Jasper County Democrat, Volume 20, Number 16, Rensselaer, Jasper County, 23 May 1917 — SCOTT CHESTNUT ACQUITTED [ARTICLE]

SCOTT CHESTNUT ACQUITTED

Monday of Charge of Stealing J. C. Gwin’s Automobile. Several Rensselaer people were called to Kentland Monday as witnesses in the case of the state vs. Scott Chestnut, charged with the theft of J. C. Gwin's automobile recently. The court had appointed John A. Dunlap of this city to defend Chestnut when he was arraigned in court when first arrested, defendant being unable an attorney himself, and he handled the case so skilfully that Chestnut came out of the trial unblemished, the jury finding him not guilty. It will be remembered that this car was taken one night recently from Mr. Gwin's garage at his lumber yard and was found next afternoon in Chestnut’s possession a few miles west of Fair Oaks, where the car had gone ‘‘dead’’ on him during the early hours of the morning and, after tinkering with it until late in the , afternoon, he had ’phofied to the Rhoades garage here and asked them to come up and haul him in. Deputy Sheriff Robinson accompanied K. T. Rhoades when he went after the car and placed Chestnut under arrest. It was learned that Louis Payne had been with Chestnut and that they had driven the car to Demotte and purchased booze there. Payne left Chestnut some time next morn-

ing and went to Fair Oaks and thence here, and was later arrested also. He was tried in the circuit court here and was acquitted, he claiming that he had merely went along with Chestnut, who had the car when he saw him, and he had no knowledge of the car having been stolen. He was held under bond, however, as a witness against Chestnut, who had been in similar scrapes heretofore, but is said to have been of little value to the state as a witness. Considerable time was taken in securing a jury, automobile owners being put off as much as possible. Chestnut took the stand in his own defense and is said to have testified that he did not take the car from the garage at all; that on the night in question heahad started to walk up the tracks west from about McKinley avenue to the Monon depot to telephone to Harve Moore to get Harve to drive himself and Paylie up to Demotte to secure some booze; that when he reached Weston street an automobile that was passing along this street became stalled near the tracks and a man got out of the car and was endeavoring to start it; that witness walked over to the car and, being quite an able mechanic, started to assist the man, who was a stranger to him; that the man told him that he was in a hurry and could not wait to get the car started and for Chestnut to drive it to the Rensselaer garage for him when he got it fixed; that the man then said to someone ingide the car, “Come on,” and a woman, also a stranger to the witness and the first intimation that he had that there was any one else with the car, got out and the two hurried down the track eastward; that witness finally got the car started and drove around a bit until ho picked up Payne and they drove to Demotte and got the booze for the want of which they were suffering greatly. Several witnesses testified to defendant’s bad reputation, but the. fact that he was a member of the local company of national guard and had seen service on the Mexican border last summer was dwelt on by his attorney, and it is possible that a purse will be raised over at Kentland and presented to Chestnut to purchase more booze and that tiie good people over there will also buy a handsome limdusine and give to him for his very own.