Jasper County Democrat, Volume 18, Number 95, Rensselaer, Jasper County, 26 February 1916 — COURT HOUSE NEWS IN BRIEF [ARTICLE]

COURT HOUSE NEWS IN BRIEF

Interesting Paragraphs From the Various Departments OF JASPER COUNTY CAPITOL The Legal News Epitomized—Together With Other Notes Gathered From the Several County Office*. The annual meeting of Jhe township assessors of Jasper county will be held next Wednesday at the office of County Assessor Thornton and after securing their supplies and receiving their instructions the assessors will start on their rounds. The complete official li%t of candidates to be voted for at the primaries in Jasper county March 7 appears elesewhere in this issue of The Democrat. While the Democrats are entitled to six delegates to the state convention, two districts, the second and sixth, did not file petitions and consequently Jasper county will have but four delegates in such convention.

County Highway Supt. Gray filed affidavits Thursday in Squire Spitler’s court against George Wilcox of Newton tp.' and Floyd Amsler and Tony Keiper of Marion tp. for violations of the law regarding heavy hauling, and it was expected all -would plead guilty and pay their fines, the minimum of which is $5 With costs added it would total approximately sl4. They were hauling corn to the Rensselaer elevators. Mr. Gray has repeatedly warned the public that prosecutions would follow if the heavy hauling law was not better observed, he states, and yet the violations continued. He says that he disliked very much to take the step he did Thursday, but it seemed to be the. only alternative, and that hereafter he will prosecute all violators.

Clerk Perkins was guarding a sack of S2O gold pieces Thursday, and yesterday the sack containing S4OO and a S2OO check, a tender paid into court in the case of Foster H, Stockton of Lafayette against John von Stemberger, of near Morocco, growing out of a trade of a fertilizer plant at Wabash, owned by Stockton, for von Stemberger’s 157 acre farm north of Morocco. Stockton assumed a mortgage and had paid the difference in the trade in cash, but when it came time to close it up the other party backed down and wanted to return the money paid. The suit followed and was brought, here on change of venue. The money and check held by the clerk is this tender. Witnesses were here from Wabash to testify to the value of the plant traded, and the case was warmly contested. John A. Dunlap of this city and Orth Graves of Morocco represented the defendant, while Samuel Simms and Allen Boulds of Lafayette represented the plaintiff, who runs a garage in the Star City. It was expected to finish the case yesterday.

Sheriff McColly returned Wednesday from taking Fred Irwin to the state penal farm to serve a 60-day sentence. For some reason it seems quite easy for prisoners to make their escape* from this institution, two of the four sent from this county having escaped in the past few I months—-Louis Jamison and Joe Warbritton of Fair Oaks—the latter having been taken there only' a few weeks ago. Warbritton returned to his home in Fair Oaks a few days after he was taken to the penal farm and it is reported is now some place in Michigan. “Shorty” Adams, the other representative from Jasper county at the penal farm, will get out March 19, when his 90-day sentence expires. Evidently “Shorty” is pretty well pleased with his quarters therej as so far as learned he has made no effort to leave. John Knapp of near Medaryville, who was serving a sentence of 517 days at this institution for removing mortgaged property, is said to have likewise made his escape. Should he be captured: it will be necessary for him to serve the balance of the sentence at the Michigan City penitentiary.

John Frey, the baker, swore out a warrant Thursday afternoon in the circuit co art against R. W. Sprague, proprietor of the Iroquois Roller Mills, charging assault and battery. On learning of the matter Mr. Sprague delivered himself to the sheriff and was released on his own recognizance until the case is called. It seems that Frey, Recording to Mr. Sprague, had got into him for flour and cash loaned fbr nealy S4O, oct casionally paying a little but getting in deeper all the time. When Mr. Sprague declined to let him have more flour without the cash he went some place else and bought his flour. Sprague put the account in hands for collection and a few days ago saw Frey drive by the mill and he jwent out aud spoke to him about the account. Frey was indignant that he had turned him down on credit and placed the account in hands for collection, Mr. Sprague says, and told him that he would never get any of the account; that he could not colect it from him. Mr. Sprague said that he lost patience at this and yanked Frey out of his rig and would probably have shaken him up considerably had not Frey’s horse started and he had to stop it. As it is he seems destined to lose the account and pay a few dollars fine and costs.