Bismarck daily tribune. [volume] (Bismarck, Dakota [N.D.]) 1881-1916, 1911-01-24
Jury is
Investigating
Speaker Cannon's Town Un.
der Searching Eye Of.
County Jurors
Newspaper Reporter Insisted
That he be Allowed TO
Testify

| Danville, Ill.,, Jan. 23.-Speaker
Joseph G. Cannon's home city and
county were brought under the
searching eye Of the grand jury today
in the hunt for an alleged traffic
in votes. The Vermillion county
grand jury today heard eleven wit.
nesses and twelve, including Cannon's
son.in-law, are subpoenaed to appear
Tuesday. The grand jury today
heard Danville's city attorney &C.
cused of having admitted buying
votes.
! Fifty Possible Witnesses.
1t was given list of fifty possible
witnesses by the accusers. The
J city attorneys alleged trafficking. it
was testified, was in the interest of
the present sheriff at the last gen.
eral election. The fact that the in
vestigation may disclose irregulari-
ties in the elections of the states
attorney and even the court itself,
has not stood in the way of their
orders to have the search complete,
and all officials concerned have open.
ly announced that they want an in.
quiry to 60 to the bottom of aIairs
regardless of the result. One of the
newspaper men told an inquisitor he
had been approached today by per-
sons offering him a vacation and sew
eral good things If he would not
go before the grand jury with his
story.
Reporter Starts Investigation.
1t had not been expected the al
legged vote traffic would be invest.
gated so soon as there were many
routine matters before the grand jury.
but the situation was precipitated to-
day when two newspaper reporters,
who, last week sent broadcast story
purporting to contain confession
from City Attorney Frank w. JONES'"
that he, Jones, had purchased votes,
which story was denied by Jones, and
he demanded to be allowed to go be.
fore the grand jury and tell the story.
When 1t became known they would
insist on being heard, a number
OF subpoenaes were issued and nine
other persons appeared later and
were heard. Those heard today in
cluded the following. R. H. FRANKIE
berger, reporter for the Commercial
News, a Danville newspaper, who
claims to have secured Jones' alleged
confession; George A. Martin, CORE
spondent of an Indianapolis newspa-
per, who was with Frankeberg when
the conversation took place contain
ing the alleged admission of Jones,
S. Murray Clark, assistant United
States district attorney and former
county Judge, who was defeated for
nomination as states attorney Of Ver-
million county at the primaries pre-
ceding the November election by the
present incumbent, John H. Lewman,
William c. rown, appointed two weeks
ago on the election commission of
Danville, and seven others, said to
be chiefly ward and precinct work
ers.
Full Story Of flnterview.
Frankeberg's testimony before the
grand jury brought out for the first
time the full story OF the interview he
claimed to have had with City Attor-
ney Jones. The conversation with
the newspaper man, backed by his
colleague, Martin, told the grand Jury
ne had with Jones, was approximately
As follows:
Frankeberg: 1--WE have come to
see you about this election business"
Jones (smiling): BE careful;
have shotgun in the closet there"
Martin: We're not looking for a
shotgun, Mr.. JONES'"
Frankeberg: Il got the old man
(the reporters fatheN-in-law), this
morning and he was telling me about
your election day office in the back
OF his shop. He said you showed
him your poll list"
Jones: Eyes, yes, did have one
Continued on page 81