Audubon Republican. [volume] (Audubon, Iowa) 1894-1925, 1917-09-27
MEETING IN
THE CITY PARK
Speakers Own Utterances at Satur.
day Nights Meeting Confirm
Statements Made in Last Issue

Statements Made in Last Issue
1t will be remembered that in tn,
last issue Of The Republican we mad,
mention the fact of the coming to An
dubon of one Wilkerson, a self-styleC
detective" from Red Oak who. haf
Deen advertised to tell some inside
facts' concerning the murder of tn,
Moore family in Villisca in 1912. We
detailed few unsavory facts con
nected with the late history and in
cldentally stated that he was a vain
glorious person strong on egotism anG
! DomDast and an enthusiast for Wilk.
erson. II our statements needed an,
confirmation they were furnished BY
tnls same Wilkerson who for about
TWO hours marched up and down the
platform in the park and harangued
the crowd on his virtues and achieve.
ments. IL any person went there
with the honest expectation of being
enlightened as to any new facts he
went away disappointed. He paid
MS compliments to the editor of this
paper because of the late news item
and in speech literally sprinkled
with profanity and smacking some
what of the bar-room, berated and
Dellttled the officers sworn to enforce
the law in Montgomery County. His
dlatribe simply recalls the old. old
adage that the hit dog bowls" and
Judging from the frequency and in
tenslty or the bowls we are of the op-
ln1on that the cur was hit hard.
Lox
county at the invitation of Ed. North
up formerly a resident of this coun-
~ and now resident of Montgomery
County. He said that Mr.. Northup
and his sons were among his stanch-
est hackers and that in accepting
thelr invitation to come to Audubon.
ne was but repaying courtesy which
he felt their due. Mr.. Joe Stillinger
Iather or two of the children murder
ed at the time the Moore family was
slain was present and made a few
remarks. in which he expressed him
self as having faith in Wilkerson and
at Wllkerson's suggestion stated that
from 80 to 95 per cent of the people
OF Montgomery county were on his
side. If from 80 to 95 per cent of
the people of Montgomery county
can't manage their own business that
in itself is confession of weakness
in their cause.
WilkersOn started out by saving
that he would prove beyond the
question of doubt" that he had ar
rested the guilty party but that a
combination of money and rotten
politics had thwarted justice. He
stated that "Blackie" Mansfield was
the party and that Mansfield had
killed in the same manner no less
than l persons, eight of them being
at Villisca and four at Blue Island.
III. He stated that Mansfield had
Deen an inmate of a prison. and knew
much about fingerprints and that the
ak used at Villisca to do the murder
mad on 1t no finger prints. This, he
claimed. showed that Mansfield did
the murder. He stated that he
didn't have time to give the "details"
as to why he knew Mansfield did the
murder but that he would ask the
audience Ito take his word for it,.
he didn't explain what influences
freed Mansfield in Illinois leaving
the hearers to guess as to that.
He devoted much time to the de-
tense OF Rev. Kelly, the confessed
murderer claiming that he was crazy
and had been for years and that his
was false because forced
by brutal third degree methods. He
claimed that Kelly was beaten up and
mad his face laid open. Evidently
ms matter escaped the notice of |
heilys attorneys as no such facts ap-
peared in the evidence offered at the |
Irlal and three or four witnesses gave
letalled evidence as to what was done |
II that time. The best defense any
man can make when accused of a |
crime is to show that some other per-
son committed the crime. If Wiki
erson is sure that Kelly is innocent /
ana another is guilty (and he says
ne knows the guilty party then he
ought to produce his facts and free
he accused one. Yet not one thing
u any consequence which Wilkerson
claims to have unearthed during the
past two years was allowed to go to
he jury and Wilkerson himself did
lot take the stand. The fact is that
was ordered by the court
o cease some questionable practices
,r be barred from the court room.
lie has crouch on because Havner
would not give him free rein in
handling the case. He says that
Havner would not cooperate with
linn" We wonder who was elected
o enforce the law, Havner or Wiki
'rson? Wilkerson claimed to have
he evidence that would reveal the
but when called as a wit
less before the Grand Jury he re-
used to answer questions and the
'ourt at the instance of Havner sent
linn to Jail for "a hours to think it
'ver. Wilkerson made the statement
hat he would rot before he would
answer but "a hours behind the bars
made him as meek and humble as a
amb and he answered This is his
lislike for Havner.
Stripped of all disguise the meeting
n the park was political in its pur-
,ose and nature. Wilkerson has an
ambition to be next Attorney General
II Iowa and is starting his campaign
little early. He is around enlisting
upport under the guises of telling
he facts of the murder. He has
'een able to dupe lot of we'll inten-
Toned people and hopes to extend
lis field. He said that he wanted
he audience to remember one thing
lbove all. others: that at the next
election when they came to the name
II Havner to "slay utterly. This
found a hearty reponse
rom number in the audience who
lad sought to do this same thing in
l9l6 and they are willing to try
gain.
Wilkerson did not take up a COL
ection as We had predicted. Said
hat he never did. Some time ago he
lad printed a series OF 100 questions
addressed to Havner headed WHY.
These he sold for 10 cents apiece for
He didn't take chances
IN waiting until the end of the meet
ng but made his sales while the
,rowd was there
Ua rayrat thot sayoroI ,,nn $500. |