Jasper County Democrat, Volume 11, Number 19, Rensselaer, Jasper County, 4 July 1908 — FIGHTING COMES HIGH. [ARTICLE]

FIGHTING COMES HIGH.

Constables Ropp and Robinson had no trouble in finding John and Harvey Cooper, Peter Theis and Charles Fish, for whom warrants were Issued Tuesday morning, charging them with committing an on Lewis Harrington last night. The prisoners occupied one carriage, the constables another just in the rear, and the witnesses yet another in the rear of the constables, forming what had the appearance of a funeral procession, and in this order they wended their way to Squire Irwin’s court to have the law’s infractions sorted, counted, sealed and labeled, and the prices marked on each package in

plain figures. The procession arrived at the seat of justice about 1 o’clock p. m., and the work was begun without further delay. Pleas of not qullty was entered by each defendant, and the evidence was not clear enough to convict any of them but Harvey Cooper, who was found guilty and fined $lO and costs to the amount of $31.60, making a total of $41.60. The evidence showed that the fight, for that is what it resulted in, took place at the school house, as a meeting was breaking up Bunday night, the defendant Cooper and some other persons lying in wait for Harrington as he came out of the school house. Cooper struck Harrington in the face And knocked him down, this precipitating a general fight, in which several persons engaged, but it was so dark that it was impossible to distinguish anyone with certainty so the court found the other defendants not guilty. Young Harrington was not badly hurt. The troublq is said to have had its' origin over Harrington's having filed an affidavit♦in Squire VanDoozer’s court at Wheatfield, against one. Long, for disturbing a meeting some weeks ago, and Long’s having been fined some sls and costs. This case will ,in all probability settle this neighborhood feud for a time at least. The fine was stayed for the statutory time.