Jasper County Democrat, Volume 17, Number 99, Rensselaer, Jasper County, 20 March 1915 — Dunlap and Howard Go Free. [ARTICLE]

Dunlap and Howard Go Free.

Dunlad and Howard, the alleged fraudulent" aufb insurance solicitors of Chicago, who have been in jail here for some time, were taken to Kentland Thursday for trial, they having taken a change of venue to Newton county, w. H. Parkison had been employed to defend the men, but as Mr. Parkison was still engaged in the Gault ditch case at Kokomo, he got Mose Leopold to handle the defense for him. Mr. Leopold had original letters written by the Motorists' Security Alliance Company to the defendants which showed conclusively that they were and had been recognized as solicitors of the said company, despite the denial of the latter, and the state, evidently seeing that it had no case against the men on the charges alleged, proposed to dismiss the cases. To this the defense objected until the jury had been empaneled, and sworn to try the cause, when jeopardy attached, then Mr. Leopold told the prosecutor he could dismiss if he chose, and the cases’ were dismissed. This action of jjjfe defense barred further prosecution, and the defendants were free. They left Kentland at once for Chicago, their home. It is understood that they’ had settled their board and room bills here some time ago. The facts are, it seems, that the men came here to solicit membership in the company they represented with but very little ready cash. They’ did not meet with the success anticipated and went broke. The company refused to advance them money and they therefore left Rensselaer and returned to Chicago to secure funds to pay their board and room rent, and were there arrested and brought back here, through the efforts of the company they were working for, on the charge of conspiracy to commit a felony, the company alleging that they were not their authorized agents and had no authority’ to solicit membership. The fiasco cost Jasper county about $l5O in boarding the prisoners and the sheriff’s expenses in going after them. It is possible that the men will bring a civil suit in Chicago against the Motorists’ Security Alliance for damages for their arrest and imprisonment.