The Topeka state journal., 1914-01-31
HEARING IS BEGUN.


The preliminary hearing of q. E.
Richards and M. L. Dennick. Ottawa,
Kansas, who are charged with using
the mails to defraud. was begun this
morning before Commissioner F. L.
Campbell Of the federal court.
The hearing began at 1880 o'clock
this morning. The government. rep
resented by Fred Robertson. United
States district attorney. subpoenaed
fourteen witnesses to appear against
the two men. The defendants were
represented by n. Ward Page of To-
peka- They were arrested January
by federal officials and have been IN
the Shawnee county jail in default of
81. 600 bond since that time.
The first witness for the govern
ment was w. F. Allmon. Allmon il
postoffice inspector Of Wichita and
was the investigator Of the case.
The second and most important wit
bur NJ. Mason of Baker university.
Mason declared that the alleged Ep-
worth League endowment fund was
not sanctioned by college authorities
and that he did not know the two
men alleged to have been the mana
gers of the fund. He told of the
Methodist endowment Of $375,O00 to
be raised before October. 1914, in or
der to get $175,O0O from the general
education board of New York.
mo such proceeding has been au-
thorized by me-" he said when asked
Of Bakers connection with the Ep-
worth League endowment. NO such
plan could have had the university's
other members Of the endowment
board, A. ]. Church and c. E. Hol-
comb, knew of no such plari.''
He denied any statement in the alleged
ards and Dennick. He said that some Of
the methods asked in the letter for the
raising Of the money were preposte-ous.
The third witness called by the govern
ment was r. s. Marsh Of Pfttsburg Kan
sas. Marsh ia president Of the Epworth
League OF Pfttsburg and told Of receiving
q letter from the endowment fund. The
letter was sent through the regular chan
nels Of the mails and was presented by
Mr.. Robertson part or exhibit A.
Dean o. g. Markham OF Baker universi-
been actively connected with the
and % was IS the the first Official Of
the college to know Of the alleged
declared that Dennis was a student at
Baker for two years, in 1904 and 1906.
Rev. S. g. Murphy. secretary of the
by the government. As secretary, he de-
clared on tho witness stand. he knew
nothing of the operations of any other
OA 6dAI1ddOu tA6l PAdAnc0 " IoASe xuO1lcy
to aid the college.
The last witness this morning was Rev.
Thomas E. Chandler OF Ottawa, Kansas.
Rev. Chandler was the complainant in the
case. He Is presiding elder or district
superintendent of the Methodist church
at Ottawa. He stated that neither Rich
ards or Dennick has ever taken any in
terest in the church or Epworth League.
The hearing adjourned shortly after Il
O'Clock. Commissioner Campbell ordering
its convening at 1:30 p. m.
NJ. L. Denick and g. e. Richards,
alleged managers of the Epworth
League endowment fund, were this
afternoon bound over to the United
States district court for trial. They
will face charge of using the mails
in an attempt to defraud.
Witnesses this afternoon for the gov
ernment were 8. d .Locey, painter Of
Ottawa; Rev. J. N. Henry of Tribune.
who sent s. bill to the fund: Newman
Waring Of Ottawa, postmaster; NJ. A.
Keen, an Ottawa printer and Fred Sail
ors. a printer. The defense offered no
testimony.
Commissioner r. L. Campbell will
hold the prisoners in the Shawnee
county Jail until the April term OF the
federal court. The bond Of the two
men was fixed at $1,000 apiece.