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

| On Delng called To the Stanu Dy fTOs-
ecutor Wood, Mrs. Peters was first
called upon to identify the handwrit-
ing and signature on a letter which
! she received at her home in Peoria.
She declared it was from her brother,
]. B. Mitchell, and written nom the
county Jail in Rock Island while he
was prisoner there in June, 1912.
! The message it contained, relative to
his Imprisonment. induced her to come
to Rock Island in order to lay plans
| for the release OF her two brothers,
J. B. and Thomas.
Attorney Woods questioning of the
witness. at this point was on this or
| der:
Q.-Were you in Rock Island on or
about June 10?
Ayes, sir.
Q.-Whom did you see?
A.-Sheriff Bruner
Odd you show him this letter?
A.-No sir.
Q.-Where did you see him?
Am his Office in the court house
I went there with Mrs Margaret Dana
of Rock Island.
Q.-You may state what conversa-
ton if any. you had with Mr. Bruner
at that time
Al told Sheriff Bruner wanted to
get my brother out of Jail He said it
would require 500 for a cash bond
but that it would be impossible for him
to do anything regarding the matter
as the states attorney was in Chicago.
He told me to come and see him the
hn hot
could be done about it.
Counsel for the defense brought
from her a statement that she did not
know the name of the states attor-
ney and that he was not met in any
part OF the proceedings.
Mrs. Peters declared she returned to
see Bruner the next morning at
o'clock and he said the bonds were
ready and would be made out. at in
the afternoon.
Bring no one with you and have the
800 ready, is what Bruner told me in
the morning" Mrs. Peters declared
He said he would have to share 1t
with the states attorney and settle
the bond and have very little left
Money is Paid.
AS to the afternoon session Mrs
Peters swore she returned at o'clock
and met Bruner in his private Office
and that there was no one to be seen
in the outer Office. She claims she
handed him the 500 in bills, which she
carried in her pocket book, supposed
ly in settlement for a cash bond to re-
lease her two brothers.
What did you do them" asked
Wood
81 went over to Davenport" answer
ed Mrs Peters. But first | went over
boys out. He told them to get over
to Davenport as quick as they could,
as they were free men,
Mrs. Peters was importuned to tell
of further relations, if any, with the
sheriff. She declared the next time
she had anything to do with him was
about a year later, after the first Bru-
ner trial, in April or May, 1918, she
said. Her story was to the effect that
from Davenport she telephoned to
Burners residence and on making the
connection she found he was sick in
bed, but he talked with her over the
phone
What was said over the telephone?"
asked Wood.
Il told him I wanted my money
back she declared, "as / understood
the taking OF the 800 wasn't legal. |
Bruner replied. Since when have you
become a grafter?' He said if ever |
came over to Rock Island he'd run me |
in. That's all that was said.''
Thought 1t Legal.
On the cross examination Mrs. Pc
tiers was questioned as to what infor- |
nation she had received that the trans |
action was Illegal Her reply was that
James Dana. husband of her friend in |
Rock Island, had told her so, and also /
that she had consulted Attorney Ben I
SchriveR.
You didn't intend to bribe the sher-
iii, did you?" Kenworthy asked.
Attorney Wood objected to the |
question, as it was for the jury to draw
the conclusions.
Then you understand the payment
was for a bond to get your brother
out of jail?" was kenworthy's next
question.
That's what / understood, and l was
under the impression that everything
was legal" she replied.
Mrs. Peters, on further examination
by counsel for the defense, said she
did not recollect seeing any papers in
the sheriffs Office when she called to
give him the 500. nor did she see her
brothers sign any papers in her pres
ence. The witness admitted she had
told her story once before the jury
which returned the indictment in the