Press And Daily Dakotaian

ATTORNEY WOOD'S STATEMENT.

The Process by which Leavitt and His Confession were Secured by the Authorities.

Sioux City Journal 12th: Attorney D. W. Wood, who has had charge of the saloon injunction cases here, and who was instrumental in bringing Leavitt back, came to the city on Sunday. A reporter sought him yesterday, and found him in room No. 16, engaged in conversation with several of the attorneys in the case, and a few citizens, who are prominent in the investigation. The reporter was pleasantly received, and bid to wait just a little while. This he did to the extent of an hour, and then left promising to return again. In the early evening the visit was repeated, and this time with better success. In the room he found Mr. Wood, Harry Leavitt and Deputy Sheriff Morse, while sitting near the window at the further side were Mrs. Leavitt and Miss Minpie Daun, of St. Louis, who came with her to the city yesterday. In answer to a request for an account of his journey after Leavitt, Mr. Wood said: "I left home September 23, with a warrant sworn out by myself before Justice Armstrong, of Arlington township, this county, for the arrest of H. L. Leavitt, John Arensdorf, Fred Munchrath, George Treiber, Louis Plath, Henry Sherman, Henry Peters, and three others whose names are unknown, all charged with a conspiracy to kill Rev. Geo. O. Haddock. On the back of that warrant was the following notation:

"State of Iowa, Woodbury county, ss: I hereby appoint D. W. Wood and F. A. Bill special constables to serve the within warrant, with full power and authority to make arrest, and perform duties of constables.

A. H. ARMSTRONG,

Justice of the Peace in and for Arlington Township."

"Previous to this, and while I was at Onawa looking after the injunction cases, I told District Attorney Marsh that I was satisfied that if the proper immunity from punishment was guaranteed, that some of the parties interested in the case could be induced to turn state's evidence, and further that I thought Harry Leavitt was the proper party. In view of this Mr. Marsh gave me the following letter:

"Onawa, Io., Sept. 16, 1886—Hon. A. J. Baker, Attorney-General of Iowa—Dear Sir: I told you heretofore that the day might soon come when it would be advisable to promise protection to some one who would turn state's evidence in the investigation of the murder of Rev. George O. Haddock.

"'I think now is the time, and Harry L. Leavitt is the man. I have little hopes of finding the murderer without some one turns state's evidence. I would advise such writings from yourself, as attorney-general and the governor of the state, assuring Mr. Leavitt protection and immunity, to the extent of your several powers, authority and influence in case he does so furnish evidence for the state for the conviction of the guilty party, or other guilty parties. Such writings presented to him may, we hope, bring the evidence and the truth. I not only advise it, but with your concurrence, will so act, to the extent of my authority. I am your obedient servant,

S. M. MARSH,

'District Attorney, Fourth judicial district."

"With this letter in my possession I went to Webster and received assurance from Dr. A. Edwards, editor of the Northwestern Christian Advocate, and Rev. Wilmot Whitfield that they would stand by me in my efforts to get Leavitt.

"From there I went to Des Moines and secured assurance from the governor authorizing me to receive sworn statements of such facts as would tend to disclose who were the guilty parties. I also received in reply to the letter of the district attorney:

"'Des Moines, Io., Sept. 25, 1886.—D. W. Wood, Esq., Sioux City, Io.—Dear Sir: In answer to your question I will say that if in your investigation you find that Harry Leavitt is not the really guilty party in the murder of Rev. Haddock, but owing to his connection with the parties who planned and executed the murder, was situated so as to render him liable to prosecution as an accessory before the fact, and you find that he is in possession of facts that will lead up to a disclosure of the really guilty parties, and he will disclose these facts upon oath in a proper prosecution, fully and unreservedly, so as to bring such guilty parties to justice, I will, as the chief law officer of the state, give Mr. Leavitt all the protection and immunity from prosecution that the law invests me with. This will, of course, be upon condition that he make full and complete and unreserved disclosure of all facts which we know to be in his possession. Yours truly,

A. J. BAKER,

Attorney General of Iowa."

"I then telegraphed F. A. Hill to meet me at the Commercial hotel, in Chicago, and bring a copy of all the evidence taken before the coroner's jury. I arrived in Chicago on Saturday, September 25, and Hill came in on Monday, the 27th. On the intervening Sunday I went to the First M. E. church and sat under the drippings of the sanctuary for over an hour, and after dinner went to see O. H. Smith and F. B. Adams, better known as "Yank" Adams, who are proprietors of the Amusement Bureau of America and of the Sporting Journal. I told them I wanted Leavitt, and gave them the money to pay for dispatches. I told them he was somewhere between Philadelphia, Cincinnati, New Orleans and Charleston, S. C., and it cost $15 to send the messages. After a day or so an answer came that he was billed to show at the Princess theater in Mobile, Ala., October 4, and was registered at the Getz house as H. L. Leavitt and wife.

"After finding him a message was sent telling him that he was wanted in Sioux City, and to come to Chicago at once. He came as quick as the cars could bring him.

"When he arrived, I informed him of the situation, and that the coroner's jury charged him with complicity, and his friends and my friends had sent for me, and they said that Harry was ready to make a confession. His wife also assured me of this before. He did make a confession, and F. A. Hill wrote it and I have two copies that were sworn to.

"This confession was made without any dictation or promise of immunity, with the exception of the abbreviation of matters that to Leavitt seemed important, in regard to the publicity with which he had traveled through the country, but which in my mind, are of no importance whatever, and the dictation consisted in the following:

"I have made no concealment of my whereabouts, and have always been ready and willing to make to the proper parties a full and complete disclosure of all my acts connected with the Haddock murder, and conspiracy to whip Walker, whenever I could do so without receiving bodily injury, and be legally protected in so doing."

"I then asked him the following questions to find out if he had ever seen Haddock previous to the date of the injunction trial, as he is the man whom Mr. Haddock pointed out in the court room as the old enemy from Wisconsin:

"Have you ever seen Haddock or had any difficulty with him previous to July 31? He said he had never seen him before and had never had any trouble with him. Then I asked him if he had ever traveled in Wisconsin, or seen any one in Wisconsin that looked like Rev. Mr. Haddock? He said he had not. I asked further if he had ever been in Burlington, Io., or if he had any acquaintance there? He said he never had been in Burlington and had no acquaintances there.

"Then I stated to Leavitt that Haddock had pointed him out in the court room on Monday and Tuesday, August 1 and 2, as a prize fighter, brought to Sioux City by the saloon keepers' union to do him up. Then Leavitt made a very elaborate statement of proceedings and talk he had with different parties, which I considered of no importance, and abbreviated it as follows:

"I was in the court room on Saturday July 31st, and Monday and Tuesday, August 2nd and 3rd. I had never seen Mr. Haddock to know who he was before I saw him in the court house. I have never been in Wisconsin. I have never been in Burlington, Iowa, nor have I any acquaintances there."

"After the confession was finished I got a notary and had him swear to it, and after six hours' consideration I gave Leavitt the assurance of protection and immunity from prosecution for participating in the crime for which he was charged, and for conspiracy to whip Walker, and placed him under arrest. Then I informed his wife that she must make a statement, which she did to Mr. Hill in my absence, Mr. Leavitt being also away. On my return she swore to the statement. I then informed her that it would be necessary for her to come to Sioux City as a witness.

"After all this proceeding the following was written on the warrant and signed by Leavitt:

"Chicago, Ill., Oct. 6, 1886—I hereby accept service of within warrant and agree to go to Iowa without legal process.

H. L. LEAVITT."

"After everything was complete, I brought Leavitt and his wife to Kingsley, and appeared before Justice Armstrong, where the proper proceedings were had, and he was placed under $300 bonds to appear as a witness in the case against the defendants, and another warrant was issued, by virtue of which I still have control of Leavitt, and will produce him when he is wanted to testify."