Jasper County Democrat, Volume 8, Number 40, Rensselaer, Jasper County, 6 January 1906 — THE COURT HOUSE [ARTICLE]

THE COURT HOUSE

Items Picked Up About The County Capitol. The Newton circuit court will convene next Monday. Dame Rumor says that ex-oom-missioner Halleck is a candidate for republican county chairman. —o— Sixteen marriage licenses were issued last month, against 7 for the month previous and 19 for December, 1904. —o — Sheriff O’Connor returned Friday night from visiting his daughters, who are attending school at Chillicothe, Mo. Mr. William E. Glosser and Miss Mattie Harris, a young couple from Remington, were married at the clerk’s office Tuesday afternoon, Rev. G. H. Clarke officiating. —o— The $2,400 in the Mosely ditch were sold Tuesday to the First National Bank of Rensselaer at par. The bonds are in denominations of S3OO each, and mature one each year, beginning wi th Jan. 1, 1908. The Democrat was in error regarding Chas. Garling, the first ward saloon applicant whose case came up Tuesday, having signed the remonstrance in said ward. Three of the Garling boys signed the remonstrance, but Charlie did not sign. .... ■ . V —o — New suits filed: No. 6981. Harriet Phegley Randle vs. Charles J. Phegley et al; action to quiet title. No. 6982. Charles B. Lewis et al vs. Charles B. Wells et al; action to enjoin defendants from constructing a certain tile ditch.

Marriage licenses "issued: Jan. 2, Edward Denham Bellows of Remington, aged 22, to Ona Belle Wilson, also of Remington, aged 22. First marriage for each. Jan. 2, William Edward Glosser of Remington, aged 27, to Mattie Harris, of Remington, aged 26. First marriage for each. —o — While Referee Bowers allowed or confirmed the offset of the S. R. Nichols personal indebtedness to the McCoy bank, some $16,000, against a like amount of county funds deposited there, and the Frank Myers personal indebtedness against a personal debt of the McCoys to Frank, and he has disallowed the similar claim of Warner Bros., we understand. A protest signed by a number of the creditors was filed against the allowance of the Nichols set-off. —o — The contract was let Monday to Erie Lund, of Hammond, the original contractor, for the completion of the partly constructeed court house at Kentland, work on which was stopped by a supreme court decision last June. The price for completing the building is $18,525, which, with the amount paid Lund on the former contract, will run the cost up to over $30,000. Furniture, heating, etc., will make the total cost between $40,000 and $50,000 when folly ready to move into. —o — A couple of brothers by the name of Baker, of Roselawn, were brought here and lodged in j&il last Friday night on the charge of disturbing a Christmas entertainment in that vicinity, making, with the three from Fair Oaks, who are laying out a fine for the same oharge, five boarders now on Sheriff O’Connor’s hands. The two former were sent here by Squire Sorenson, of Roselawn, and I there is some question as to his authority to sentence prisoners to jail in another county. —o — Owing to Monday being New Year’s the oounty commissioners did not meet until Tuesday. J. F. Fettet, the new commissioner from the First district, came in Monday and qualified, and the board is now composed of Messrs. Way mire, Denham and Pettet. Mr. Pettet was formerly trustee of Walker township, has served on

the oounty council for some years, and it is generally believed will make a good commissioner. He states that he expects to do what is right to the best of bis ability, and that is all anyone can do. The board reorganized by electing C. T. Denham president. —o — Oounty Commissioner Elmer Skinner, of the north end of Newton county, is still receiving threatening letters from an anonymous source because of his position regarding the new courthouse matter at Kentland. The latest one was received Tuesday, being mailed at Morocco, and says: “Mr. Skinner: Tour resignation is demanded bv 92 per cent, of your constituents. You are going out of that office, if not as requested you will go out by other means, and if other means have to be used you will beg for mercy od your bended knees. Havel your resignation ■ in by January 6th, or there will be something doing at once. There will be no more notices given you. If you fall you will see some sights.” The Enterprise says that a few years ago, while serving as trus tee of McClellan township, Mr. Skinner received similar threats because of some official act, and one of his valuable horses a few days later died very mysteriously, and a whole row of trees in his orchard was devastated during the dark hours of the night. —oThere was not a great deal of business before the county commissioners this month, but some of it was of considerable i m portance. Following is a report of the proceedings: Election was ordered for Tuesday Feb. 20, in Jordan, Marion and Carpenter gray el road matter, to improve the three miles of Range Line road in Jordan tp. The Wm. Shirer et al highway in Walker tp., was ordered established, to be 50 feet in widb.. Geo. Ketcbmark, et al petition for ditch; remonstrance filed by Mathias Burger et al and case continued for hearing on 3d day Feb. term.

Contract for stationery was awarded to the Aetna Printing Co., of Indianapolis, it being the lowest bid. The assessments in the big Iroquois ditch improvement were affirmed and the board fix April 5, 1906, for payment in full, and for assessments unpaid at that time bonds will be issued in ten annual series, to begin maturing two years from the first Monday in May, 1906. —o — Readers of The Democrat noted in the November term of the Jasper circuit court allowances the item of S7OO to E. B. Sellers for prosecuting the McCoy criminal cases. This was the balance of the SI,OOO appropriated by the county council for the purpose of hiring additional counsel in prosecuting the McCoys, S3OO of the amount having been allowed at the September term While very little has been done in the matter of prosecuting these cases as yet, only the securing of the indictments, arguing a few motions, etc., and continuing the cases after change of venue by defendants, we are told that the real object in Judge Hanley’s allowing the balance of the appropriation at this time was to prevent the same lapsing on Jan. 1 and the possibility of the council not reappropriating. The matter encountered some opposition in the council when first appropriated, and it was feared that if the money was allowed to go back to the county treasury that it was problematical whether it would be re-appropriated again. This S7OO, we are told, was, on the court’s instructions, drawn by the clerk and will be paid over to Mr. Sellers as the court directs.