The Detroit times. [volume] (Detroit, Mich.) 1903-1920, 1917-08-29
Sudden Ending of Case
Causes Big Sensa-
ton In Court

A few minutes after II o'clock
Wednesday morning Anthony J.
Kloka, on trial on a charge Of ON
bezzling county funds. announced 10
Judge Connolly that he wished 10
change his plea OF not guiltN 20 one
OF guilty The court accepted the
plea and Kloka was returned 70 the
county Jail TO await sentence sat.
urday
a bomb explosion would not have
startled court or spectators more.
Al 1880 o'clock Judge Connolly
called halfhour recess and Attor.
neys James A. Murtha and Eugene
L. Mis~rsky. representing Kloka,
went into consultation with he de
fendant
When court resumed Senator Muir.
tha asked the judge 10 keep he jury
out OF the court room while he an
nounccd that his client wished to
change his plea 10 guilty
LET the defendant speak for him
self" ssid the Judge
h4NhN FNfNu ny anu NiiiAtfN ~
Attorney General Groesbeck and
Harry - Keidan, assistant prose
cutor Then he beamed on the
judge for a moment
DO YOU wish TO plead guilty 70
this charge >" asked the court
Yes DO under these condi.
tions." faltcrcd Kloka.
your plea must be absolutely IN
conditional or | won't consider Il "
said Judge Connolly.
Then / plead guilty uncondtion
ally" declared Kloka.
No ono seemed more surprised
than the prosecuting of'leer "a; thc
announcement
Senator Murtha then asked the
court II sentence could be delayed
for a day or two.
- will sentence him Saturday %
said the Judge Call in the jurors -
when The jurors fled in the Judge
announced that they would no long
or be- needed
guilty" announced the court. "an-
yon gentlemen are dNmissod
The look Of astonishmcni that
passed over their faces cannot ~
described They fled out OF the
fury box as If in a daze
Les than two minutes after
Kloka changed his plea he was
tandcuffcd 20 an officer and was on
his way 10 the county jail
Kloka's attorneys will make no
explanation ~ tho defendant chang
ing his plea
The Kloka case has been in prog
ross Just ono week The prosecu
,ion presented nearly 200 exhibits
In the form Of books. checks and re-
ceipis for tho Information OF the
jury
Testimony ~ witnesses. both
county building attaches. and bank
and trust company officials. ndicat-
Cd clearly that the county hid been
robbed of thousands of dollar
No attempt was made by the de-
PENDANTS attorneys TO prove that
the county was not robbed. The aim
Of tho attorneys seemed 90 be 10
prove Kloka was not alone rcspon-
sible, and that county building poll.
ticians were making goat" Of him
The prosecution completed its
case Tuesday evening and Wedncs-
DAY morning Senator Murtha called
his first Witnesses for the defense.
He had not progressed far when he
threw up the sponge for Kloka.
That Kloka's attorneys we're un-
aware AZ late as Wednesday morning
that their client intended changing
his plea Is evidenced by the fact
that Senator Murtha at the opening
Of Wednesdays session. informed
the court that he had learned that
ono OF tho jurors entertained an
opinion previous TO his being called
az Juror.
Muriha told the court that he had
evidence 10 show that John Gotney.
No. 326 81. Aubin-ave.. juror No. u.
had expressed the opinion that
kloka was guilty and ought TO be
sentenced The attorney said that
Cotney expressed this opinion In a
drug store In the neighbOrhood ~
his home and that the drug clerk
would testify 10 this effect.
The Judge told Murths TO present