Evening times-Republican. [volume] (Marshalltown, Iowa) 1890-1923, 1916-12-13
DETECTIVE WlEkERsoN EN-
PLoYED TO CONTINUE IN.
vEsTleATloN.
MUCH FEELING EXISTS
AGAINST "slLL" MANSFIELD
WiIkerson Gives Out Statement in
Which He Declares He Is Pleased
With Outcome Of Trial-commends
Attorney Mitchell and Judge Recka-
fellow.

| Red oak, Dec. 1o.--At a secret meet
ing persons interested in the case de-
cided to retain ]. n. Wilkerson, Burns
detective to continue his investiga-
\ tions of the villisca ak murders.
II is unlikely there will be any grand
jury investigation of the case until
Feb. 20, the next session of that body.
/ Aside from much comment on the
SANDER suit and the verdict there is
little excitement here or in Villisca
since the sensational case ended.
/ Attorneys for Tie plaintiff in the re-
leading to an appeal. The plaintiff has
for new trial.
Il 1t is after trial gossip in Red Oak
| that many armed men We're constant
~ in the court room during the trial
and that during the proceedings there
were a great many applications for
permits to carry concealed weapons.
All of these were refused.
Feeling Against Mansfield.
! The testimony given by r. HI. Thorpe
on behalf of Mr.. Wilkerson has led
many people to believe that Bill Mans
field is connected with the ak murders.
Thorpe identified Mansfield as one of
the men who rode from Clarinda to
New Market with him on the morning
the murder was discovered and told
him they left Villisca before daylight
and the town was in a commotion over
the murder of the whole Moore fam
ily.s As the murder was not discovered
in Villisca until between 8 and $3.50
o'clock, several hours after daylight,
many are inclined to the belief that
Thorpe's testimony alone is>strong evil
dence against Mansfield. Thorpe was a
very positive witness and his keen rec
objection of faces was demonstrated at
the meeting of the grand jury last July
when he recognized Lee Pehton across
the court room here as a man he had
seen in New Market on Monday, June
10, 1912.
Wiikerson Issues Statement.
Detective j. ~. WiIlherson gave oul
this statement. expressing his views OF
brought against him by Senator F. #.
Jones: y 2
Naturally man would feel grati-
fed after being given a verdict where
he stood to be assessed in such heavy
! damages as might have resulted from
an action Of this Sort had he not been
able to prove his qualification. No
more serious charges could have been
made against a man than admitted
having made against the plaintiff.
Had | not thought that the higher
interests of humanity, and public JUS
I.tice- required my action in making the
statements / should never have made
them. When L found that my efforts
to bring Mansfield to justice had been
blocked l was naturally chagrined.
amazed and astoanded. When found,
as q did find. that. the plaintiff was re-
ssponsible directly for, the. escape of
Mansfield from the merited punish
ment' which was his due. felt it my
solemn duty to inform the people Of
Montgomery county why the assassin
Of the Moore family had been permit
ted to so unwhipped of justice.
Mansfield Protected. q
Il had no other medium for commu-
nicating this fact than by the spoken
word. met representatives OF the
citizenship Of this county in the open
forum at a time and place publicly
stated and known, to which the plain
tiff had been invited, but for some rea-
son, best known to himself had not at
tended. I publicly stated that Mans
field had been protected by the power
and influence Of the man higher up and
that the man higher up was F. F..
Jones.
1.-THE result of this statement was
the suit for damages which has just
been tried. stood squarely upon my
own responsibility when made the
statement generating my agency from
any blame in the matter and submitted
myself to personally answer for my ac-
tions in making these charges. made
the charges without malice and with
out fear. ], a nonresident Of the state
and unknown parsonage to the Jury
which tried me for my utterances
oifiose to take my chances when might
4 . . - ! L. u