Daily capital journal. (Salem, Oregon) 1903-1919, 1917-03-10
MANY THRILLS IN
TRIAL OF HI GILL
FOR TAKING BR|BE
Witness Admits Killing
Father-m-Lsw and Trial
for Seduction
SAYS HE CONTRIBUTED
$l,O5O TO ELECT HODGE
Shown Up As Briber, Boot
logger, Deserter Of Family
and Other Affairs

Seattle, Wash, Mar. lO.-Sensa,ion
followed sensation swiftly today in the
cross-examination of Logan Billingsley
bootlegger king, in the booze graft con.
spiracy trial of Mayor Gill, Chief Of
Police Rockingham, ex-Sheriff Hodge
and City Detectives Peyser, Poolman,
McLennan and Doom.
First came the declaration by Billing
ley that his attorney, George Vande
veer, who has been a close friend OF
the mayors for number of years,
made all preliminary arrangements for
the city s compromise with the Billings
ley brothers and told Logan not to of
fer Gill less than $500 when he went
to the mayor for incriminating evidence
surrendered to him on August 30.
Then came with startling abruptness
the revelation that Billingsley went to
Portland October IA, 1916, with a wo-
man not his wife and registered at the
Oregon hotel as " Clay Allen and wife. !"
Clay Allen is United States district at
torney here in charge of Billingsley IS
prosecution He said Allen was one of
his aliases.
That Billingsley as 4 us brothers had
held at least three conferences at night
in the office Of 'Adjutant General Mau-
rice Thompson OF the national guard,
with Police Sergeant Putnam of the dry
squad at which evidence was gone over
was also alleged.
He Aioed Hodge Campaign,
The Vandcveer charge was brought
out by Attorney Tucker before he com
pleted his crcss-examination on behalf
of Mayor Gill. The next two startling
bits of testimony were brought out by
Attorney Walter Fulton on behalf of the
chief of police
Sandwiched in between the finish of
| fuckers examination and that of Full
ton which was still in progress at noon,
came that of Attorney Bell, represent
ing Hodge.
| Billingsley said his contributions of
81 ,050 to Hodges campaign fund when
the latter was running for governor in
the primaries last fall and his loan OF
$500 to him were made without any
promise or agreement.
That the government is counting on
against Hodge was indicated
He is a Cheerful Witness.
No mercy was shown Billingsley by
Tucker and Fulton in their efforts tc
show him up as the slayer of his father,
in-law, deserter of his wife and baby
boy, wholesale briber of policemen in
three dry states where he sold whiskey
as a bootlegger, and as constant fran
er of false charges and suits made ncees-
sary by the character OF the business he
has followed They thundered at him
ceaselessly in an effort to get direct
answers to their questions which were
adroitly framed to show him as thor
oughly indispensable as witness and
without conscience, as the corrupter of
public officials.
"I don It claim to be young George
Washington, was one of Billingsley IS
stock replies, when he was pressed to
admit he was a "common liar.
Have you ever been charged with
anything more serious than murder?''
demanded Attorney Wilmon Tucker
who is defending Gill in going into
Billingsley's Oklahoma record
mo" drawled Billingsley. 81 don 7
think [ have.'
1t was brought out and Billingsley adj
mitted, that he killed his father-in.law
after being charged with statutory of
tense before he married his first wife
Billingsley was first convicted and lat
er acquitted on manslaughter charges
But he held his own with clever in.
genuity against the opening onslaughts
of the defense.
Chow many times were you arrested
in Oklahoma?" Tucker asked Billings
ley.
"More times than your records will
show" was the quick reply
Court adjourned at 1880 p. m. until
Monday morning