man.