Rensselaer Semi-Weekly Republican, Volume 35, Number 79, Rensselaer, Jasper County, 9 June 1903 — The Wolfords Were Acquitted. [ARTICLE]

The Wolfords Were Acquitted.

Martin L. Wolford and his wife Anna had their preliminary hearing before Squire Irwin, Thursday afternoon, on the oharge of larceny. They are the couple who live in Conrad Schaffer’s house, on his sand-ridge farm, in the east end of Jordan tp., and whom he accused of having stolen certain household goods, wbioh he had left locked up in one room in the house. He claimed that quite a quantity of these good were missing, but was unable to satisfy the oonrt that the Wolfords had taken them. His strongest point was in regard to two pillow slips found in the Wolforde’s possession, which he swore positively were his. On the other hand Mrs. Wolford swore she made the slips herself and her sister-in-law swore she helped make them, Some hand towels also figured in the evid?noe, but the Wolfords and two boarders all swore the only towels ever used by the Wolfords were made out of “sacks.” One neighbor, Charley Miller, who had eaten there, was asked what kind of towels he used, and he said he “hardly ever washed.” He bore so muoh evidence of the truth of that statement on his that no attempt was made to oontradict him.

Further evidence regarding these towels was made by Mr. Schaffer, who testified that he saw Mrs. Wolford use one as a dish-rag. He admitted that he did not stop long to investigate particulars at that time, owing to the very hostile attitude the lady assumed towards him. Instead he went down the road “shoost as fast ash I could valk.” Some greatly emaciated feather beds and pillows figured in the case, it being proven that much of their contents had been surreptitiously removed after Mr. Schaffer left them. But no tangible proof was presented that the Wolford’s had eviscerated the bedding. The Squire deoided the evidenoe was not sufficient to justify him in the holding the aooused to the fiircuit court, and they were reeased.