Evening Republican, Volume 19, Number 171, Rensselaer, Jasper County, 21 July 1915 — ADMITS ATTEMPT TO BLACKMAIL FARMERS [ARTICLE]

ADMITS ATTEMPT TO BLACKMAIL FARMERS

Mrs. John Burris Made Affidavit at Kankakee That Charges Against Coyne Were False. i n ■ ■ n *ii The Republican recently published an article from a Kankakee, 111., newspaper of the arrest of a farmer named Coyne on a charge alleging an attempted assault on Mrs. John, Burris, who has made her home in • Jasper county most of her life. The alleged crime was supposed to have been committed in Livingston county, 111., and when Coyne was taken to Kankakee, which is in Kankakee county, the sheriff refused to receive him as a prisoner. Monday of this week Mrs. Burris, accompanied by her brother, Laurie Hess, went to Kankakee and a newspaper published in that city states that Mrs. Burris had made an affidavit that the charge she and her husbafid had made against Coyne was false and that it was a blackmailing scheme in an effort to get money from him. Coyne pronounced it a blackmail at the time. Since the charge was made Burris and his wife had returned to this city and it is understood that they are not living together. They separated once before when they lived at Mt. Ayr and he alleged that she had run away with another man. There was some talk then that an attempt had been made at blackmail. It is understood that Coyne proposes to prosecute Burris if he can be apprehended. Before Burris went to Illinois he is alleged to have forged a check for sl4 and cashed it at Jim Snedeker’s grocery store. Mr. Snedeker had been laying low about the matter, expecting to have Burris nabbed whenever he put in an appearance and if he shows up he is quite sure to be arrested and either prosecuted on this charge or sent to Illinois to answer the serious charge of blackmail. Burris is generally reported to be ' a bad man and The Republican has j heard various charges made against him for a long time and if he is guilty of this attempt at blackmail he should get a long term in prison.