Rensselaer Republican, Volume 26, Number 42, Rensselaer, Jasper County, 14 June 1894 — THE CIRCUIT COURT. [ARTICLE]

THE CIRCUIT COURT.

Another divorce was granted the latter part of last week. It was to Mrs. Caroline Turner, frdm Luke ! Turner of Rc-usselaer abandonment and failure to provide. The defendant did not make any appearance. The plaintiff’s maiden name, Kepner, was restored. The noted case from White county of Mrs. Alice Spencer vs. Dr. Wm. Spencer, which promised to be one cf the most interesting ever tried in this county, was settled by the parties and dismissed. Mrs. Spencer obtained a divorce in Monticello, two or three years ago, and alimony of $10,500. The Dr. did not relish the alimony part of the verdict, and appealed to the Supreme Court, which sent the case back for retrial. Io the compromise she is given $7,500 alimony, and keeps her divorce. This week Judge Me.ConnHl, of

Logansport, is holding conrt here, while Judge Wiley takes Judge McConnell’s place, at Logansport. —The trial of Henry Granger, of DeMotte, was begun Monday afternoon. He was indicted at the March term, charged w ith burglary. The store at DeMotte, John Sigler proprietor , was enteredl on the night of March 3rd and coasiderable merchandise taken. The following night Mr. Sigler concealed himself in the store, and soon after dark some person got one of the rear doors open and entered the stoi e. After he got pretty close Mr. Sigler banged away at him twice with a revolver. The. man got -outas soon as possible, then Mr. Sigler went to Granger’s house and was told he was at church. A man went to the church but Granger was not there. Soon after Granger and a number of others came into the store and were discussing the attempted robbery. It was found that one of Sigler’s bullets had hit a sack of flour and scattered the flour in every direction. One Whitsei Lewis remarked that if they could find a man with flour on his clothes they could find the man that broke into the store. Just then Granger seemed to have business outside. But just as he turned to go Sigler saw flour bn his coat sleeve. Granger's son Andrew was the first person to come to the store after the shootingSigler asked him where he had been and where his father was. He said he had been down to “Uncle Bill’s” but didn’t know where his father was. When his father came, a few minutes later, he said he had been down to Bill’s place. John Sparling saw flour on Granger’s coat and pants. Whitsel Lewis saw the flour on Granger’s clothing, but it was not he, but some other, that suggested that the finding of the flowery man would be the finding of the burglary man.

The defense took the line of an alibi, mainly. The witnesses were about all in the family. Brother Bill and Brother Bill’s wife. Brother Bill’s son Ray; the defendant’s own wife, his son, and also the defendant himself. The case went to the jury Tuesday evening and after an hour or two of deliberation they brought in a verdict of “not guilty.” The jury at first stood two for conviction and ten for acquittal. The Wakarusa ditch appeal matter was argued during parts of Tuesday and Wednesday, by S. P. Thompson for the petitioners and Fraser and Marshall for the Commissioners. The points involved are the right of the Commissioners to dismiss the ditch; and the liability of the petitioners for costs. Decision has not been rendered. The Iroquois ditch appeal will be argued today.