Jasper County Democrat, Volume 7, Number 21, Rensselaer, Jasper County, 27 August 1904 — ARRESTED FOR DESTROYING MELON PATCH. [ARTICLE]

ARRESTED FOR DESTROYING MELON PATCH.

night a gang of boys ranging from fourteen to seventeen years of age got into Charles Schleman’s melon patch west of town, and finding the melons all green, are alleged to have pulled up all the vines and practically destroyed the patch7\One of the boys was traced to H. C. Hoshaw’s and on being confronted with the matter confessed and implicated Tom Babcock, Temple Hammerton, Pat Kohler, Harry Collins, Ross Zard and John Robinson. Warrants were sworn out in Squire Irwin’s court for malicious trespass, and the first five named have been apprehended, plead guilty and received a fine of $1 each and costs, about $9.40 in each case. Sam Hoshaw and John Robinson have evaded arrest thus far. Had the boys not destroyed the melon vines it is not likely Mr. Schleman would not have prosecuted them, but it is provoking to have a nice mgfon patch ruined, and it is hoped this will be a lesson to all the boys in Rensselaer.