Evening times-Republican. [volume] (Marshalltown, Iowa) 1890-1923, 1915-04-21
COUNTY ATTORNEY SHOWS UP
SIOUX cITY,s DEPosEp
CHIEF OF POLICE.
DOES NOT EXCUSE p'Roos,
CHIEF WITNESS FOR STATE
Reviews Conspiracy Between Psires
and HE Hsnehmsn and Holds UP
Psircs a. Worst Offender Of Al Be.
cause Hs Sold Out to Crooks When
He Was Hired TO Protect Public.

ney o. T. Naglestad began opening
argument for the state in the PIERCE
conspiracy trial yesterday. The state
rested at 9:45, and the defense also
announced that it rested. There was
but brief delay before the county
attorney, himself, took up the first
argument to the jury.
County Attorney Naglestad, in his
argument, took up the police scandal
at the time it began to be talked OF
the city early last winter. He
then worked up to the grand Jury SEES
sion and explained that PIERCE was in
dicted on conspiracy charge and on
bribery charge, containing three
counts.
These men-Pe!rce. De Roos and
Ford-could not enter into written
agreement IN q conspiracy of this sort
they could not sign a statement that
would say, We, the undersigned, do
hereby combine, conspire ard confed-
crate together for the purpose Of
sitting justice and endangering the
peace and safety of this city
Peirce Went to "Rummy."
Counsel for the defense III the open
ing statement said that De Roos is a
vile thing, vulture, preying upon de-
cent law abiding persons, and vet the
evidence-all the evidence-has dis
closed the fact that this man PIERCE,
appointed to be The guardian of peace
and life in the city, went to this vile
vulture Immediately after he obtained
office to get from him information to
aid him in thee onduct Of the police
department. PIERCE consulted with him
often in private, the evidence will
show. Therefore the deeper you sink
De Roos in the mire the more mud you
will see on George PIERCE.
IF the evidence Of that man De Roos
stood alone before you there would
still be merit in the contention that
a conspiracy did exist between him,
Ford and Peorce. But even the evil
dence of the defendant corroborates
that of De Roos in practically ever de-
tail.
The Conspiracy.
The grand july decided" said he,
that these three men-Peirce, De Roos,
and Ford-had conspired together to
defeat the ends Of justice IN this city.
Now counsel for defense has attacked
the character OF De Roos, in opening
statement, saying that he is vile and
wicked. We admit that De Roo4 is not
a very good citizen. and we admit that
he has been engaged in an illegitimate
traffic.
in order for the state to procure
evidence in a case OF this sort it is nee
essary to go to that class of people.
We must go into the enemy's camp and
get men who know to come forth and
testify against others. You can't prove
bribery by Sunday school teachers,
preachers, or priests. You must prove
it by those who violate the law and,
therefore, have reason to have knowl-
edge of such practices. You can't go
to merchants, to owners Of big depart.
ment stores, or to professional men,
for evidence Of bribery. They don't
need protection in their occupations. 1t
is legitimate. Hence we must go to
the class Of persons who may engage
in the practice.
Evidence corroborated.
mo one claims that all these people
who have testified before you are good,
but their evidence has been corrobor-
ated on every material point by other
witnesses. They will tell you, Of
course, that conspiracy has not been
proved; that the evidence is INSULT
Gent, or some such thing. say that
the testimony of all these law violators
is in itself enough. Those things are
not done in broad daylight but under
the cover OF darkness.
No Lies Told.
1.-THE most remarkable thing that !,
in my limited practice Of law, have
ever seen, was when this skilful ex-
aminer of over a quarter Of a century
experience, A. l.. Fribourg, failed ut
terly to cross examine De Roos on the
testimony touching on the conspiracy
charge If this man, De Roos, had been
lying on the witness stand with regard
to this mass Of testimony he gave be-
fore you here this skillful examiner
would have torn him literally to pieces.
No one could sit on this witness stand
and lie. as they would have you be-
lieve De Roos did, and Fribourg not
uncover a lie somewhere in his testi-
mony.
"But, no; they asked him only Of his
early life before his arrival in Sioux
City. They did not dare to cross ques-
ton him with regard to the conspiracy
story he had Just told on direct exam
ination. When the cross examination
veered around that way Mr.. Fribourg
dropped him like hot potato. This
counsel for the defense has admitted to
you that De Roos' story was absolute
ly true.
a Serious ofsns5.
''1t is serious affair when a chief
of police, employed to guard your life
and mine conspires with such men as
Ford and Do Roos to violate the law
and to permit violations OF the law.
1.-THE counsel for defense has tried {.
make 1t appear that the county at
torney made q blunder when he grant
ed De Roos immunity to take up this
charge against PIERCE. who they say IL
a young man. who il the worst-one
from whom We expect nothing good,
have no reason to expect anything
good or the servant, who, hired to de-
fend our community against such men
and worse ones, conspires with them to
violate tho laws Of the state? I say 1t
is the man, employed to guard the city
but who aligns himself with men Of
this character in conspiracy 30 that he
can get money to line his own pockets.
It 10 the man. who deliberately plans:
to enrich himself at the expense of
the people. endangering your life and