Evening Republican, Volume 15, Number 47, Rensselaer, Jasper County, 24 February 1911 — “NOT GUILTY” SAYS JURY OF CHARLES B. STEWARD. [ARTICLE]

“NOT GUILTY” SAYS JURY OF CHARLES B. STEWARD.

Cleared of Charge of Selling Half Plat to Harsh Rhoades and Pro. 4 claims Big TeetotaUsau ; s> -‘v Charles B. Steward, county truant officer, member of the state board of charities, insurance agent and dealer in sewing machines, came out from under the charge of selling whiskey unscathed and even with flying colors, for the defendant was able to proclaim his strong temperance proclivities and to demonstrate to a wellfllled court room that he was greatly shocked and outraged at being made the victim of a charge so basely false. The only witness for the state was Marshall D. Rhoades, who testified that some time within the past ten days, he could not fix the date positively, he had visited Mr. Stewart's business room on Front street. The door was open, although the proprietor was not there. Mr. Rhoades walked through the front room and into a rear room, where he found a half pint bottle ot whiskey. He propriated it to his own use and as he walked out placed a quarter cn Mr. Steward’s desk, because he did not want the booze for nothing. He had no arrangement with Mr. Steward 'and just happened on to the bottle and in a high desire to make himself squdrp for appropriating it hd'ieft the quarter on Steward’s table. Mr. Steward testified that he did not have any whiskey in his back room, none in the front room, none on the roof nor in the basement, and never had had any, except about six months ago at one time When he had a quart He used about half of the liquor to lubricate a sewing machine or something and then threw'the other half awhy as he never drank any himself. County School Superintendent Lamson, City Superintendent Warren and County Clerk-elect Perkins all testified to the good moral character of the defendant and he spoke himself of bis regularity as an attendant upon church services. Really, between his very evident air of personal insult-at the charge and the splendid endorsement -6t him by the character witnesses there was nothing for the jury to do but to declare him innocent on the first ballot • ' Mr. Stewart asked us to us» big type to show his innocence, the same that had been used to show that-the grand jury had found the indictment, and we hope that this article will clear him from the stigma so falsely cast upon him. But, in a community where he Stands wi*t such prominence in the very fore rank of good citizenship, a denial is almost unnecessary. His citizenship is a guarantee of his innocence. *