The Greenville journal. [volume] (Greenville, Ohio) 1850-1918, 1913-08-21
CONFESSION CINCHES
CHARGE OF KNAVERY
Con-
SpiraCy Exposed.
AUDITOR PRESTIEN TELLS ALL
Cuyahoga County Official Acknowl.
edges Frame-up to BurgIe Offices
So as to Stop Referendum-Many
On Anxious Seat

edges Frame.Up to Burge Office
SO as to Stop Referendum-Man,
On Anxious Seat.
| Cleveland, O.-(SpecialD Not ever
in political novel is there found thC
political knavery that is graphically
detailed in the statement made BY
Charles T. Prestien, auditor of Cuya
hoga county.
When c. C.. Meekison auditor o
Henry county was arrested on g
charge of attempted burglary, Mr.
Prestien came out with d statement
explaining his connection with the tax
| spenders' conspiracy. Auditor Pres
tien stands high in his home city and
there had been no intimation that he
had criminal connection with the DO
lltical plot. Ills statement, printed
herewith, explains in detail how he
became associated with Meekison-.
and more than that, IT PROVES the
charge that conspiracy of colossal
proportions and criminal intent did
exist. Here is the Prestien interview,
| as published in the Cleveland Leader.
that disturbed Governor Cox, State
Chairman Finley and others higher up
In the councils of the Democratic
state organization:
"Meekison called me over the tele.
phone last Friday night to meet him
at the Gillsy Hotel and | went" said
Prestien, in telling his own story of
his connection with the case.
He spoke of the failure Of the eff.
forts to defeat the referendum on the
Warnes law. He said that all they
had been able to do by way of buyins
up petitions, by having their own men
circulate petitions and fill them with
spurious names and by signing petit
tons with the names Of dead men.
had failed to prevent the Ohio Equity
association getting enough genuine
signatures to assure the referendum.
1.-The petitions are locked in the
sat. al the Equity Offices, Meekison
told me. The man we placed there
with instructions to mutilate and steal
the petitions has got cold feet and re.
fused to perform for us The only
chaAce we have is to burglarize the
Offices. blow the safe and get the petit
tions.
Then he said to me; Can you rec
ommend couple of expert yeggmen?
l am told that they could turn the
trick for us while we boss the job
Promised immunity, Prestien Says
Meekison Told Him.
II told him that while | used to
know some fellows who were said to
be yeggmen, that l couldn't recon-
mend anyone for such job as that
and couldn't become a party to it. He
told me that it was all planned to
burglarize the Offices Saturday night
as that would be the best time to do
It before Sunday night, when Secre
tary Gongwer would leave for COlum.
bus with the petitions to file.
"He pleaded with me that this was
absolutely the only chance to prevent
the filing of the petitions, that it must
he done. l urged him not to do any
thing that was crooked and would lay
him liable to states prison.
"He continued to urge me to join
him in recruiting the yeggmen, de.
claring that he had been assured that
1t was no ofrense to steal the petit
tiOns because they were without value.
He said that immunity from any
prosecution had been promised him
and that we would be safe in doing
what he proposed.
I'VE talked about an hour along
this line, he continuing to urge me,
but | held aloof. | told him that
didn't want the referendum, but that
could not do as he wanted me to do.
Then he insisted that | recommend
him to some man who would provide
the yeggmen. | declined to do that.
"Meekison said to me: Charley, I
am in terrible pickle. If l don't
defeat the referendum | can not hope
to be appointed tax commissioner Of
Henry county. | have simply got to
do this to save myself. | am in it and
must go all the way through. can't
stop now
Il begged him not to do it. | told
him that if he were discovered it
would ruin him, drag his family s
name into the mire and make him a
bum the rest of his life
His answer was that he had been
given the assurance that the act OF
stealing the petitions, even If they had
TO break in the door and dynamite the
safe, could not be construed to be bur,
glary or any other offense.
HE said he just had to do it.
IF there were any Burns detectives
around / did not know or suspect it.
OF course there may have been. I'm.
der the circumstances, in the light OF
the fact that Meekison was caught in
the hall of the Leader-News building
while the yeggmen opened the door
with duplicate key and was caught
in the office, | hope there is detecta-
phone record cf our whole converse.
ton. It can only show as to me that
] was drawn innocently into the con.
spiracy and that had no actual part
! in Il.