Show when I 1 wao was states attorney of mcdonough county said lawyer willlam prentiss there vas nas an all epidemic of horse stealing there that had perplexed aj ard maddened the farmers of the district suspicion centered on a man named jerry willetts when they spoke of horse stealing they shohe of willets in the same breath under these conditions I 1 sent down as detective to the scene of the horse thieves operations a little swede named oliver johnston with instructions to pose as a farm laborer in iscaro Is search of vork and if possible to ingratiate gratia te himself with willetts AVIl letts he succeeded in gaining willetts willets confidence then one night came a grand horse stealing raid and the proof seemed so strong against willetts that ho he was arrested and charged with the offense johnston played his part well to my satisfaction he informed me that willetts and his counsel had suggested that for a substantial bribe he should sear that he spent the night of the tile horse stealing in willetts house although e he was twenty miles away at the tho time and that willetts did not leave the house that night here was a trap ready to spring on ray my advice johnston pretended to acquiesce in ill the accused mans proposition ion when he came to the witness chair however he lie dropped the mask where were you the night of or jan jall 1 the date of the horse steal stealing lug asked the tile lawyer for the defendant in a voice that foretold retold to triumph 1 I spent that night 0 at my friend bill Pr Prin Ingles glos about twenty miles talles dis tant from willetts house replied the detective 0 but but have you not stated that you spent that night in willetts houie inquired the lawyer la in sudden dismay u 1 I did but I 1 was not on my oath then ard ara I 1 am now willetts asked me to swear that I 1 was in his house that night and I 1 agreed to do so at the request of the states attorney the lawyer for the defense seeing the fatal trap hurled an at imprecation at t me across the table the defendants wife and sisters gave evidence that he lie was at home all the night in question but this did not avail him he was convicted and sentenced to three years imprisonment later I 1 discovered that willetts was perfectly innocent of the horse stealing that his neighbors had formed a conspiracy to railroad him to tho penitentiary and becoming be aware of their intentions he lie had bad endeavored to secure what would seem disinterested evidence in his favor 1 I got b lot him blin out of prison after he had served serve d fifteen months of the sentence he received on account of trying to manufacture a superfluous alibi chicago news |