Evening Republican, Volume 15, Number 7, Rensselaer, Jasper County, 9 January 1911 — SOME EXTENUATION IS CLAIMED BY TENANTS [ARTICLE]

SOME EXTENUATION IS CLAIMED BY TENANTS

Lewlns Claim That Misrepresentation Was Made in Renting Them the Porter Connty Farm. Thirteen head of horses and four farm wagons are still being held by Sheriff W. I. Hoover under the attachment served Wednesday morning. The Btoek is at the Norgor hitch ham. The wives of Charles and John Lewin came here Saturday and set claim to the household goods and these were released and were shipped to Kents land, being loaded last Saturday nigat. The Lewins claim that they were not leaving the state but were going to a fhrm near Kentland. They do not claim tht they were not trying to make a getaway, however, but claim that they had been deceived by the agent of the farm and had given notes far in excess of the proper renting value of the farm. They claim that it was only 3,000 bushels of corn that they shipped to Chicago and not 5,000 bushels and that the farm was no. up to the productive qualities claimed by the agent who had rented It to them. They claim that they saw it was going to be impossible to secure an adjustment of the rent proposition on a basis fair to them and they decided to take the settlement into their own hands and their departure at night was decided upon. They say that they had already paid Mrs. Hankins SSOO and that they left behind them SBOO worth of other property, including 25 tons of hay, 600 bushels of com, 40 acres of wheat in the ground and a lot of fall plowing, they also say that with the exception of one horse they left behind all the property they had purchased at Mrs. Hankins’ sale and for which they had given notes amounting to SSOO. One of the sons of one of the Lewins has put in a claim for one team of horses, one wagon and a set of harness and a schedule for the purpose of a set-off has been made by each of the other brothers, and this will probably be sufficient to offset the value of the property. The case is set for hearing at Valparaiso on next Monday, January 16th, and as there is every evidence that the claims for setz, off will be equal to the value of the property, it is quite certain that the property will be released to the defendants.

Dunlap & Parkinson are the attorneys for the Lewlns and they claim that their clients have always born 'good'reputations and that this was the first break they have ever made. They claim that the tenants felt certain that they had been handed a raw deal when they were induced to give cash rent in the sum of $2,000 on a farm that would not justify that rent and that they thought they would set tie it in a manner that appeared equitable to them. If they are able to make the schedules of set-off go through, it is probable that Mrs. Haskins will be-unat!e to recover any more from them.