Omaha daily bee. (Omaha [Neb.]) 187?-1922, 1917-07-03
WILkERSON
TO SPEAK TO
|OWANS HERE
Denied Right in Hawkeye State
by Injunction, Detective Asks
Hearers to Travel Here
for Murder Expose.

n9 NiliSCa ok lnuiu ueI VIII NC us
cussed in the Boyd theater in Omaha
at public meeting by Detective J. n
Wilkerson. July at O'Clock in the
afternoon is the time fixed The thea
ter was engaged yesterday.
A special train is being planned by
citizens Of Greater Red Oak and Vii.
lisca to bring the crowds over to hear
the detective who has been enJoined
by Judge Z. B. Woodruff OF Glen
wood from discussing the now no
torious ak murder in Iowa.
Wilkerson has for four years been
gathering evidence on the now no.
torious murder of the Joe Moore
family and the two Stillinger girls OF
Villisca, Ia. He was first put on the
case by the Burns Detective agency,
but later resigned, and now that he
has taken up his residence in Mont
gomery county, Iowa, he IS contlnu-
ing With the investigation.
Injunction Gagged Talk.
Saturday afternoon when he had
called a public meeting in the opera
house at Red Oak, Ia, and was pre-
pared to tell the indignant citizens
that he believes Rev. George Lynn J..
Kelly is innocent of the murder and
that he has evidence tending to I'M
plicate a prominent man of that coun-
ty, Attorney General Havner managed
to get out an injunction against his
speaking at the mass meeting, and
had the Injunction served on the de
tectiye lust as he was ready to begin
speaking
Judge A L. Sutton of Omaha, at
torney for Rev. Mr.. Kelly, is said to
have suggested to Detective Wilker"
son, there is no ban on the freedom
of speech in Nebraska"
Engages Boyd Theater.
q. Jeefr-trts hint, Wilkerson says, and
at the sug gestion Of many of the best
people Of Montgomery county, VII
kerson came to Omaha yesterday att
crnoon, rented the Boyd theater for
the afternoon of July IA, and there he
says, he will tell what he knows OF the
case.
kelly is as innocent as you or !,
he said in Omaha. Il am holding this
meeting to do what l can to prevent
the miscarriage of justice. The citi'
zens of Villisca and Red Oak will pay
my expenses on this trip to speak tc
them in in Omaha.
II intend to tell the truth about
this case, and show why certain ottl
cials in Iowa are fighting me to pre-
vent my telling what | know | shall
also show the reasons why the Law
was passed to make it possible to curl
Tree speech in Iowa"
Refers to Thompson Law:
In this last statement Wllkerso1
referred to what is known III low;
as the Thompson law, or popularl1
known as the anti-Wilkerson law. /
was passed, he declares, just tifteei
minutes before the legislature OF low;
was ready to adjourn and was rail
roaded through to such an extent tina
many of the senators and representa-
tives did not know what they wer
voting for. -
"When Thompson introduced tn
BILL" said Nilkerson, "he declare
from the floor that the bill was in
tended to curb Wilkerson and preven
him talking about the ak murder q
Villisca." .
The bill makes it possible to cnjoi
any man from holding public meet
ings or speaking in an attempt to IN
fuence jurors, witnesses or othcer
summoned for trial.
It was Wy virtue of this eleventh
hour law the detective says, that A
torneS General Havner obtained tn
Injunction through Judge Woodru
to prevent the detective from tellln
what evidence he has, after larg
BODY of citizens had gathered at tn
mass meeting in Red Oak to hes
him, and to raise funds for the turthe
prosecution of the case. .
Wilkerson says members OF tn
slander jury told him that II the
had been on the grand jury invest
eating the murder, they would hav
brought in a startling indictment.
Moore had worked for State Sem
tor F. F. Jones in the implemer
store before he went into busine:
for himself" said Wilkerson. "Ther
was business rivalry between them:
was arrested, sued for $oO,OOO b
Iones, and charged with conspirac,
but the jury found for me in I'll
first case. The other has Just bee
hted.'
According TO Wlkerson, Attorne
General Havner obtained the indie
ment of the Rev. George Lynn
Kelly, and then did not arrest hi
for nearly day after Kelly came
town and offered to give himself u
kelly walked in voluntarily" sa
Wilkerson, "and then Havner didr
have the crust to have him arrestt
after he had indicted him. 1t toe