Audubon Republican. [volume] (Audubon, Iowa) 1894-1925, 1911-08-17
VICTIM OF PERJURY
"Lifer" Who Died in the Pen
Believed Inn ocent by Many :
HE WAS CONVICTED IN 1877

Though II Was Established That M.
q. Fisher Was Convicted On
False Testimony He Was
Never Released.
Des Moines.-M. B. Fisher, the lie
prisoner in the state penitentiary at
Fort Madison, who died recently is
believed by many persons to be In
nocent of the crime of first degree
murder, Of which he was convicted
two separate time. Fishers case
was most unusual one. He was
convicted and sentenced to death In
1877 for the alleged Staying OF EN-
NETT Reed near Bradford. The su-
preme court reversed the case. On
the second trial he was again con-
victed and sentenced 70 life impris-
onment. In this second trial the
most important states evidence was
given by a man named Howard, who
claimed that he had seen Fisher near
the scene of the crime the day after
1t was committed and that Fisher
then had several horses and some
wagons belonging to Reed. Howard
also testified that Fisher told him
that he had the best of Reed" and
not to say anything, II he heard any
thing drop down at Bedford After
Fisher had been sentenced II was
discovered that Towards testimony
was false. 1t was found, that on the
day he was supposed to have seen
Fisher that he was doing time in
the state penitentiary. Hence he was
convicted of perjury Fishers at
tempts to secure a new trial by rea-
son of this false testimony were
fruitless, the Iowa Law making no pro-
vision for a new trial in such in
stances.
During his confinement in the pen
itentiary Fisher made numerous ef-
forts to be pardoned or paroled, but
never had his case been before the
state parole board. He was fifty-one
years of age when he died.
Attorney Denounces cosson.
County Attorney Chris N. Jepson,
at Sioux City, emphatically denounc-
ed the methods taken in the Moon
law test case against Charles Ber-
ger and declared he wanted to be
set right in the matter.
"In Justice to this office" he said,
Il wish it to be knowp that neither
my assistant, Carl Jones, nor myself
had anything to do with arranging
this Berger frameup. Attorney Gen
eral Cosson personally employed the
means of the untrue defendant and
as his subordinate / was compelled
to comply with his wishes. 1t was
not a method | would have counsel
led" Following the disclosures that
Berger is not Sioux City saloon
man and is not even resident of the
state, Judge David Mould declared
that If information reached him that
the supreme court would not receive
tho case he wound drop II, otherwise
he would let the case continue. The
attorneys on both sides of the case
refuse to discuss the matter.
Roe Back From Dubuque.
State Fire Marshal Roe has COM
pleted his investigations OF the sew
eral lumber yard fires which have
que. He stated that he believes that
SLEEPY" Dixon, who is being held by
the police Of Dubuque, is the man
who has started all the big fires.
There is no question in my mind but
| that Dixon has had a hand In the
starting of every one of those fires"
said Marshal Roe. u am convinced
that he deliberately fired all Of the
places. / was unable to find any mo-
tive for his actions. Dubuque people
are in a nervous state of mind all
the time. They fear disastrous fire
every night. Insurance rates are in
creasing there as result of the dis
astrous fires of this year. Business
men are alarmed over the situation
and are demanding vigorous action
| from the council"
Canning Compounds Dangerous.
Bulletin No. of the state food and
dairy department contains a warn
ing by Commissioner Barney against
canning compounds. The bulletin
! says: MANY so-called canning COM
pounds are being sold to preserve
vegetables in the home. Many Of
these products contain boric acid,
borax, salicylic acid or other harm
full preservatives. Preservatives are
not necessary where products and
containers are properly sterilized.
! The use of personalities encourages
lax methods and Inferior materials"
The bulletin is the best the de-
partment has ever sent out 1t con-
| tains copies of the new laws af-
fecting the department, beside warn
ings against dirty ice, vinegars. So
called temperance drinks, ice cream
renovated butter and other articles
Of food which are commonly adnl-
| terated.
VIII Ask New Holiday.
The 1912 session of the state legis-
lature will witness statewide ef.
fort on the part OF the Knights OF
Columbus to have October 18th set
apart as a holiday to be known as
Columbus Day or Discovery Day,
and to be celebrated in commemora-
ton of the discovery of America.
The state delegates who attended the
national convention. held last week
in Detroit, decided upon this move