Evening Republican, Volume 17, Number 286, Rensselaer, Jasper County, 1 December 1913 — George Iliff Acquitted On Charge of Provocation. [ARTICLE]

George Iliff Acquitted On Charge of Provocation.

Justice of the Peace Irwin acquitted George Iliff on the charge of provoking an assault last week. The charge was filed by Trustee William Wortley, of Jordan township, who had been fined earlier in the week for having struck Iliff over the head with a shovel. Iliff had gone to Mr. Wortley’s house to complain that Wortley’s boys had broken some lights out of a vacant house Iliff owned. Their conversation soon ran into other channels and old troubles and Wortley ordered Iliff off the place. The testimony was very conflicting and Iliff said that the demand for him to leave was followed immediately by the the shovel. Wortley claims that he did not use the shovel until Iliff had dared him to come off the wagon and had kicked at him with such force that he upset himself on the ground and that Wortley used the shoyel in self-defense. The court had no corroborating evidence for either side; except a farm hand who didn’t see anything but heard Wortley call Iliff a blankety blank liar. There was not sufficient evidence to warrant a conviction and Iliff was cleared. The jury returned a verdict in favor of the plaintiff in the case of Strong vs. Werner. This was an action to quiet title to real estate, Werner having fenced in a portion of the real estate which Strong claimed to own. Further litigation may result by reason of the fact that Werner’s deed described his land by metes and bounds and it is Vossible that Werner’s grantor will have to make good to him. The case of Critser vs. Groom is being heard this afternoon. This is a contested claim against the estate of John Groom, Mr. Critser’s claim being for services in caring for the deceased.