Rock Island Argus. (Rock Island, Ill.) 1893-1920, 1914-07-17

gill and the discharge of prisoners in
the county Jail. Repeated objections
by thu counsel for defense blocked an
swcrs to any general questions. Kit
t.isen Wa on the stand when co1rt
took a loon recess
Peter Ingelson OF Moline. former as
sistant states attorney, was called to
the stand before noon to certify to his
act in signing Magilrs name to the
information against the Mitchell
brothers.
Witness Arrested.
From the lips of three witnesses,
two brothers and a sister. under oath.
stories OF dealings with Sheriff Oscar
l.. Bruner. in which 800 was actually
paid to him for the release of prison
ers held in custody in the county jail
by him, as told yesterday afternoon.
created the first real sensation in the
trial now in progress. The first OF
the three, William Mitchell of Daven-
port. had no sooner stepped from the
witness box than Lawrence NJ. Magill,
one of the defendants, caused a war
rant for his arrest to be issued on the
charge of perjury. Thomas Mitchell
was followed on the stand on call or
the state by his sister. Mrs. Carrie
Peters of Peoria, who testified in
straightforward manner to the pay
ment of 500 to the sheriff, in consid-
Grafton of which he released her I've
brothers, j. b. Mitchell and Thomas
Mitchell. The first OF these two for
mer prisoners was the third witness
with damaging testimony and the final
one to be examined before adjourn
ment of court at ) o'clock.
These three witnesses were called in
spent in getting the VARIOUS records
in connection with the arrest and COM
mitment of J. B. and Thomas Mitchell, !
brothers, apprehended in June. 1912, |
en- the charge of resisting a Rock Is
land police officer. admitted as exhib- !
its by the state. The men were bound |
over to the grand jury under $1,000 |
bonds each. They were released be- |
fore that time by the payment of |
bribe money to Bruner, which was |
shared with Magill, the state claims, |
and the witnesses were introduced as |
proof.
On examination by the state and !
later in the cross examination by At |
torney S r. Kenworthy, Thomas Nit |
chell recited the events as he knew |
them leading to the release of the |
prisoners. 1t was his statement of a |
visit to the home of Magill in Moline |
the morning of the day he claimed he |
received terms for release from Bru- |
ner. that induced the former states |
attorney to charge him with perjury. |
Magill claims he was in Colorado |
Springs. Col, at the time of the re-
ported conversation and that the |
mans story of any relations with him /
was absolutely false.
MitcheII's Story.
Mitchell declared that he came over
from Davenport about week after |
his brothers were jailed, he thought.
with the express purpose of learning
what could be done for the release c,
his brothers confined in county Jail.
On the witness stand he told of meet
ing with Attorney Ben Schriver that
morning. but did not state the nature
of the conversation. According to his
story, Mitchell went to Moline by car
and asked a colored porter in barber
shop the location of Mr.. Magills res
idence. On cross examination by Ken
worthy, he was called upon to describe
in detail the location of the Magill res
idence. He located il on Fifteenth
street. but could not remember the
number. although he thought it to be
in the 900 block.
In this connection the counsel at
tempted to secure from the witness a