Evening Republican, Volume 17, Number 49, Rensselaer, Jasper County, 26 February 1913 — WOULD NOT TESTIFY AGAINST BEN KAHN [ARTICLE]

WOULD NOT TESTIFY AGAINST BEN KAHN

Rosenberg Brothers and Franklin Repudiate Confessions Made About Burning Store.

South Bend, Ind, Feb. 25.—Repudiating their confessions, said to have been given the police authorities of two cities, Abraham Frank-, lin and Benjamin and David Rosenberg, South Bend men under indictment in Fort Wayne for arson, today refused to testify for the state in the trial of Ben Kahn, another arson suspect, which is now is progress here The decision of the three men to refuse to take the witness stand fODowed a serious blunder by local officials, who last night placed the three men in' the same cell in the county jail. It had been planned to put the three men on the stand as the final states witnesses. Their refusal to teD of their alleged connection with the so-called “Arson Trust” resulted in the premature resting of the prosecution’s case this afternoon. Following his arrest in Ft. Waype Friday, Franklin made a written confession declaring the Rosenbergs, his nephews, fired his clothing store in Fort Wayne. The Rosenberg brothers were taken in Chicago the following day. Police authorities declare both men made verbal confessions. All three indicated their desire to go on the stand and testify against Kahn. The two Rosenbergs were brought to South Bend immediately follovzing their arrest. Franklin was brought here last night. After his arrival officials permitted the three t to confer in German and Hebrew and then locked them in the same cell. This morning none of the prisoners would talk. The turnkey at the county jail declares the men conversed in foreign tongues from the time they were placed in their cells until 4 o’clock this morning. The supposition of Prosecuting Attorney Chester R. Montgomery, of this city, is that the Rosenbergs, learning that Franklin had been promised immunity if he would confess, have induced their uncle to repudiate his written expose in order that they too, may receive immunity from prosecution.

Since the establishment of the passenger service on the C. & E. I. railroad, passengers from the north end of Jasper county are certain of being able to make connections both coming to and returning from Rensselaer and the effect is certain to prove very beneficial to the business interests of this city. It is rather unusual that any person who professes the interest of the city and its merchants should in any manner belittle the enterprise or the motive behind it, or try to make capital out of the fact that He doer not personally like the man who was entrusted by the Wheatfield Improvement Association with the important mission of presenting the claims of the towns along the route of the road to the state railway commission. We have said it is peculiar that any z one would do this. In a sense the proposition is not rfghtly stated. There is nothing peculiar about it when one understands the innate and consuming jealousy and hatred that compose the person who opposes it, and yet had he himself accomplished the thing he would have spent the balance of his days pointing to himself with the egotistical finger of pride, saying “See what the taxpayers’ friend has accomplished.” There has never been a greater benefit in fifteen years to the city of Rensselaer or to the towns along the route of the C. & E. L railroad from LaCrosse to Goodland than the establishment of the passenger service and it would never have been accomplished had it not been for the timely and well directed effort of the Wheatfield Improvement association. That John Bowie was the spokesman for the association shows that he has the confidence of the best men in northern Jasper county; shows, that his ability is recognized where he is best known, and the result shows that the claims of the citizens were fairly and persuasively presented. A citizen of Mt Ayr today telephoned to The Republican office that the passenger train service thus established was the greatest thing that ever happened to Mt. Ayr.