Rensselaer Semi-Weekly Republican, Volume 34, Number 55, Rensselaer, Jasper County, 11 March 1902 — A Conviction and a Disagreement. [ARTICLE]

A Conviction and a Disagreement.

The trial of the oats stealing case from Remington, began late Wednesday afternoon, and ended just before noon Friday. James Edwards and his nephew, James W' Edwards, aged 42 and 21, respectively, were the accused. A big load of oats was stolen, at night a week or two ago, from Donahue, in Benton county, Next day the oats were found covered up in the wagon, in the alley by the senior Edwards’ barn, and reclaimed by the owner. Young Edwards swore that he and his uncle stole the oats together, but for the uncle’s benefit, who intended to take them to Goodland and sell them. That he went only at his uncle’s urgent solicitation. Edwards, the uncle, on the other hand, swore that the stealing was wholly the young man’s enterprise. That he took his, the uncle’s team and wagon, ostensibly to get a load of wood, and that he was not along at all, when the oats were stolen. Four other witnesses testified that they saw the load of oats and that two men were with it. One witness said that there was only one man. A letter, written by the uncle to the nephew, in jail, was in evidence, and was thought to tend greatly towards incriminating the writer. The uncle told the boy to keep a “stiff upper lip” and that he would stay by him, and if his own father turned him off, the uncle wojild furnish him a home. The jury took the case late Thursday afternoon. In two ballots they found the young man guilty, but after remaining out until noon today, they failed to agree on the elder man’s case, and were discharged by the court; and he is bound over until the April term. On the question of the uncles guilt, the jury stood 9 for conviction to 3 for acquittal.