Evening star., 1937-02-22
KANSAS CITY VOTE
PROBE GOES DEEP
U. S. Judge and Attorney
Who Mean Business Con-
duct Inquiry.
By the Associated Press.


KANSAS CITY, February o.
Charges of fragrant vote frauds, which
have been tossed repeatedly at this
storm center of Missouri politics over
q decade of election campaigns, riveted
the attention of Kansas CityS 100000
today on Federal Court proceedings.
Previously such charges have come
largely from the political rostrum.
Office seekers such as former Attorney
General Jesse Barrett, the last Re-
publican to be defeated for Governor.
have shouted corruption" at this
Midwest metropolis, seat of the power
full T. ]. BOSS PendergaSt Demo-
cratic organization.
The stocky Pendergast, whose tastes
run to horse racing and CHEEKY busi-
ness suits, said of that: "We'lf let the
voters do the answering"
Last November When Jackson
County CKansas City returned
Democratic majority exceeding 130,-
00O investigators gathered evidence.
Studying it, Federal grand jury in
dicted rs persons, both Democrats and
Republicans. The specific charge was
conspiracy to commit vote frauds.
Crude Work Testified To.
Government witnesses testified that
ballot boxes were rif1ed. A Federal
agent who had appeared against Bruno
Richard Hauptmann said nearly 80
ballots in one precinct were changed
crudely from Republican to Demo-
cratic A woman election worker said
she was elected under threat OF
"one-way ride" Another witness
testified she heard claims voiced that
everything was fixed from the Gov
ernor down"
Pendergast, pointing out that he had
been i'll and did not direct his organ
tzation in the election, declared the
Investigation all right with me-"
Two of the first small group to be
tried we're convicted. Both were
Democratic precinct officials. -Four
women pleaded no defense and placed
themselves at the mercy of the court.
Most of them testified for the Govern
ment. Three were Republican, one a
Democrat.
Today the Government trained its
closing arguments on five more de-
PENDANTS, three Democrats, Repub-
lican and member of the police de-
partment.
Judge Can't Be Intimidated.
Presiding is the. professorial-ap-
pearing Judge Merrill E. Otis. He
drew attention in 1885 when irate
mobs manhandled United States
Marshal Henry l.. Dillingham; at
Plattsburg. Mo, during farm foreclos-
ure proceedings.
Its members announced that if
Judge Otis, who issued the order for
the foreclosure sale, carried out plans
to speak at his native Hopkins, Mo-,
she would get the same treatment as
Dillingham;"
You can say have made the state
ment that 1 will be in Hopkins, Mo,
Sunday" Judge Otis said quietly when
informed of the threats.
He appeared and spoke. No disorders
occurred. And Judge Otis later sem
fenced members of the mob for con-
tempt of court. During the present
trials he greeted with smile and
rap for order the testimony of Gov
ernment witness that she had heard
a defendant say Judge Otis would be
sent back to st. Joseph, Mo" and
well put Judge in there We can
handle"
Fight to Finish Pledged.
In charge of the prosecution Is
United States District Attorney Maui
rice M. Milligan, we'll to do, mild
hammered. He is the brother Of
former United States Representative
j. L. (Tuck) Milligan, who assailed
the Pendergast organization during
bid that failed in 1884 for the Demo-
cratic nomination for United States
Senator.
Pm going clear to the bottom u
this matter" the district attorney de-
clared as the grand jury opened its
investigation. He is the appointee of
United States Senator Bennett Champ
Clark, Democrat, of Missouri.