People's Pilot, Volume 6, Number 30, Rensselaer, Jasper County, 14 January 1897 — Court. [ARTICLE]

Court.

Judge Thompson allowed the plaintiff, in the Cox vs. Lewis case, judgment for $30.96, attorney fee of $lO and costs. The amount sued for was about S9O, being items for extras in building a house. Miss Gertrude Hopkins has been acquitting herself very nicely as a court stenographer. The case of A. Leopold, indited by the grand jury for renting the room over his clothing store for gambling purposes, was continued until next term. Prosecutor Cbizum thinks that with tho information gained this term and his better acquaintance with “the lay of the land” he will be able to bring Beveral smooth offenders before the bar of justice at the next term of court. We wish to give this tip to those, who may be congratulating themselves on escape from merited inditements, that there will be a grand jury at the next term of court, The appointment of Charles Hanley as depnty prosecutor is probably the best that could have been made, and his “maiden speech” to the jury in the Kiser larceny case was a very creditable effort. Mr. Hanley has so thorough a knowledge of the county, and is so free from compromising alliances with the law breaking element that he will be of great value to the prosecutor. The grand jury returned twelve inditements. Judge Thompson is certainly a great | worker and is disposing of business very I rapidly. The docket was a long one but ' it will all be cleaned up at this term. He is also making a good record here, and in the sister counties, in probate matters,and administrators are being brought up standing where there appears reason for so doing. An instance is reported from Benton county of an estate of S2BOO, wherein the administrator* having actually rendered no service at all, put in a claim for S7OO, and his attorney SSOO, for drawing up the claim. Judge Thompson used strong language in reprimanding both -administrator and attorney. The former he allowed nothing and the attorney had to be content with a $lO fee. The jury was not out long in finding a verdict of not guilty in the celebrated lap robe case, wherein Henson Kiser was the defencant. In this case George Dunn made his first appearance before a jury. Deputy Sheriff McColly returned Sunday from Kentucky with his prisoner, J. J. Hieronymus, indicted for embezzlement, and extradited for trial in Jasper county. He had been arrested and was being held in the Lynchburg jail. On a change of venue in the case of Chas. J. Roberts, charged with violation of the chattle mortgage laws, Judge Thompson appointed Jesse Wilson a special judge to try the case. Roberts it appears borrowed some money of GeoK. Hollingsworth, giving a racing mare as security. Hollingsworth failed to record the mortgage within ten days, and because of such neglect, Roberts took the mare oat of the county. The case was tried Wednesday and is being argued this morning. At 3:30 the jury is still out with small prospects of agreeing.