The Hawaiian gazette., 1917-03-09
Liquor Graft Cases Begin With
the Pleading Guilty Of All the
Accused Except Gill and the
Chief Of Police Rockingham
SEATTLE EXECUTIVE ACCUSED
OF HAVING ACCEPTED BRIDES
Evidence Against Accused Men
Tended To Show Plot To Ship
Large Quantities Of Liquor Into
the Dry State Of Washington
iAssOcia.ed Press by Fsdsral wlrelsssl

+ (Associated Press by Federal wireiessJ
q EATTLE, March THE trial of
- Mayor Gill and number of other
officials and citizens, including
Chief of Police Rockingham, began here
yesterday on a conspiracy charge. All
of the others, with the exception of the
chief Of police, have pleaded guilty to
the charges. at.a
Mayor Hiram c. Gill, Chief Of Police
Charles l.. Rockingham, former Sheriff
Robert T. Hodge, City detectives
Meyer NJ. Peyser, John Poolman, james
Doom and Dan j. McIsennan; Edward
p. Weidman, assistant freight shed
foreman of the Oregon. Washington
Railroad and Navigation Company; Lo-
gan Billingsley, Fred Billingsley, w. H.
Pielow and William Frazier officerS Of
transfer companies, and Edward p.
Baker, manager of the Jesse Moore
Hunt Company, liquor dealers of San
grand jury here, January "a, on con-
spiracy charge. ~. X
There are three counts in the indict-
ment against each defendant, two
counts charging conspiracy to violate
section 23S Of the United States Penal
Code, and the other with plotting to
violate the interstate commerce law.
Gill, Rockingham and Hodge are al
| legged in the indictments 10 have con
spired with the Billingsleys to ship
large quantities Of alcoholic liquor in,
to Seattle in violation of the federal
laws. They are also accused Of provid-
ing the Billingsleys and their employees
with official and police protection for
their liquor shipments and with accept
ing large sums of money from the Bill
lingsleys in payment for this alleged
1 protection. " a." ..@l
1t was alleged, in evidence submitted
to the grand jury, that Major Gill nc.
cepted bride Of $4,000 from the Bill
lingsleys last August; that Beckingham
accepted brides of $1100, and that
Hodge, through his collector, received
$500 from the Billingsleys, Logan and
Fred Billingsley, brothers; Pielow and
Frazier were indicted last December fol
alleged conspiracy to violate the fed
eral liquor laws, and after pleading
guilty were not sentenced, but wer'
used as witnesses against Gill ane
others. - s..E4. . t
As soon as the indictments were an
nounced State and local prohibition
leaders volunteered TO go on Mayo
ellis bail bond, and offered money Il
assist in the defense. Wilmon Tucker
president of the State Bar Association
and the King County Bar Association
was engaged to defend Gill, and forme
Supreme Justice Frederick Rausman Of
fered his services without charge a
assistant counsel Gill issued q state
ment saying that he had been assaile
and indicted because he had enforce
the prohibition law vigorously and ha
incurred ill.will of wholesale liquo
dealers in the other States. He inter
J posed no demurrer, but asked for
I separate trial, which was denied, an
for speedy trial, which was grantee
Gill auuircd national celebrity b.
ing recalled from the Office of mayS
. of seattle in 1911 for alleged toleratio
U of vice, and by being elected may,
by enormous majorities in 1914 an
1916. Robert It. Hodge, indicted wit
Gill was Progressive candidate Il
!. governor in 1919, and was, defeate
n He sought the Republican nominatic
q for governor last fall, and was beate
. in the primary. The Billingsleys, Il
"a principal witnesses against Gill, Bee
ingham and Hodge, were formally res
. dents of West Virginia aud Oklahom
~ United State District Judge Jer
miah Neterer is presiding at the tris
b The United States government Is repT
10 scented by Special Prosecutor Claren
y l.. Reames, district attorney at POI
II land, Ore, and Clay Allen, district q
torney at Seattle.