People's Pilot, Volume 2, Number 53, Rensselaer, Jasper County, 23 June 1893 — ONE CENT DAMAGES. [ARTICLE]

ONE CENT DAMAGES.

Margaret Gray’* Character Damaged to the Above Amount. Tfce Jt»nt nttn Out All Mgfir and Brought Ih a Ctitipromlur t’rrdtet— Other AWrw. Margaret Gray was awarded the magnificent sum of one cent by a considerate jury Sunday, against John W. Sage for slandering her fair name. It was a compromise verdict-, the jury be ing out all Saturday night. The trial began Friday morning and the evidence was not all in until Saturday noon. The attorneys began their pleadings right after noon and the case went to the j ury about four o’clock. The instructions of the court, if favorable to either side, were to the advantage of Sage. It is understood that the jury stood 9 to 3 in favor of Sage at first. It stood this way until far into the night, when the jury called on the judge for further instructions. He gave them and thereafter the ballots stood 6 votes in favor of plaintiff and 8 in favor of defendant. This is the general understanding of the matter, but as the jury seemed to be ashamed of the verdict, they agreed to keep their proceedings to themselves. The final verdict of one cent damages was a compromise and for the purpose of throwing the costs on Sage. If all the witnesses claim their fees the costs will amount to S4OO or but it is thought that all, or nearly all, -of Sage’s witnesses will not claim their fees. The witnesses were not allowed in the court room during the taking of the evidence, nor to tell other witnesses how they testified. Nearly all of the citizens of Jordan town Alp were present as witnesses, as well as some from Newton and Benton counties. Thompson Bro. were attorneys for Miss Gray and John Brown, M. F. Chilcote, R. W. Marshall and Frank Babcock, of Goodland, for Sage. The case was hotly contested. The case was rather interesting, but being too filthy to publish, the evidence.will be given in a condensed form. From the evidence it appears 'that the plaintiff in the case, Miss Margaret Gray, was 52 years of age, and during the last 40 years of her life made her home with Huffman Keen, her brother-in-law, and wife. At about the age of 18 she was delivered of an illegitmate son. The birth of the child took place at the home of Keen, where utsetf and mother were given a home.' She claimed the father of the child was one Baugher, but was unable to tell his given name. Bhe said he was from Bradford, now Monon. The defense attempted to prove that Keen was the father, but was unsuccessful. From the evidence it appears that ugly rumors have been afloat in the neighborhood as to the relations of Miss Gray and Mr. Keen, and that they were not living as they should, as regards chastity. Miss Gray, besides making her home with the family of Keen, engages in the occupation of carpet weaving and here is where the present trouble started. The loom house is situated near the family residence and Keen is often there with Miss Gray to assist in making, carpet. Sage had left rags with Miss Gray for a carpet, but was required to go the second time with more rags or chain. According to his evidence he knocked at the kitchen doorand was told to take the rags to the loom house. He opened the loom house door without knocking and as he expressed it, “stood amazed.” He testified that Miss Gray and Mr. Keen were in a very suspicious position. He told some of the neighbors and when the story reached the ear of Miss Gray and Keen the slander suit was brought for $5,000. Some of the witnesses testified that Sage said more than he claimed. Sage entered the plea of justification and attempted to prove the truth of his story by introducing evidence as to the reputations of Miss Gray and Keen. About fourteen witnesses from Jordan township testified that their reputations were bad. Miss Gray and Keen had trouble in proving that their reputations were good and relied almost wholly on citizens of Goodland

and Rensselaer to prove it, not a witness from their own township being introduced. The verdict was a surprise to those who had carefully followed the case during the trial. They expected the jury to agree with- z in fifteen minutes and bring in a verdict in Sage’s favor. The arguments in the case were listened to by a packed house, a number of women listening to the nauseating talk of the attorneys. But they stood it to the end of the arguments. A few more trials of this kind would disrupt the whole county. Sage is a young man. hard work -, ing, and the costs of the case will fall heavily upon him. The bastardy case of Elise Arndt against George Ketchmark on the charge of bastardy was dismissed. William H., better known as “Yankee” Nichols was granted a divorce from his wife Hannah. The grounds upon which he asked for a divorce has previous ly been published in this paper. Chicago has succeeded in locating Mrs. O'Leary who owned the cow that started the fire that burned up a large part .of Chi cago. The female now lives at Masonville, Mich., and inducements are being offered to get her to visit the World’s Fair in state. It is the belief of the majority of our people, that our town will not be favored with a bank very soon. The late failure took the wind out of the people who are able to do a banking business, and those who would organize for business cannot raise the wind.—Hebron Leader.

Columbia addition is right in the center of the city, newer additions being laid out on the north and south. Being at the head of the drainage system the lots are thoroughly drained. Purchasers will thus save the expense of drainage, which would not be done by purchasing in other additions. James Welsh has bought the patent right of the state for the sale of the patent churn dasher which has been on exhibition on the streets for the past two weeks. Mr. Welsh has already sold Grant county to W. H. Ritchey, who will that county and sell the dashem Butter can be made "with the dasher in three minutes.

Quite a number of our people attended the dedication ceremon - ies of the Indiana building at the World’s Eair to-<|ay. We should have been pleased to see the same, but owing to the scarcity of the circulating medium since our people ascertained they had been buying realestate for Dwiggins, we are compelled to remain home and saw wood as usual.—Hebron Leader. A boy at 10 years of ago thinks his father knows a great deal; at 15 years he knows as much as his father; at 20 ho knows twice as much; at 30 he is willing to take his advice; at 40 he thinks father knows somothing after all; at 50 he begins *to seek his advice, and at 60after his father is dead—he thinks he was the smartest man that ever lived.

S. E. Sparling is home from the University of Wisconsin, where he has been pursuing a course in Economics, Political Science and History. This de partment of the University was organized last year. It is under the direction of Dr. R. T. Ely, one of the best known political economists of the country. He is authority on taxation and socialism. In discussing what a powerful medium for the transmission of disease bank notes are. a prominent physician says that every one of these patter mediums are contaminated with some disease after being in circulation six months. We have always been silent when reproached by our friends for not having stolen a competency for old age, but we are now willing to own up. The fear of contagion has kept us poor. But we know of men right here who expose themselves to the contaminating influence of money, yet who shun a printing office when they owe a publisher as if it was a pest house. • All men have their weaknesses.—Goodland Herald. Smoke the Mendoza cigar.