Ottumwa tri-weekly courier. [volume] (Ottumwa, Iowa) 1903-1916, 1911-12-05
District Attorney Freder-
icks Says Detective Frank
lin, Employed BY Defense,
Also Handled This Case.
SWORN STATEMENT
OF WIFE GIVEN OUT


A/Oo SAA6ClCS, S0lss AJSAs@ ~ y N
Attorney John N. Fred dericks informed
Franklin, detective employed by the
Mcnamara defense and now under ar
rest on charge Of attempting to
bribe George N. Lockwood, a venire-
man, with $4,000, actually paid to
Robert F. Balm, the first sworn juror
In the case $400 and promised $4,000
more at the end Of the trial II he would
vote for acquittal or secure disagree
ment OF the jury.
The district attorney produced
sworn copy Of the testimony by Mrs.
Robert f. Balm, wife Of the Juror, In
his office last Friday. Mrs. Balm not
only told Of the first meeting. but re-
lated in detail how Franklin came t0
her house October 6, q few days be.
fore her husband was summoned to
serve on the jury.
The district attorney declared that
only one more case OF bribery 50 far
as he knew had not yet been +uncov-
cred and that amounts In 1t had been
similar to the Lockwood and Balm
cases, sotthat In all about $4,000 war
promised by the defense to Influence
jurors. "a ss3
| I. He fleclared that 4hasexamination- of
witnesses III tie FRANKLIN case would
reveal the details OF the alleged
briberies In which Franklin partfci-
pated He declared at present no more
arrests were intended, but that court
Revelations must make It necessary "a
apprehend persons upon whose orders
Franklin is supposed to have acted.
Shows Woman's Asfadavlt.
The district attorney showed copy
OF the sworn statement to an Asso-g
ciated Press reporter. It was q steno.,
graphic copy OF the conversation be-
tween Mrs. Balm and j. a.. Hill.
deputy district attorney last Friday
and to 1t Mrs. Dora F. Balm signed her
name. !. @
Mr.. Hill Have you ever met Bert
H. Franklin? r. is 5
Mrs. Bain-"Yes, on October 8.
Mr.. Hill-."Give US the whole history
beginning with your connection prior
to October s"
| Mrs. Bain-"O On Friday, October s,
got card from one Of my neighbor1
with telephone number on It. / went
over to one Of my neighbOrs and rang
up the number. said, This is Mrs.
Balm. was told that Mr.. Franklin
was not in, but that he would ring
up. said: He cannot ring me 40 4
am at my neighbor's house. Tho
! woman at the other end said che would
| tell him when he came In. Then I went
home. Later in the afternoon a man
came in an automobile. did not know
| then who 1t was. He said he wanted
| to speak to me. He wanted to know
where Mr.. Balm was and ! told him
and he wanted to know when he would
| get back.
| Franklin Called At Home. u
"He said, I'm Bert Franklin, don't
you remember me?' ] said no. that I
could not have remembered him and
he said, Don't you remember / met
you quite a while ago.
Then he asked me about Mrs.
Brainard and If she was married. He
said: I've been to see YOU several
times and not found you at home. He
then talked about newspaper con-
/; test over subscriptions and he got to
| talking about our house. I told him We
had bought 1t for $1,000 and were pay
Ing SIS per month. said When Mr.
Balm Is 20 he will get more pension
money Well he said, I think, Mrs.
! Balm, can help you. think Lean put
you and Bob in position to pay for
iYour little home and Hive easy for the
rest Of your life.' / said: You cam
He said: Yes I said: How is that
and he said: I know that Bob has al
ways been an honest man. have
worked by the side Of him and know
| him we'll, and I, too, have always been
honest. MY record shows that. !
! think, though can put Bob In posi-
ton to make it easy for him. He kind
Of hesitated and did not seem to know
how to get at it, and then he finally
said:
+ You know what / mean p l said:
! No, unless you want him to do cleo
| ton work He said: No, not that, you
know that Bob has been summoned" !"
Mr.. Hill"Did he use the word
summoned 2"
Proposed Bribery TO Her.
Mrs. Bain-'I don't know whether
he said summoned or 'subpoenaed.' !
II know he used the word subpoena
and he asked IL Bob had got his sub
poena. said did not want Bob TO