The Detroit times. [volume] (Detroit, Mich.) 1903-1920, 1911-02-07
GRAF TIERS
WHO ROBBED HIM
Blacksmith Turns Lawyer and Is
Prosecuting Cases Against Judges
and Lawyers in Ohio.
ny n. Q. r. BRIGGS.


In Ashland-co.. Ohio. now. with the as
surahce that your children will get
what you leave behind. For % years
you couldn. A gang Of judges and
lawyers ruled the county, systematic
ally gouging every widow and orphan
In sight. Everybody feared them. One
day ten years ago. they grabbed the
little estate left 10 George Frey, a
blacksmith.
Now that blacksmith, self-tutored
IN the law, Is prosecuting attorney,
he implacable Nemesis of Ashlanl'S
highlbruwed crooks. lie has sent two
10 the spenitentiary and Is writing
through bills OF lading TO the sario
destination for several others. The
graft.rfdden courts are purged.
It's large-sized example for hun
dreds OF other counties all over the
United States. counties afraid OF their
courts, where legal rings rule and
iCb.
That parcel of lizards had-been
looting the country for 20 years" said
Frey, when artist Valentine and |
found the typical country law office,
up dark stairs, over the drug store.
lie was hard at work in his shirt
sleeves; short on frills, long on brains.
energy and shrewdness. A couple of
blocks away stood the DID, whitewash-
od-brick, three-pillared courthouse. the
former nest of the lizards" Around
the corner a hundred farmers were
attending horse auction.
10 Dry and Prosperous.
Asbland-co. Is rural. dry and prosper
nus. few days ago 1t learned, with
Ileasure. that former Judge Campbell,
white-haired dean OF the looters, hal
been convicted. Just little while be
fore, Il. r. Shelley, the guardian" who
helped Campbell rob an incompetent
old man, was sent up. Both convic-
tlcns were Frey's work. Campbell was
the judge who officiated years ago, at
the legal ceremonies incident TO steal
ing that little Frey estate.
We've got some of EN-. There's
tour or five more on the list; we'll
get en- says Frey.
YES he said, Il was a blacksmith
tnd darned good one" He's proud
Of that "All hand work But I'm get.
ting kind o. soft now!'
He held out his arm. ! felt The
muscles, hard rs a steel bar.
Il was thirty-tve then. and studied
law nights, working at the forge all
day. Just naturally had leaning .ol
the law. Well, maybe what happened
To my folks estate did have something
TO do with II, but that's a long time
Ego. Did they rob It? Didn't they
and. win a sudden blaze-"they
heaped crime on crime." Then he
smiled: But, of course. that's forgot
Z ten now. don't want people to think
I'm vindictiye. We're scotchin' EN- or
other cases, bigger cases.
Yes, | went TO law school q while.
15 months, over ut Ada. A good law
school? You bet. Two professors
there do nothing but walk up and
down all day leoturing students" Hts
eyes twinkled again.
Then | came back here But they
drove me out of court. How? Crook
cd Judge, crooked lawyers. crooked
stenographer. Rulings always against
you: testimony changed at night:
plainly OF grounds for exception when
you made your notes. but none Lee,
next day They drove away every
lawyer that tried to practice here.
so ! went back to the blacksmith
shop. Twouldn't do TO take cases
when you knew there was no chance
for your clients.
"One day announced ! was I can
didate for prosecuting attorney. They
all smiled just turned and walked
away. But | was out before daylight
every morning talking with the 3eo-
pie. Most of them knew me. I'd shoed
their horses. Told them I'd work hard
for them.
Well, maybe did say Something
about taking the roof off the "ouri-
house. | was elected by 1900.
First we got. rid Of that crooked
stenographer. No, We didn't send him
up. Plenty of grounds, but he was
only tool. 'Twould do to hurt Just
a damn fool.
Then they tried to have me lis
barred. IL didn't come 10 anything.
but I hauled up two of them. and
they were disbarred. Thems the fell
lers we're sending TO the pen now.
turned around to the rest in court
and said: This disease is ke.chir'.'
How did they rob estates? Par IT,
ton cases, where property Is left
jointly TO several heirs. One heir
would get his share Then the es.
tate would be sold-say farm, worth
$15,000-to somebody on the inside
for $S,000-$7 900 stolen The cxecu-
tor would have big fees, and his al
torney would get $500 or $1,000.
More fees, and extras. The sheriff
who made the sale got lis. When
everybody else was helped. the heirs
got $1,000.
There was the Freezer estate--all
shot full Of holes. That pank over
there used to be called Freer's bunk.
First they got the bank. Widow Freer
never owed cent, but all kinds of
bills were brought in. Every time
they got hungry they'd run into the
bank and take two or three thousand.
IL they Just wanted To go 10 Columbus
to get a drink. they'd grab $500 II
one OF them wanted to buy a farm,
he helped himself to $4,000. Estate
was worth about $4,000 at the start.
Most OF IL was wllled to the childIen's
home. What the children's home got
was Just $1.44. We've got back S17,.
900; we'll get more.
ANY footing now? Not on your
life They're all real pious now. See
that street up there? Best residence
street I'm town. That's where they
lived. The people call It Criminal
av.' "a
Ever attack me? Well. one OF them
tried H. down there bv the hank I