Evening Republican, Volume 17, Number 258, Rensselaer, Jasper County, 29 October 1913 — EFFORT TO POSTPONE J. L. WILLIS TRIAL [ARTICLE]

EFFORT TO POSTPONE J. L. WILLIS TRIAL

Defendants Are Said to Be Trying to Secure Further Delay of Criminal Case. ' ' -■« X ■ . * ; ■ *,- « Fulfilling the suspicions of many Rensselaer people it is said that the attorneys for James L. Willis, proprietor of the Wiillis garage, who is charged with a criminal assault of a 14-year-old girl, are going to seek a postponement. The trial is set for Friday of this week at Kentland, where it was sent on change of venue, and a large number of Rensselaer people have been subpoenaed as character witnesses in case Willis takes the stand in his own defense, which he did not do at the preliminary hearing. It would be a travesty on justice to postpone this trial and we do" hot believe the cchirt WiM permit, it unless the reason is of very great importance. It is proba.ble that there is not a man, womah or child in this city who is not convinced that Willis is,guilty of this assault, and it is somewhat of a disgrace that he has been permitted to stalk about the city a free man during the time since the act was alleged to have been committed, and to secure a postponement at this time would be an insult to the respectable people of this community and it would go a long way to inspiring a question of the justice of our laws if the postponement can be procured.