The Leon reporter. (Leon, Iowa) 1887-1930, 1916-08-17
JOE WHITE IN TROUBLE.
Former Notorious Leon Citizen In
Jail at St. Joe, Charged with
COnsiraCy in Murder Case.

Joe White, at one time resident
of Leon for short time, is in jail at
st. Joe, Mo-, charged with conspiracy
in connection with the murder of the
wife of prosecuting attorney Oscar D..
Mcdaniel in that city on the night of
July 14th. White had an unenviable
reputation while he resided in this
city and the authorities and every
body else were mighty glad when he
moved to St. Joe. James Vaughn,
who it is claimed was one of the men
White tried to incriminate, was also
a resident of Leon for several years,
but the whole Vaughn family left
here several years ago.
The following account of the affair
is taken from the st. Joe News-Press
Of last Saturday:
Joe White, south St. Joe police
character, was araigned in Justice
| Wilson's court To-Day on charge of
conspiracy to procure the arrest of
one Perry Holiday by wrongfully ac-
cusing him of the murder of Mrs.
Harriet Moss Mcdaniel, wife of Os-
car d. Mcdaniel, prosecuting attor-
ney, the night of July IA. White
pleaded not guilty, and his case was
set for trial August 10th.
Holiday was arrested by the sheriff
in Kansas City, Kan, several days
ago, was brought to st. Joe, sweat
ed by the police and discharged. APP
parently there was no reason to be-
lieve that he had any knowledge of
| the Mcdaniel murder.
The circumstances of the White
case are peculiar and singularly in
volved. A week ago he displayed to
Prosecuting Attorney Mcdaniel the
following letter which he said he had
received from Kansas City, Kan:
Kansas City, Kan, S-4-16 M Joseph
White, Dear Sir: l thought l would
write you few lines to let you know
that l am well and hope you are the
same. l was at your place. Well
Joe how is the PROS CUTTING ATOR-
NEY getting along Have you forgot
what / told you the last time l saw
you. l told you would get that
if had the whole bunch to get and
aim to make my words true fired 3
shots ad they fired but l was so
nervous that my gun flew straight up
and don't know wheather HI. him or
not it is such (cinch?y got part Of
them ad will tier (tear?) his head off
befor quit so tell the boys they need
to worry for this Pros ATTORNEY so
I an SHE will be up Sat sure to give
this letter to Mine (Minnie Himmel-
burg, daughter of Joe White.y am
going to do as | agreed to do will
close.
From Jim vawn and SHE P S Burn
this letter up as soon as you read it
and don't tell nothing.
1t is the theory of the prosecuting
attorney that White, by means of this
letter sought to incriminate James
Vaughn and Perry ,Shi) Holiday,
both of whom are known to the po-
lice. Vaughn, whose home is near
Leon, Iowa, was sent to the peniten-
tiary four years ago, and served eigh-
teen months for guntoting. His pres
ent whereabouts are unknown. Holt
day has been arrested by the st. Joe
police number of times on petty
charges, but there is no record of his
having been convicted. For some
time he has been making his home in
Kansas City, Kan.
Relatives of White identified the
handwriting in the foregoing letter
as that of one Jack McVey, south
end character and friend of White,
and McVey, when arrested admitted
he wrote it at Whites solicitation.
"White came to me-" said McVey
to the prosecuting attorney, "and said
he wanted me to write a letter for
him. He said he had received let
ter from KANSAS City, Kan, and had
lost it, but that he remembered what
the letter said, and wanted me to
make copy of it as he dictated. Then
he told me what the letter said, and /
wrote it off.
A specimen of McVey's handwrit-
ing was obtained and the prosecuting
attorney says it corresponds perfect
j ly with tnat in the White letter.
White, when confronted with these
facts, admitted all that McVey had
said.
/ "That's all true,' said White. "He
did make copy of the letter for me.
but after he made it, found the or
/ iginal letter which 1 had lost, and the
letter | gave you (McDanieD is the
original"
! The only flaw in this story, the
| prosecuting attorney says, is the fact
that the original letter is in the
handwriting of McVey.
/ The authorities are unable to ad-
vance satisfactory explanation of
Whites activity in the matter and
are at loss for motive. White was
in trouble at the time, being charged
with the theft of a large quantity of
copper wire belonging to the street
railway company, and when the let
ter was written was out of Jail on
bond. Some think that White hoped
the prosecutor would be lenient with
him in the larceny case if he deliver
ed "clew' in the murder case.
In default of bond White was COM
mitted to Jail today to await trial
on the conspiracy charge.
Fall Millinery Opening.
We have selected Thursday, Fri
day and saturday. Sept. 9Th, 9Th and