Ottumwa tri-weekly courier. [volume] (Ottumwa, Iowa) 1903-1916, 1911-11-04

cldentS That nave LED up 10 Tue lHulcI
! ment against himself for forgery thai
| Is now being heard in district court.
Arralgns Accuser. 4
! Not deigning to consider as import
ant the allegations of the county at
torney in making his opening state
ment Of the case, Defendant Postor
seemed to take delight In telling the
| Jurors things about his chief accuser
Attorney Walter Rankin, whose name
he is accused of having forged He
stated that he was glad to have the
opportunity Of assisting his counsel
| and being permitted to make his own
| statement to the jury. He stated that
| it was not very embarrassing to him
| inasmuch as he was conscious Of his
| innocence of the charge and was glad
| to have the opportunity of telling the
! Jury the incidents that have led up to
the present charge. He then launched
| into a review of the history of the
liquor cases brought against the Leisy
saloons in the past two years. His
statement tended to show that he as
agent for the Leisy Brewing Co.'s in
terests in dealing with Mr.. Rankin had
paid over sums of money to Mr.. Rank.
in, some of which Is denied by Mr..
Rankin and some acknowledged.
The matters that led to the indict.
ment were said by him to be the ar.
rangements between him as agent for
the Leisy saloons, and Mr.. Rankin to
have the prosecution CT injunction
suits against the saloons of j. Beatty,
NJ. Brennan, e. Queeney and Charles
Dutton dropped and the cases dis
missed. .s--
s Tells Of Receipt.
The statement Of County Attorney
Steck told of the defendant being
charged with having forged the name
Of Attorney Rankin to a receipt held
by the Leisy Brewing Co.'s counsel
fer $125 paid by the brewery interests
to Rankin through the agency OF Pos.
ton, and the receipt shows the name
of Mr.. Rankin attached with the stipu-
lation that three of the cases above
mentioned be dismissed. He stated
that the signature will undoubtedly be
found to be that Of Mr.. Rankin, but
the body of the receipt to be in the
handwriting of Mr.. Pcston. The state
would aver that Mr.. Poston filed out
the body Of the receipt and in some
manner not known, secured the sigma.
ture of Mr.. Rankin without his know
ledge, as Mr.. Rankin denies signing
such receipt and says he did not re-
ceive the money accounted for in the
receipt.
Warns Against Tears.
Mr.. Poston stated that Mr.. Rankin
did sign the receipt and that he (Pos.
tony filed it cut in pencil but that
neither did these things at the time
specified in the indictment, August Is,
but on March "A instead, and that the
transaction took place in Mr.. Rankin's
private office after Poston had asked
him to dismiss the three cases against
the Leisy saloons as per alleged agree
ment. He told Of bringing c. FL.
Bank to Rankin's Office to go over the
accounts between the trio in regard to
settling the injunction suits and ss
that on the stand during October last
year, Mr.. Rankin admitted having re-
ceived SIS for dismissing Leisy cases
and sned tears when he admitted it.
He warned the jury against beng lea
to pity Mr.. Rankin's tears and brand
ed him as traitor to the Law and
Order movement.
Smith on Stand, .
Immediately after the noon adjourn
ment court took up the hearing OF
testimony for the state and j. J. Smith
counsel for the Leisy interests in vari-
Gus cases before the district court in
the past, was called to the stand. At
torney Smith told Of how he came into
the possession of the receipt and his
testimony was subjected during cross
examination to many overrulings by
the court. 1t Is probable that he will
be recalled at later time by the de-
tense in order to secure the testimony
desired which was not obtainable &C
cording to the rulings Of the court in
the cross examination.
orelup Not Sure.
Attorney Fred Orelup was then call.
ed to the stand and asked as to the
signature and the writing in the body
of the receipt. He gave as his opin-
ion that the body was written by Pos
ton and would not be positive as to the
signature being that OF Rankin. He
stated on cross examination that be-
fore the grand jury he said he was
satisfied as to it's being Rankin's sig
nature, but on later comparison of the
signature with other writing Of Mr..
Rankin, he was inclined to question it
as to certain features while in others
1t seemed genuine.
Bank Got Receipt for $125.
r, G.. H. Bank whose name came into
the case through his connection with
the Leisy Brewing Co., whose manager
he has been in Ottumwa for long
time, was then called to the stand and
verified the check. He. told of it COM
ing into his hands the last week OF
March this year and said that he had
given Poston 1925. for the dismissal OF
the Beatty. Brennan and Queeney in.
junction cases, which Poston was to
give to Rankin as attorney for the
prosecution Mr.. Bank was still on
the stand after 2 O'Clock under the
cross examination of the defense.