Jasper County Democrat, Volume 4, Number 50, Rensselaer, Jasper County, 22 March 1902 — THE BOYS GO FREE. [ARTICLE]

THE BOYS GO FREE.

Young Fred Hemphill and Charles Clift, arrested for the unprovoked assault upon young Kaub, and who were to be tried last Friday before Squire Fay of Parr, were tried here before Squire Burham and a jury Monday and acquitted, Squire Fay deciding that he bad no jurisdiction in the case and sending it back. Fred Parcels, who had previously been arrested on the same charge and plead guilty and was fined $2 and costs, shouldered all responsibility for the assoult and Hemphill and Clift claimed not to have touched Kaub at all. On this evidence the jury acquitted them. The consensus of opinion seems to be that the boys ought to have been given a small fine on general principles, as they admitted being along and the assault seems to have been premeditated by all of them. However, it is said that young Kaub was “not the fellow they were after” —a case of mistaken identity. It is said that sometime in the evening they were in Cooney Kellner’s ’ saloon and Cooney ordered them out. This made them very wroth and it was decided to “lay” for Cooney. The night was rather dark and rainy, and, when young Kaub came along with an umbrella close down over his head, they thought it was Cooney and acted accordingly. Young Guy Peacock, who was also with the crowd and left town with them the same night, has not returned at this writing, and is supposed to be still running.