Rensselaer Semi-Weekly Republican, Volume 20, Number 111, Rensselaer, Jasper County, 13 October 1899 — Collected With A Club. [ARTICLE]

Collected With A Club.

Ben Clouse an employe/ of the Gifford onion belt, was tried before Squire Burnham, last Saturday, night on the charge of assault It seems that Charles Thouipand Lewis Portwood, two Rensselaer boys of about 16 to 17 years age, went out to Harry Gifford’s and hired out to top onions. They were to be paid by the crate, but were te pay $3 per week for board, and begin the next day. They were furnished lodgidgs by Mr. Clouse, in a palace boarding car. During the night they talked the matter over and decided that S 3 a week board would be too rich for their systems, and next morning, before breakfast, they slid out for Rensselaer. Clouse got on a horse and armed with a broom handle, or some other like short rauge firearm, he soon rounded the boys up, and demanded they march back and go to work, or else pay him for their night’s lodging. He did not strike the boys but acted a good deal as though he intended to. The Thompson boy had some wealth, find yielding to Clouse’s persuasions, as emphasized by the brandishing broom handle, he paid 50 cents for himself and Portwood’s lodging and then they came town, and young Thompson filed an affidavit, and had Clousearrested The Squire heard the evidence, and the arguments, but the point whether an assault could be committed when the aggrieved party was not touched was rather a new one, and he took time to deliberate over it, "and .reserved his decision until 1.30 p. m. of Saturday, Oct, 21st. ‘