Evening times-Republican. [volume] (Marshalltown, Iowa) 1890-1923, 1916-11-15
EFFECTIVE wlLkERsoN DE,
ycLAREs HE WILL TAKE LID
OFF MURDER MYSTERY.
JURY SECURED FOR JONES'
$4,000 DAMAGE SUIT
Taking Of Testimony ecsins-Jones to
Take Stand and Make Sweeping
Denial Of AIIesations-More Than
$50 Witnesses Summoned to Give
Testimony-court Room Packed.

Red Oak, Nov. 15.-With the selec-
ton OF a jury, which was completed
yesterday, the $4,000 damage suit of
f. f. Jones, OF Villisca, former state
senator, against J. N. Wilkerson, a
private detective, of Kansas City, was
begun before Judge j., B. .Rockafellow
in district court Here.
Eleven farmers, four of whom are re-
tired, and one barber compose the jury
that will try the case. The twelve men
are: w. A. Saint, barber, of Red Oak;
Franz Malmberg, farmer, Frankfort
township; c. c. Cool, retired farmer Of
Red Oak; Alfred Ambur, retired farm
er, Stanton; S. j. Flood, farmer, Red
Oak township; A. w. Johnson, farmer,
Sherman township; Frank Craig, farm
#er, Violet Grove township; J. w. Watt,
farmer, Garfield township: J. w. An
derson, retired farmer, Stanton; Carl
Isaacson, farmer, Scott township;
George w. Patterson, farmer, Douglass
township, and G.. J. Kampe, retired
farmer, Red Oak.
Many Witnesses in View.
The case grows out of the murder of
the Moore family in Villisca four years
ago. That Wilkerson connected Sena-
tor Jones name with the heinous crime,
the latter alleges in his suit. The plain :
tiff will call approximately seventy wit
nesses, it was said. The first twenty
witnesses will testify. according to
Jones attorneys, that Wilkerson held
public meetings in Page and Montgom
cry counties during August, 1916, In
which he declared the senator was i'm
plicated in the affair. The plaintiff fur
ther alleges that Wilkerson caused the
committees to be appointed to secure
the indictment of Jones for the crime.
What Attorneys Say.
81 said it and it is true" declared
Wilkerson. The detective said he would
take the lid off this whole thing" be-
fore the case was ended. He is repre-
scented by Attorney w. f. Mitchell At
torneys R. w Beeson, Ralph Pringle
and c. J. Junkins. Of Red Oak, are
counsel for the plaintiff
Senator Jones will take the stand
and make "a sweeping denial of all the
charges which he attributes were made
against him by the detective, his at
" Sc6io Lo0dys
We'll prove that Wilkerson is a liar
from start to finish, and by the time we
get thru with him the jury will want
to take him out and hang him to tele-
phone pole" said Attorney Beeson, OF
counsel for the plaintiff.
Mrs Jones, wife of the plaintiff. is a
nervous wreck from worry over the
case, it was reported. RuInors that she
was not expected to live turnout the
trial were current. These were denied
by Jones. who admitted, however, thai
his wife's condition was grave.
+ The court room was filled during the
days session. A number of women
were present Public sentiment in Red
Oak and vicinity seems to desire
complete sitting of the whole matter
and a final disposition Of the charges
and counter charges that have been fly
ing thick and fast over southwest Iowa
since the ak murders were committed.
The hotels are filed with witnesses and
others interested in the case.
1t required a special meeting of the
bar association for the district to Sc
cure trial Of the case at this time.
Judge Rockafellow had held the case
would not be tried until the December
term. Jones attorneys went to Council
Bluffs and arranged for special ses-
sion.