Evening Republican, Volume 19, Number 292, Rensselaer, Jasper County, 10 December 1915 — John Burris Not Guilty of Forging Check Last May. [ARTICLE]

John Burris Not Guilty of Forging Check Last May.

John ißurris was found not guilty of forging & check on James Snedeker, the Main street grocer. His trial was held at MonticaHo Wednesday and Thursday and John was defended by Attorneys Halleck and Marvin, the latter of Monticello. The circumstances were as follows. On (May <2oth Burns endorsed a check over to Snedeker. The check was daiWn in favor of Louis Oden and was signed Simon Baum. Burris claimed that he had cashed the check for Oden at Newiand, giving him sl3 for it. He claimed that Oden was a foreigner. The check was in evidence and Prosecutor Sands and Prosecutor Brockway, the latter of the White-Carroll circuit court, pointed out a distinct similarity to the way the check was written and endorsed and also showed a check that John had written when he drew a dollar frbm the Trust and' Savings bank account in the name of Ms wife and which they contended was in the same handwriting as the check that was alleged to have been forged. The strange thing about the check was that no one had ever heard of either Louis Oden or Simon Baum and yet John stated that he had cashed a check for Oden without knowing Baum. Mr. Snedeker stated that he had been told by John at the time he took the check that Baum was a prominent onion grower in the Newland fields. Lee' Richards, who was in the store at the time the check was given to Mr. Snedeker, stated that he heard Burris tell Snedeker that he did not know Baum. A trim-ple-minded young man named Godfred, who lives in Rabbit Town, testified that he saw the man named Oden endorse the check to Burris. The state seemed to get Godfrey tangled up quite a little and Ms evidence did not seem very creditable but the jury gave it credence. Several citizens testified that the reputation of Burris for truth and veracity was bad. John was on'the witness stand for about two hours in his own behalf and the state was unable to confuse Mm. John has been in trouble considerable of late and it is hoped that he makes up his mind to follow the “straight and narrow” in the future. JWith butter going Mgher all the time, cut down your butter bill and try our fancy butterine at 20c a pound. Ask for a free 2-oz sample to try it JOHN EGER. Phone your feed, coal and wood orders to us. They will receive prompt attention.—Hamilton & Kellner.