Jasper County Democrat, Volume 18, Number 70, Rensselaer, Jasper County, 1 December 1915 — DAMAGE CASE COMPROMISED. [ARTICLE]

DAMAGE CASE COMPROMISED.

Defendants Fay Noinensen et al, sl,000 and Costs—. Jury Had Been Sworn to Try Cause. The personal damage case from Lake county, which promised to- be the big case of the term here, was Compromised Friday afternoon after the jury had been sworn to try the cause and the statement of the plaintiff was being made to the jury by the counsel. At the beginning of this statement the plaintiff and defendants got together in another room and agreed on a settlement, and one of plaintiff's attorneys, Geo. E. Herslunan, of Crown Point, came put and stopped his colleague before he had finished his statement to the jury. Jt is understood that plaintiff was given SI,OOO and the defendants also pay the court, costs There was quite an array of counsel on both sides and it was expected the case would last several days. The case was sent here on change of venue front Lake county, and while something has been said heretofore in The Democrat regarding the nature of the: case, it may not be amiss to give a,synopsis of the statement of plaintiff's attorney to the jury - a statement by the defense was not made, of course, as a set tlement was reached before the case progressed that far:

Last July Sheriff Henry Whitaker of Lake county, a former resident of Jasper county a number of years ago, liis deputy Fred Friedly and It. 11. Graham, a saloon keeper of Frown Point, drove over to Cedar Lake in their auto one day, and while in the saloon of Robert Russell, Anthony Xomensen and his neighbor Nick Mininger, both of near Lowell, also dropped in the saloon, possibly to discuss the Furopean war over foaming steins of beer. During the introduction of No men sen to some of the parties, an altercation arose over some alleged remarks Mininger had made against Whitaker during the latter's campaign for election. Nomensen, who is said to he a quiet, inoffensive farmer, sought to pacify and smooth over the trouble and seemingly succeeded, but later it broke out afresh and both men were assaulted, it . was alleged. Nomeneen, the innocent by-stander, for

some unknown reason seemed to have got the worst of it, as his companion, Mininger, after naving been knocked down, was led out a side door by the wife of the saloon keeper and made his escape with hut little injury. Xomensen was knocked down and beaten, he alleged, and when, he came to he was lying outside the building with a broken nose, a broken arm and many other bruises about the head and body. He al-

Presbyterian church and for several years one of the deacons of that church. He was a good, progressive citizen, and his death is deeply regreted in this city where he had been a familiar figure for more than thirty years.

h-gcd that besides loss of time his doctor bill was something like $l5O. He brought suit against Whitaker, bis deputy, the Crown Point saloon man, Russell, and the lat *r > “fcnuismen for damages aggregating SS ( - 000, ' ■ Tim plaintiffs attorney stated that the defense would he that the assault was committed by Russell’s bartender, and that they themselves had no hand in it. Mininger had also brought suit for damages, which had likewise been sent here on change of venue, and there were other cases brought, some against the bondsmen of Whitaker and the saloon keeper, some six. suits ha ving been tiled in all. The settlement cleaned :up everything, we are told, and the amount paid in settlement, part went to Vomensen and part to Mininger. The plaintiff, Nomensen, is a hrot her of Peter .Vomensen. of ltwight. 111., ilie well known land trader, who frequently visits Rensselaer. f