Rock Island Argus. (Rock Island, Ill.) 1893-1920, 1913-02-01
JUROR is NOT IN
CONTEMPT, SAYS
CIRCUIT JUDGE
Fred Sehnert Brought Into
Court This Morning on Cita-
ton Issued Yesterday.
SAYS EVIDENCE Is LACKING
Court Does Not Summon Other Former
Deputies Named in the
Complaint.

Lack OF prosecution or evidence
other than the three afRdavits fled
in connection with the petition for
citation OF Grand Juror Fred ssnn-
ert, caused him 70 be discharged i'm
the circuit court az 9 O'Clock this
morning by Judge r. ". Olmsted The
other four named in the affdavits o.
Sheriff D. L. Brmer and Deputies
PM Miller and l.. l.. Hance as hav-
Ing, as he alleged, conspired TO OBJ
siruct the administration Of Justice
in connection with the Investigation
" the sherif's Office were not brought
into court. as the judge yesterday az
tornoon refused 20 cite them for ap.
pearance before him. These four for
mer deputy sheriffs were j. r. Brooks.
John G. Miller. Walter Kttilsen and
Richard Carnes
Court CITES JUROR.
Yesterday afternoon Attorneys 6. Z.
Kenworthy and c. T Dietz, on behalf
Of Sheriff o. l.. Bruner, presented
20 the court the petition and three
Rfidavits In which II was alleged
that Grand Juror Fred Sehnert was
meeting and conspir1ug with ex-Depu-
ties Brooks. Miller. Walter Kittilsen
and Carnes, and Former Sheriff Ed
ward Kittilsen 70 disclose what was
going on IN the grand jury room and
70 influence the action OF that body
and the testimony offered by those
who were called in 70 give their evil
oence in the investigation of the graft
charges against the sheriff. II was
set forth in the petition and in the
afidavits that improper motives gov
srned the above mentioned men in
the interest being manifested by them
IN the investigation, and that they
are seeking 70 discredit the sheriff
and bring about his indictment
GRAND JUROR Is CITED.
The court decided that the evl.
dence was not sufficient 10 show that
the eN-deputies we're doing anything
beyond their rights, but admitted that
81 Il was true that one of the grand
Jurors was disclosing what was 20.
ing on in the grand jury room, he
would be guilty OF contempt of court
IN view OF that he ordered Fred Sehn.
ert 10 appear in court at o'clock
this morning.
When asked II they Intended to aid
in the examination Of the grand juror
the shsriffs attorneys announced theil
intention Of letting the matter res
entirely Wit the court. They said Il
was not the purpose OF their ellen
20 do other than call the courts at
teutiou TO the attempts which ar,
being made 90 peryert justice.
sEHNEHT ENTERS DENIAL.
when brought into court at 9 o'clocl
this morning the court called upoi
States Attorney F. +. Thompson 70
an expression OF his views. Nj
Thompson refused 70 appear as
prosecutor. saying that he had ever
confidence in the personnel OF tn
grand jury and that while he kne'
that former deputies were interes
Ing themselves in the case to the el
tent OF talking 70 grand jurors an
20 witnesses, nevertheless, he had nc
reason TO believe that anything VI
lawful had taken place.
The court thereupon read sections {
the petition 20 Mr. Sehnert and aske
him II II was true that he had di
closed the procedure Of the gran
Jury to the former deputies and en-
mics OF the sheriff. Sehnert promp
~ entered a denial 10 all the charge
made against him, saying that the
were utterly false
With no evidence other than u
Sfidavits 20 the contrary, Judge OH
Sted discharged the grand juror al
the incident was closed.
AID JUROR Is NOT
CLAIM TO HAVE EVIDENCE.
Attorney c. Z. Dietz in conversatiC
with a representative Of The Arg
stated this morning that the matt
has not been brought TO 4 close as Il
court record would indicate. He sta
ID that Il would be brought mp at
later date and that when the Tin
comes. evidence TO substantiate q