Rock Island Argus. (Rock Island, Ill.) 1893-1920, 1914-07-15

release from Jail, Magill thereupon re-
fusing to present the transcript to the
grand jury.
AIieee Conspiracy.
1--WE contend that these things
charged could not have happened or
have been successfully carried out I'M
less there had been a clear under
standing between these two men," de-
clared Prosecutor Wood. The circum-
stances and the proof of payments for
improper releases will be submitted
to you by the state. While they may
not be direct evidence of a conspiracy
or what was said, under the law OF
this state it is not necessary to prove
an act of conversation to prove a con-
spiracy. 1t is enough for the jury
TO become convinced beyond all rea-
sonable doubt that the circumstances
have been proven to find the defend
ants guilty.
I'VE intend to prove that wherever
there was a possibility OF either of
these men taking any money from pris-
oners charged with crime, the money
was taken, these prisoners were turn
ed loose and the wheels of justice
clogged. There was a working agree
ment, a conspiracy. and it will be
shown"
Attorney Wood advised the jury not
to be guided by any charges the de-
tense might make that it was a po-
litical move that brought Bruner and
Magill to trial. He branded all such
accusations as false.
Fiery Reply.
In a fiery answer to the special
states attorney, Attorney c. e. Dietz
attacked this statement regarding a pv-
litical motive behind the plans of the
defense and declared that If there
was any trace of such move, since
the state had introduced the PROPOSE
ton, it was clearly exhibited as a po-
litical plot by the opposing side.
II don't believe and neither do you,
gentlemen of the jury, that the liber-
ties OF a Citizen" loudly declared Mr..
Dietz. can be taken away on the
grounds OF the suspicious of George
w. Wood or Joseph l.. Haas or any
one else who may be in league with
them or in espousal OF any political
cause.
IF there has been conspiracy COM
mftted, il is a conspiracy which has
snatched from the officers duly elected
by the people the control of the ad-
ministration of justice and paced it in
the hands of enemies to the two de-
PENDANTS here with the hope Of dark
ening their regulations and damaging
their political futures"
Suspicion Only.
Attorney Dietz alleged that the
opening statements of the prosecutor
proved the state had only vaguely col
lected a series OF disconnected acts,
all said to be Illegal, committed some
time, they did not know when, and
somewhere. they did not know where.
and all claiming to point TO a conspir-
acy to halt the processes of the court
in this county. He doubted the eff
ficacy OF circums:antial evidence in a
case of this nature. founded as he said,
on suspicion only. =.
Before he finished for the afternoon
the counsel for defense explained in
detail to the jury the manner of pro-
cedure in filing informations against
those charged with crime in justice
and county courts. in an attempt to
show that the states attorney was
within his legal rights in discharging
many prisoners without bringing them
to trial. especially after information
had been filed in county court and the
complainants refused to appear at the
hearings. So he said. illegal acts
charged against Magill were without
foundation. During the last year Air.
Dietz said. Floyd E. Thompson. states
attorney. had dismissed 2S9 cases with
on: trial