Free trader-journal. (Ottawa, Ill.) 1916-1920, 1919-09-25
CITY WINS VICTORY IN
ITS SUIT AGAINST
T. J. NERTNEY
CHARGE CONF FESSED
SPECIAL GRAND JURY AND PROS
eCUTOR TO BE ASKED OF
uJDGE ELDREDGE TO PERMIT
FURT TIER OSECUTIONS--
TRIAL ENDS ABRUPTLY TO-DAY.

The administration $ case against }.
! Nertney in whose place $3.50 worth
OF valuable gambling paraphernaiid
was seized Sept II by police raid.
ing squad. came 10 an abrupt nhlsa
in Judge Mills County Court this aft
ernoon when the allegations Of the
search warrant We're taken as con
teesed BY the defendant
The unexpected termination of what
sational trials in recent annals LEFT a
feeling OF beWildermcnt among tn 2
spectators who crowded INTO the court
to hear the trial. II was all over be
fore the sense of what had happened
soaked in on the audience, which
slowly filed on; into the corridors win
faces veritably beaming question
ma.kS.
There was no examination Of wit
nesses as a prelude To the unlocked
for step from H. l.. Richo!son, counsel
for Mr. Nertncy. who, incidentally,
was not among those present at the
opening Of the hearing. The case
was called promptly at l:@u O'Clock
by Judge Mills and five minutes later
the whole shing was over, but not
until
The city had won a sweeping vie
tory against gambling in Ottawa.
Judge Mills ordered every stick
of the gaming devices properly de
molished and burned in the pres
ence Of the complaining Witnesses,
The way was paved for preSenta-
tion Of the facts to the grand jury
in hope Of securing for the city
criminal prosecution against the de
PENDANTS.
And the opening wedge was in
troduced to make possible con
tinued fight, inaugurated by Mayor
George " b. Weeks and Commis-
sioner Palmer to suppress all forms
OF gaming within the city limits.
The mayor had made preliminary
arrangements for going before
Judge Eldredge to petition for
special grand jury to silt out
gambling charges in Ottawa and
with an appended request for a spe-
cial attorney to prosecute the de-
PENDANTS in case indictments are
returned
No Witnesses Called.
The unexpected turn OF events left
no room open for calling witnesses t
testify Judge Mills, Mayor Weeks
and City Attorney Glenn Weese. who
had expressed strong desires for ex
amining Fred A. Sapp. business man
ager, J. Ray Befte, city editor and
Edward Kelly, sporting editor OF
the Republican, Times, We're doomed
to appointment by the abrupt end
ing Of the trial The newspaper men
supported by counsel, We're in the
court room ready to go ON the stand
They were represented by Buffers &
Clark, but as there was no need 70
legal advice in the matter the pc
culiar angles afforded by yesterday
out for the edilication of the assem-
bled audience. Whether or not thu
scribes were to contest Judge Mills
right to nterrogate them or whethe
they were going to stand on constj
tutional rights in the matter, vii
never be disclosed. As far as the
are concerned the episode is "30' Il
newsdoms vernacular.
Few Preliminary Skrmishes
Skirmishcs at the opening were no
inspiring nor were they filled witt
sparkle, The case opened with CIT
Attorney Weese announcing The al
pointment of Mayor Weeks "a G
counsel for the complaining witness
es. There was no objection from A
tor1ey Richolson. The court asked
It would be necessary to get the para
phernalia into court as exhibit
Neither side urged his. Then A
torney Nicholson took the floo" an
willing to abide by the record as
CONTINUED on page 3. COL. ~