Rensselaer Semi-Weekly Republican, Volume 34, Number 72, Rensselaer, Jasper County, 9 May 1902 — Uncle Edwards Convicted. [ARTICLE]

Uncle Edwards Convicted.

THREE PRISON SENTENCES ALL IN A BUNCH. The celebrated oats stealing case, from Remington, finally ended on Thursday morning, when the accused, and convicted parties, received their sentences from Judge Thompson. The third trial .of James W. Edwards, the uncle, ended about five o’clock, Wednesday afternoon, when the jury brought in their verdict. This Edwards and his nephew, James Edwards, on the night of Feb. 20th, drove from Remington 12 or 13 miles into Benton county and stole a big load of oats from the 8. C, Curtis farm. The next day Martin Donahoe, the farm superintendent, traced the wagon until he found the oats, still in the wagon, in the alley by Edwards’ barn. Both Edwards were tried in the February term and the nephew was found guilty, and the jury disagreed on the uncle. The latter was tried. again the first week of the present term, with another disagreement. The third trial, just concluded, resulted in conviction. Some of the jurors stated they would have agreed in 10 minutes but were confused by the blank form of verdict, which is complex enough to puzzle a Philadelphia lawyer. The jurors who tried the case this time were selected, all from north from Rensselaer, and were as follows: A.G. Hendricks, Chas. D. Lakin, James Cox, Wm. Murray, Nelson Ducharme, Geo. Davidson, John Kimball, Jas. C. Clark, O. O. White, L. W. Goodyear, W. C. Sutton, Wm. Leek. It was the biggest trial of the term and about a dozen witnesses on each side, were summoned. Edwards is 42 years old and has a wife and two young sons. The family is in destitute circumstances. Mrs. Edwards seems a very estimable woman, and receives much sympathy in this trouble. Thursday morning, Jas. W. Edwards, his nephew James Edwards, who has been detained here since the February term as a witness, and Charley Chadwick, were all brought into court together and received their respective sentences. Uncle Edwards was sentenced to the state prison from 1 to 14 years. Nephew Edwards, who is only about 21, was sentenced to the reformatory from 1 to 14 years. Chadwick, who is 55, and also has to go to the penitentiary, got from Ito 3 years. Disfranchisement for various periods, and nominal fines, go with all the sentences. All the convicted ones can get out in a year, by uniform good conduct.