Omaha daily bee., 1911-04-08
IOWA TO TRY MABRAY CASES
of a vigorous letter to the attorney general
and the county attorney.

of a vigorous letter to the attorney general
and the county attorney.
Letter Reaches Des MOines.
The letter reached Des Moines Thursday
afternoon and Attorney General Cosson
Immediately acted. He wrote very posi-
tive letter to County Attorney Capell in
forming him that all Of the nolled indict-
ments must be reinstated at once under
penalty Of his removal from office by APP
pication of the Cosson low, the statute
that was invoked to dispossess Major
George II. Richmond. The attorney gen.
eral also in the same hour wrote the letter
to Clerk Brown. This was OF such an
imperative character that it brooked no
delay, and Mr.. Brown Immediately went
upstairs where the court docket was in use
and noted the appearance of the attorney
general in all of the cases.
There are now on file indictments against
about $50 Of the mixers, although they COM
prise but twenty-six bills. The indictments
were returned under the guidance Of
former County Attorney Hess with view
of minimizing the cost OF prosecution. Ma
bray, as principal, was indicted in each
case that was pulled off here where evil
dence was forthcoming, and with him each
Of the steerers, Jockeys wrestlers and
! fighters, making six defendants in many
Of the cases and as high as eight or nine
| in others Under the Iowa law all of
these defendants may demand separate
/ trials.
Only Two Cases Tried.
Only two Of the cases have been tried
in the state court, John r., alias "Beckey''
| Dobbins and Frank Scott. Dobbins was
| convicted by County Attorney Hess in No,
vember. 1909, and sentenced to five
| years in the penitentiary. His attorneys
appealed to the supreme court and the
case is now pending. Dobbins is the steerer
who landed Banker T. w. Balew of Prince
ton, Mo-, for $4,000. Scott was tried in
February, 1910, with former Attorney Gen
| eral Byers present as an active participant
| in the prosecution.
The state had a great deal stronger case
against Scott than was made against Dob
bins, but the jury acquitted him, II was
declared at the time, as protest against the
interference of the attorney general in the
affairs of the county Scott was the steerer
who manipulated John Hemelbrecht OF
Bancroft Neb., who lost 5000 A modicun
of the same evidence was presented to the
federal grand jury when Scott was in
dicted At the March term OF the fedora
court here he entered q plea Of guilty anC
got five months in jail
Huge Task In Prospect.
The task that has been put upon the
state by the action Of the attorney general
is a huge one and the costs that will be
piled upon the county will be worth taking
account Of. The Dobbins and Scott cases
cost about 5000 and If evidence enough to
secure conviction in all of the others is
produced the costs will equal or exceed
81, 900 in every case. 1t has cost the gov
eminent nearly $4,000 in direct expenses
to convict about two dozen members of the
gang and the government has the advsn-
tase OF the state in many respects. 1t can
compel the attendance of witnesses from
all parts Of the country and It can try
the criminals in any sized punches. The
state can do neither.
Wishes to Purge city
''It is not q question OF what 1t will cost
but 1t is the necessity for making use OF
every means to remove the stigma that the
acts Of these men have put upon Council
Bluffs" said Mr. LouEee, former president
of the Law Enforcement league. THE
| town cannot prosper unless 1t makes a
heroic effort to remove the STAIN" Attor-
ney Kilipack, now president of the league,
expressed the same views months ago and
has not modified them.
There are now In the Leavenworth prison
q dozen or more OF the men whose terms
are soon to expire and these will be the
first victims Of the wrath of the new at
torney general. Colonel Mabray, with
twenty-six indictments attached to him,
will be the first and there is no doubt but
There will be evidence sufficient to convict.
Mabray Is the arch scOundrel Of the lot,
with able lieutenants in Monte Mccall and
Isadore ]. Warner They undoubtedly Sc
cured several million dollars from their
large assortment of victims all over the
country and Attorney General Cosson
thinks Mabrsy and his principal officers
should receive good long terms in the
states prisons.
| With practically all Of the indictments
reinstated, warrants will be sent to Leav-
enworth and other places where the mixers