Rock Island Argus. (Rock Island, Ill.) 1893-1920, 1914-07-29
WHAT WILL WOOD
Do WITH REST OF
PENDING CASES?
disposition of Remainder of
MagiIl- Bruner Indictments
Awaited With Interest.
WANTS TO PUSH CHARGES
,,.inztes he VIII Not NoIIe Pros
Following Verdict Of Aequittsi
An Expensive Trial.

n view Of the verdict OF the jury.
which Yesterday at $500 in circuit
,ourt acquitted Sheriff Oscar L. Bru-
,sr and Lawrence NJ. Magill. former
states attorney. on the general charge
AZ conspiracy, there is now much spec
uIation as TO what action will be taken
with regard 10 the other indictments
recorded on the criminal docket OF the
circuit court, directed against the two
men. separately. jointly and in con
irnctfou with others. Special States
Attorney Wood has admitted that the
ease against the two defendants which
reached its termination yesterday with
. vindication OF Bruner and Magill.
was the strongest that has been return
ed. Evidence that might be brought
ont in other charges against Magill
would be substantially a part or IN
whole of what has been gone over the
last several weeks.
I don't intend to let down. de
-lared Attorney Wood yesterday after
noon after the return OF the verdict,
but will be ready to prosecute the
cases based on the other indictments
when they are ready for trial.
In assuming such an attitude the
special states attorney is taking an
opposite course from that pursued by
Floyd E. Thompson, states attorney.
who prosecuted the case against Bru-
uer last spring which also resulted n
an acquittal The other cases against
Bruner. based on indictments return
ed by grand juries under Thompson's
direction. were then all nolle pressed.
This was done on tn, grounds that
the strongest possible case for the
state was lost, and il would be a use
less expense to bring TO trial the other
issues because OF insufficiency of evi-
dence to convict
II is generally agreed that the jury
which heard the evidence in the Bru-
ner-Magiil trial was fairly representa-
tive OF the people and that their con
clusions as reported in the verdict
we're the result of conviction that the
evidence offered by the state in the
course OF the trial was not sufficient to
prove the two county officials had en-
tered into the conspiracy as charged
in the indictment. They made it clear
in returning the verdict. that the de-
PENDANTS were mot guilty as charged
in the Indictment"
Wants to Try Rest.
As result OF the action OF Judge
Graves July 16. in overriding the mo-
tions To quash on remaining iDdict-
meats against Bruner and Magill and
others. there are still several cases
pending on the circuit court docket for
trial The only way to prevent these
cases coming to trial is through a
nolle pros procedure by the special
states attorney. who has the cases in
hand Attorney Wood intimates that
he VII not do this. but will force the
issues TO trial. II this is done. il was
made evident after adjournment of
court yesterday, the cases will
net come up before the September
term OF the circuit court.
All Of the remaining indictments
against the public officials for alleged
corruption in Office were returned on
various dates by the January grand
jury. under Special States Attorney
Wood So was the blanket indictment
on which trial has just been con-
Guided The circuit court records
show that in each of these cases the
defendants made motion for change /
Of venue from Judges Olmsted and !
Ramsay TO Judge Graves, which was
granted. Motions TO quash on various
grounds. principally because the APP
pointment Of George W. Wood as spe- /
eial states attorney was illegal, were |
made May IS. Judge Graves report /
ed on only one motion June %, over
ruling the petition to quash the indict- /
ment on which the recent trial was /
conducted. He took the other matters /
under advisement. rendering his opin- /
Ion July 10, while the trial was in pro l
gress
The Other Cases.
Motions TO quash were overruled on !
me following indictments, upon which /
unless action 10 nolle pros is entered j
oy the special states attorney. the de-
PENDANTS will be brought to trIz1 at
another term OF court:
Docket No. 1879. returned March 9.
People OF the State Of Illinois vs.
Lawrence NJ Magin and Oscar l.. Bru-
ner. conspiracy. Bail in the sum of
$z,OOO each was furnished.
Docket No. $3.50. March 10. People
fs Oscar L. Bruner and Ben Schriver,
conspiracy Bail. $1,000 each.
Docket No. 1921, March u. People
vs. Lawrence VI. Magill, Ben Schriver,