Rensselaer Semi-Weekly Republican, Volume 35, Number 123, Rensselaer, Jasper County, 13 October 1903 — Acquitted of False Swearing. [ARTICLE]

Acquitted of False Swearing.

Firman Ruthford In Trouble For Helping Bessie Swartzell Get Married. Firman Rutherford waß arrested by Sheriff Hardy last Friday afternoon, on a warrant sworn oat by-Albert P. Swartzell, charging him with making a false affidavit. The occasion of the affidavit, alleged to have been false, was the marriage on Oct, Ist of Jao/es Fleming to Swartzell’s daughter Bessie, and on which oooasion, Rutherford signed affidavit in the clerk’s office that the girl was of legal age to marry without her parents consent. Whereas, according to the oofnplaiut for his arrest, she was only 15, last June. Rutherford was brought into oourt and the court granted him a quick trial, the same being set for Saturday, at 10 o’clock a. m. The ttial did not last long. The state produced their evidenoe, mainly that of Clerk Major who testified that Mr. Rutherford made a full and evidently true statement of the whole matter when the lioense was issued. He told just bow old the girl was, that her father had turned her out, and that the young man she was to marry, James Fleming, was a square young fellow. Rutherford then signed the affidavit in the record, but did not swear to it and Yhe license was issued. After the evidenoe for the state was all in the Judge instructed the jtrry to bring in a verdict of not guilty, without any evidence from the defense at all. The yonng woman whose marriage made the trouble was in oourt, and proved to be a fully grown as well as decidedly attractive young woman, though only a little past 15 years old.