The Mankato free press. [volume] (Mankato, Blue Earth County, Minn.) 1879-1924, 1922-03-24

4
sloner with accepting q bribe to
here to continue to do business
after it had been found insol-
vent was returned by the dis
trict court grand jury yesterday
II was learned today by the As
ISOLATED Press. Sheriff Frank
Sewers Of OkmuIgee county now
| has a warrant for Governor
Robe rtson's arrest but said he
expected to hear from the exc
cutive some time during the day
and that he did not intend to
serve the warrant.
Okmulgee, Oklahoma. March %
I-Governor ]. B. A. Robertson of
Oklahoma and Fred G. Dennis, for
mer state banking commissioner,
were. named as recipitants of a $25, :
900 bribe to deposit $3.50, 900 in state
funds In the Guaranty State bank of
this city and allow the bank to con
tinue to operate while In an insol-
vent condition, in an Indictment re-
turned by the district court grand
jury against John P. Cook, former
president of the bank and John H.
| FlSDOiu, VIC pLeotucDt. ne Ulil
was made public shortly after noon
today after Cook and Rebold had
been arrested.
Twenty Three Indictments
Fifty one warrants were delivered
to Sheriff Frank Sewers today by the
district court clerk for the arrest of
persons named in twenty three In =
dictments returned last night by the
district court grand jury after an
Investigation into the failure of the
Bank of Commerce here. Sheriff
Sewers said last night that the
warrants would be served immed-
lately after they were delivered to
him. A score or more prominent To-
cal men are understood to have
been named in the bills in addition
to state official and a former state
officer.
John P. Cook, prominent local oil
man, and John H. Rebold, well
known oil and lumber operator, were
arrested today on indictments re-
turned. Cook was president of the
Guaranty State bank which was
merged with the Bank of Commerce
here January 3, 1921, and Rebold
was a vice president.
| The bribery charges against Re-
I
indictment allege that on Septem
Der 81, 1920, the two men acting to :
gether did wikully, unlawfuily, fell
oniously and corruptly" give $4,000
In a cashiers check to ]. B. A. Ro-
bertson, governor of Oklahoma, and
Fred G. Dennis, former state bank
Ing commissioner.
| What Indictment Charges
| j. b. A. Robertson, fourth govern
or of the state of Oklahoma who was
accused Of having accepted a bride
In an Indictment returned by the
district court grand jury at Okmul-
gee, assumed Office January l, 1919
having been elected on the demo
cratic ticket the preceding fall. He
has been a resident of Oklahoma
since 1898.
Governor Robertson was born in
Keokuk county, Iowa. In 1871, resid
Ing there until he removed to this
state. The indictment accusing
Governor Robertson of connection
with the alleged illegal transactions
IN connection with the failure of the
not the first time his name has been
linked with the Okmulgee bank sit :
uation.
In. a sensational report returned
by the investigation committee OF
the house of the eighth Oklahoma
legislature on March 81 of last year
the governor was charged with hav-
ing accepted a bride for misuse OF
his official powers in connection
with alleged illegal transactions in :
yolVlng the Guaranty State Bank OF
Okmulgee. His impeachment was
recommended but in a spectacular
scene in which a democratic mem
Der of the house was brought to the
chamber in an ambulance to vote,
the body rejected the committee re :
port, AZ to ~.
j. T. Jenkins Of Oklahoma City
who left his sick bed to vote against
the report later died. The majority
OF the house were republicans and
the governor and his friends at the
time declared the attack on him
was political. The executive denied
In detail the accusations brought
against him.
Other Arrests Made
Later j. Hay Brown, president oil
the defunct Bank of Commerce was
arrested on eight indictments, four
or which charged accepting depos
Its in an insolvent bank, three
charged embezZlement and one
charged that he made a false re.
port as to the condition Of the
bank. He gave bond and was re-
leased. :. :.
A. ]. Peters. former vice president
OF the Guaranty State bank and now
president OF the American National
bank here, was arrested on an in i.
dtctment alleging that he had re-
moved abstracts and papers OF the
Guaranty State bank, and released
ON bond - =.
L. D. Cook, a former director OF
the Guaranty State bank. was ar
rested charged with borrowing mon
ey from the bank while serving II
as an officer. .s