Rensselaer Republican, Volume 27, Number 44, Rensselaer, Jasper County, 27 June 1895 — DINNINGER FOUND NOT GUILTY. [ARTICLE]

DINNINGER FOUND NOT GUILTY.

James Rodgers Sent Up For Two Years. ——\— 'v. The trial of Wm. Dinninger, the stranger charged with robbing Guy Clemens, the night operator, and the safe of the Rensselaer depot, on the night of May 31st, was held Thnra day. The only evidence of weight against Dinninger was that of Mr. Clemens, who swore very positively that Dinninger was the robber, but who admitted that the face of the man who robbed him wa£ covered from the eyes down with a cloth mask. B. D. McColly and Nelson Randle swore that they saw a man in town the day before the robbery, whom they thought might have been Dininger bat thmr identification was

no ways positive. On the other hand Geo. Fisher, the party who was with Dininger,' when he was arrested at Fair Oaks, told a very straight and connected story of the doings of the pair previous to their arrest." And his story was confirmed by a respectable appearing man and woman of Hammond, named DeOtt, who claimed to be cousins of Fisher, and with whom Fisher and Dinicger stopped on May 30th. Mr. Nichols, a Hammond policeman, swore to having seen the men in Hammond, and to have been asked by them where DeOtt was, on that day. The pumper at the railroad water tank, at Cedar Lake, swore that he found Fisher and Dininger sleeping behind the water tank, on the morning of June Ist, a few hours after the robbery and before there was any train that could have carried them from Rensselaer to Cedar Lake, unless it had been some extra, of which there was no evidence. Fisher and Dininger said they were, by trade, workers in wire and iron works, who had been busted by want of work, and were on their way to Lafayette, where Fisher said he had the promise dfajbbTn the Barbee Wire and Iron Works, and where Dininger said he had worked some years ago under the superintendency of Mr. Park. The case was submitted to the jury without argument by the attorneys; and in a very few minutes the jury brought in a verdict of not guilty. James Rodgers, who lives alone on his farm, about 4 miles south of Rensselaer, was tried Friday, for a bestial offense. The principal evidence against him was given by one Spalding, a new and transient comer into the neighborhood, and a young fellow of longer residence named Davidson. They both swore to essentially the same story, very positively. A number of Rogers’ neighbors and some of them very reputable and responsible men, gave him a bad name for truth and morality. For the defense, it was shown that Spalding, the principal witness for the state, and the maker of the affidavit, had started to work part of Rodgers’ farm this season, living with him in his house, and that Rodgers on one side and Spalding and his wife on the other had quarreled to such an extent that Spalding had moved off the place. The jury remained out several hours, Friday night, and then brought in a verdict of guilty; fixing the punishment at two years in the penitentiary, which is the lightest penalty the law allows for the offense. A motion for a new trial was argued Saturday, but over-ruled by Judge Wiley, and sentence then pronounced. Rodgers is about 57 years old, and has lived in his present location a good many years. He took his conviction pretty hard, crying like a child when sentence was finally passed upon him. Public opinion is divided as to the justice of the conviction, but united on the point that trials by this law do far more harm to society than all convictions obtained under it do good. Judge Wiley’s declaration that had be the power he would wipe the law from the statute books of the state, will be generally endorsed. It has been learned that at first the jury stood six for conviction and six for acquittal. Sheriff Hanley escorted Rogers to the penitentiary, Tuesday.

The People’s Picture Parlor, (previously Porter’s) is the place for patriotic persons to get pleasing pictures at popular prices: au extra picture with every dozen ordered from negatives made July Fourth. Cabinets only $2.50 per dozen*