Evening times-Republican. [volume] (Marshalltown, Iowa) 1890-1923, 1916-11-18
MEMBERS OF GREENBAck GANG
SENTENCED TO iNDETERMl-
NATE PERIODS.
REEVES, BROWN AND
WARD TO FORT MADISON
Convicted Men Claim They Have Re.
formed and Ask Permission to Go to
Prison Without G"s~a-E:shs- Starts
Civil Suit-West Chester Mike Sues
Swindlers For $4,000.

Davenport, Nov. 1S.-Hard labor at
the state penitentiary at Fort Mad:-
son for an indeterminate length Of time
was the sentence pronounced upon the
Donesan, of the Scott county district
court.
j. W.: Reeves, John W. Brown ana
Harold Ward are the three membsrs
OF the gang who will pay this penalty
for Fleeing w. H. keairnes, of Dunlap,
out of $4,000.
Shortly after 10 O'Clock Friday morn
ing Judge Donegan called court to or
Ger in the west court room. There was
6 large crowd present to hear the sen
tence pronounced upon the three horse
race swindlers. The court room was
unusually still. Brown, Ward and
Reeves sat on bench just inside the
rail which divides the court proper
from the audience chamber. Later they
We're called forward by, the presiding
judge and took seats Immediately be-
fore the judges bench. No lawyers APP
peared in court for the defendants.
VIII the three defendants stand?"
asked the court. AS matter of form
will call attention to the record OF
the case. You have been indicted by
the grand jury for conspiracy to COM
NIT larceny and have pleaded guilty.
You are now appearing to receive your
sentence"
Men Give Their Ages.
"Have you any legal reason to give
why sentence should not be pro-
npuneed upon you at this timer
None" answered each defendant.
In order to determine whether the
men should be sent to Anamosa or
Fort Madison the court inquired thei-
ages. Reeves gave his age as IS. Brown
said that he was IS and Ward gave
his age at 81.
Sentence is pronounced on each OF
you at hard labor at the state peniten-
tiary at Fort Madison, in accordance
with the provisions of the indetermi-
nate sentence law. A maximum or
three years Is the sentence for this
crime. The length Of the sentence Will
depend upon the action of the board OF
parole"
Do Not Want Guard.
Then the three convicted men turned
to County Attorney Jebens and con-
ferred with him in subdued tones.
| What they wanted was to be allowed
to go to Fort Madison without an off,
Ger to accompany them as is usually
the procedure.
They pleaded that they had reformed
and would be glad to go to the pen1-
Tertiary to serve their sentence. They
pointed out that If they might be per-
mitted to go to the state prison un-
accompanied, and presented them
selves there, it would help them great
ly in securing an early parole.
Mr., JebenS continued to refuse con-
cession in the case and told the men
that he " ould rather an officer accom-
panied them, as such proceeding would
be rather unusual. He told them that
if their bond covered the period be-
tween the time Of pronouncing SEN
teuce and their arrival at the state
penitentiary he would consent to such
an ARRANGEMENT but he was Of the
opinion that such was not the case.
He therefore refused to ask the court
to allow them to go without an officer
to accompany them.
The last move of the Greenbacks was
in many respects the most astonishing
of their many unexpected actions:
Probably no criminal case has ever
come up in the district court here that
has presented so many unlocked for
happenings. When the Greenbacks
were arrested and their aggregate bond
fixed at $4,000 no one believed that
they would be released, but few days
later the bonds were posted.
They'll never come back was al
most the universal opinion, when the
Greenbacks left town. Nevertheless,
when the time came round the three
men appeared. Then they sprans new
one in a motion of change Of venue.
They used this as a lever TO secure
postponement Of the trial and so the
case, was set for last Monday. AT the
last moment the attorneys who had
been fighting the case all along with
drew and a new attorney from the
west part OF the state appeared. He
tried to get a continuance Of the case
but that failed, so the three horse race
swindiedrs pleaded guilty and were
given their sentence Yesterday morn
ing.
Fisher Files Suit.
Heaped on top of their many trou
bles came the news that the Green back