Rensselaer Republican, Volume 18, Number 33, Rensselaer, Jasper County, 22 April 1886 — The Keener Riot and Assault Case. [ARTICLE]

The Keener Riot and Assault Case.

er’s prominent citizens) were brought to town on a warrant s Sued by R. £t. Putoupile Esq., charged with riot and assault, upon John Brant and his wife. Constable Wood went up with the-, warrant on Friday night and made such good use of the moon Shine that he bad quite a crowd of Keen* erites ready for the Saturday morris ing train. The parties under -arrcst were John Shoftridge, John Graves, Claus Gravaa/ijXohnKlein, Johu Kosky, j-r., James Deßoer and Ben Dolson. The complaining witnesses swore that on Thursday night, the 15th, about il o’clock p. m , a crowd of 10 oi‘ 12 masked men called Brant out of bed, and gave him and his wife a terrible scare, by shooting revolvers, and then ordered him to leave the country in five days. He and liis wife were positive they knew several of the parties and swore to tlmt effect but as there was an abundance of the best of evidence that the parties arrested were none of them, there, the identification failed, and Esquire promptly discharged the accused, and dismissed the case. The deputy Prosecutor J. IV. Dout-hit, assisted by M> F. Chilcot-e, made a hard fight for a i conviction, but it was no go, they hail no case, anti Messrs. S. P. Thompson and R, YY. Marshall, attorneys for defendants, secured an easy victory, 1 ----:. —— : The tribulation did notendliere,

however, for in the evening while the bellicose Keeuerites were at the depot waiting for the . north bound freight train, some of them got into a row with Brant and; thumped him considerably. This j occasioned another trip to Keener | by Com:table Wood m Monday,! armed with warrants for the arrest of Claus Graves, J. L. Graves, Jim Deßoer and John Shortridge. . Aa ; it hapticiied, however, these war- j wants weYo forestalled by some is-! sued by Squire Shorin’dge, of i Keener tp., in tho cases of the three first mentioned, aud they were tried ■on Monday and acquitted. Mr. J. Shortriilge however, was brought to Rensselaer, aiid gave bail for his aj)pearance,on Friday.' There is said to be a great deal of feeling against Brant in.his own neighlk srlidod, wliere he is said to be a very quarrelsome man, and it is to bb feared that more serious consequences will yet result from this affair. - —-.*»■ Ladies and Gents. Fine Shoes a specialty at Hnniphill to Honan’s .h 8 .