Rensselaer Union, Volume 9, Number 11, Rensselaer, Jasper County, 30 November 1876 — A Court Incident. [ARTICLE]

A Court Incident.

A very singular affair in the history of our Common Pleas Court occurred.yesterday. On Monday Judge Watson adjourned the court until yesterday afternoon at three o’clock. It was expected that at that hour Judge Finefrock would be here to open the session, but that afternoon Prosecuting-Attotney Lee received advices from Judge Finefrock, who had gone to Fremont, to the effect that he had been taken ill suddenly at his residence, a mile and a half from the city, and Could not come here to open court that day. This caused quite a flutter among the attorneys. The case of The State i’s. John Martin. Jr., of Kelly’s Island, who is under indictment for assaulting William McGettigan,»of that island, with intent to kill him, had been set for trial that day, and the witnesses were all in the courtroom awaiting the coming of Judge Finefrock. If he or Judge Watson failed to be here and the court were not opened that day, the Common Pleas Court of Erie County, according to the provisions of the law, would stand adjourned for the present term, and all the criminal cases set for trial would of course be continued to the >ext term.; This was a pretty state of affairs, and as a matter of course the legal fraternity were considerably exercised over it. Telegrams were sent to Judge Watson, who was holding court at Fremont, asking hiin to come here as quickly as possible and open and adjourn,court. According to law this could be done any time before twelve o’clock last night. Immediately on receipt of information in relation to the situation, Judge Watson left Fremont on the cars, but could come no further by rail than Clyde. At the latter place he hired a team of good horses and a driver, and as it was then very late, he made the man drive the horses as rapidly as they could go, in order to reach here before midnight. He arrived at the Court-house at twenty minutes to twelve o’clock, and hurrying into the court-room, where the Sheriff and prosecuting attorney were waiting for him, he opened and adjourned court as the law directs, and thus averted a foiced sine die adjournment. It was a pretty close call, but the Judge was equal to the emergency, and got here on time. The court was ad- 1 journed until Monday morning at seven o’clock. Judge Watson left here for Clyde in his carriage shorty after twelv o’clock last night. He will proceed from Clyde to Fremont and hold court there to-day.— Sandusky (Ohio) Register.