Jasper County Democrat, Volume 7, Number 52, Rensselaer, Jasper County, 1 April 1905 — PETERSON DECLINES PROSECUTION. [ARTICLE]

PETERSON DECLINES PROSECUTION.

Attorney Engaged to Prosecute HcCoy Cases in Lake County Retires From Case.

The Democrat is informed on good authority that John W. Peterson of Crown Point, engaged by Judge Hanley to prosecute the McCoy criminal cases pending in the superior court at Hammond, has notified Judge Hanley that he does not care to take the cases. His reasons for declining to take the prosecution of the cases is reported to be the improbability of securing a conviction in Lake county, owing to Tom’s having many influential friends in Hammond and elsewhere who will do all they can to keep him out of prison. It is understood that the Hammond cases will go over to the next term of court and that Judge

Hanley will endeavor to get someone else to take the prosecution. In the meantime attention will be directed to the cases pending in White county, and negotiations are said to be pending with E. B. Sellers of Monticello to take the prosecution of them and to have something done with them at the April term of court in that couuty. The first anniversary of this bank failure is almost here. Jasper county has appropriated a thousand good hard dollars of the taxpayers money to bring these wreckers to justice, if possible, and yet they still breathe the free air of liberty and are likely to do so for an indefinite time to come, apparently.