Evening times-Republican. [volume] (Marshalltown, Iowa) 1890-1923, 1913-10-09
Explorations or DEFENDANTS
ssN BLACK HAND CASE PRO.
pucEp IN COURT.
DEFENSE SEES ADVANTAGE
IN STATES EVIDENCE
Surprises Prosecution BY Placing Die
&aaraph Testimony in Evidence in
Solen Cases on Trial in Federal
Court in Cedar Rapids-Not lnerim-
mating Except by Inference

SS0aI 6opi0Sf Wv &c ssSS ~ s--N
dictagraph in the Ham Black Hand
vase from Scion has attracted consid-
erabie attention. eltho lawyers who
have been following the case do not
think the evidence thus produced
has anything especially Terminating.
while on the other hand the constant
declaration OF Innocence by all the
persons taking part in the CONVERSE
t.ons IS considered valuable TO the de-
rense A court Official. who has
watched the case. says that the in
PRODUCTION OF the photograph evidence
will greatly benefit the defendant
The first days conversation was
taken by Mr.. Norris, who was then
Stenographer for Ranck & Messe-
and now is n President Bownans
office. His work seems 10 have been
quite accurate. In that conversation.
which lasted we'll into the night Of
Dec. 9, 1911. and was continued the
next morning. Ham repeatedly de-
clares he is II no way connected Win
the letters or other offeasss. The later
conversations were taken by another
stenographer. and the transcript irdi-
Gates many inaccuracies Ii the tumble
of talk is correct, then Ham must have
been dafy, or drunk. but his incarcera-
ton and frequent expressions OF SUI
fering thirst, would indicate lie was not
drunk. The nearest he comes 20 meh
ing damaging statements is where he
Indicates the possibility that his wife
might tell something.
The PRISONERS weTe II tho -cGcsc's
department OF the Marion jail. where
they were distant from others and
could talk WIKI freedom. L the theory
,of the prosecution is correct tina.
Dvorak and Ham were the leaders and
that Ham wrote and mailed the letters,
st seems strange that in the three or
four days, when they were much 20
,gether and supposedly alone where no
body could hear, they made no direct
references to guilty knowledge.
Defense Uses Report.
Lawyer Crosby jumped for The 6ocu-
tments containing reports Of the alleged
conversations and pu- them into evil
sdence, with the arid.ty with which
hungry canine would seize and 6evour
g hunk OF meat The prosecution put
the steoog-a Pliers on the stand ana
had them go over the conversations.
but did not offer the transcripts il svi-
dence. Crosby called FOR the papers.
had than fully identified and their
correctness affirmed. when ne offered
tham IN evidence for me defense. This
was evidently something Ct surprise
to the government.
Heaiey Defines Jass.
NJ F. Eesley, tae deputy United
States marsha, who had much 10 co
with -ie case was called 20 the stand
A.
Eaid that when he arrested him ne rad
on jag. He said in this case thu de-
PENDANT had On q comfortable tag He
6aid that ne next day Ham was s-!,i
Setudd;ed with liquor. Il explanation
o. the effects o< a jag. Eea!ey said that
sometimes men Riil sleep of me jag
proper and then Will be Under the after
Influence. He thought tags war= diff
ferent with men. ard some liquors Pm
duce different Tags from Others He
said ne had Eeen Ham when n ~as
clear drunk" which ne admitted was
the next step after comfortable jag "
Mr.. Healey said that he understood
that s. K. Stevenson was directing tne
investigations of the case. Mr.. Adams
told the witness .nat ne would pay any
legitimate expense Of the invests CATION.
Saw Ham at a. m.
James rSdI. young man OF New =
port township. working SoE Mr.. Adams
when the letta-I we're received, testi-
fed that he was coming home from 4
dance at Scion about 3 q m. the morn
ing after Nov. 80. and that he met lam
driving toward Scion. noI far from the
Kessler farm. The cross examination
developed that Ham vas riding III a
buggy with the top clear back. Wore a
broad brimHed soft hat and was dviv-
ing two horses. He said Ham did not
turn away TO conceal his identity. A
black hand letter was found ~ the
kessler mail box that morning.
Letters Identified.
In the Ham case the black hand let
terS were identified and introduced
;Richard Adams said after che barn had
burned. Ham said to him, Z did good
Sob last night"
William Size. a detective Of Mar
shalltown told about the meeting o.
Ham. Wortner and Dvorak. lie heard
them talk about the letters ana Adams
2Dvorak said Adams had received an
other letter. Ham said IL Adams would
mind his own business he would II
nave such trouble. Another day Ham
said to Dvorak, Il had 10 drive like hall
last night to make ny get away
Ham referring to Stewart said he
could not track an elephant IT. the
show Size said he was employed by
Stevenson Previously he had worked
IN bootleg cases.