Evening Republican, Volume 16, Number 190, Rensselaer, Jasper County, 9 August 1912 — THE WAY JUSTICE IS ADMINISTERED IN MONON. [ARTICLE]

THE WAY JUSTICE IS ADMINISTERED IN MONON.

A vara clous Squire Forced to Reimburse Rensselaer Boys Whom He “ Had Overcharged. The two Rensselaer young men who were “booted” off a train atMonon several weeks ago and arrested for disorderly conduct, intoxication and various other charges, have been thinking the matter over and finally decided they were “stung.” It will be remembered that 11 a large crowd had gathered on .the depot platform at Monon when they were arrested, and that in order to escape the gaze of the curious townspeople, they paid the fines, amounting to $17.15 each, inflicted by Squire Catlin, and left immediately in an automobile for Rensselaer. The interference with their personal liberty did not suit the boys and when they were soaked $17.15 each by the grasping Monon justice of the peace they declared they had been woefully and illegally wronged. Accordingly they stated their case to Attorney W. H. Parkinson and hired him to investigate the matter and to collect overcharges made by Geo. L. Catlin, the Monon justice of the peace. Attorney Parkinson found that the boys had been overcharged $19.20 and wrote to Catlin demanding a settlement. Catlin returned $9.60, half of the amount, specified in the original demand and was ready to let the matter drop. On a further request from Attorney Parkinson, however, he returned the remaining half of the demand and thusly the controversy was ended. He made little attempt to defend his action. In the first letter he stated that the boys left town before he could get the costs figured up accurately. In the last letter he stated that under the existing circumstances it would be much more convenient to pay the claim in full, as his wife was sick at the time and he couldn’t leave home, and besides he did not have the time to make a defense (which would mean the expense of an attorney in the face of certain defeat). No doubt, from now on, the Monon official will use a little more discrimination in the selection of his victims. He probably thought, as the fellows seemed “jagged,” that he would never see them again, and so decided to sting them for all he could get The best of men will err in their judgment.