Rensselaer Semi-Weekly Republican, Volume 39, Number 69, Rensselaer, Jasper County, 3 May 1907 — SQUIRE SORENSON FINED $100. [ARTICLE]

SQUIRE SORENSON FINED $100.

Squire Sorenson, of Roselawn, had his trial here Monday, on charge of shootiDg a young f llow named Clyde Gibbon, at Roselawn, oa the evening of Feb. 14th. the case having been sent here from Newton county, on change oi venue. Mr. Sorenson has been an active anti-saloon worker in that region so long ruled and over- ra w ed by saloons, and had taken a prominent part m some cases against saloon-keepers tried there not long belorh the alleged shoot ing. The saloon element there is undoubtedly loud and blatant, and probably desperate enough to be actually dan; to those who actively and oppose them. This young Gibbons had no doubt been traineding with that crowd, and Mr. Sorenson claimed that several parties had warned him that Giubons had said he would beat him up, lor his connection with the saloon-keepers case above mentioned.

Soon after five o’clock on tne evening of Feb. 14. both Sorenson and Gibbons were at the Monon depot in Roselawn, and Sorenson started to go to his home, and Gibbons seems to have started in the same direction, and very close behind. Sorenson stopped and told him to go away, and almost simnltuneously began a fusilad 0 with his revolver and one shot went into the calf of Gibbon’s leg, frer behind, inflicting a flesh wouriv *f sonfe severity. Sorenson clainl: / that Gibbons struck at him before he fired, and also that he only shot o scare Gibbons, and did not intend to hit him. Gibbous denied striking^at and the fact that the bullet caught him from the rear would tend to indicate that he was already scared enough to be going the other way, and any more scare ( especially aimed so close, seemed a waste of good amunitioo, to say the least. The evidence vras very conflicting, but the jury took the view that when Sorenson filed the bullet that hit Gibbons, the lat ter wasiu full retreat, and therefore not J justified by any plea of fear on Sorenson’s part. They got the case about 10 p. m. and at midnight brought in a sealed verdict, which found the defendant guilty and fixed the penalty at a fine of SIOO and costs. The jury a first stood 1C for guilty to two for acquittal, bnf finally all agreed on a verdict of guilty. None of them favored a severer penalty than a fine, tho there was quite a wide difference in views as to how much the fine should be. The amount was reached by the time-honored method of adding together what each man thought it should be, and dividing the sum by 12, to strike an average. Sorenson was allowed his liberty on his ,gwn recognizance, anefagrees to pay the fine and costs before Saturday night. There was a big crowd of witnesses and the costs Will probably just about equal the amount of the fine. The prosecuting witness is commonly hnown as “Battle-Ax,” around Boselawn, and he explained why he was called that by saying it was shorter than his own name ClydeThe defendant in his evidence stated that he only fired to scare Gibbons, not intending to shoot him. He also testified that he was a dead-sure shot and could shoot an apple ofl the head of Attorney Abe Halleck, who was assisting in the prosecution. When asked how it was {being so good a shot, he came to hit the boy when he shot to miss him, he said it was because he was excited and scared. The charge against him was assault and battery with intent to commit murder, but the verdict of the jury was guilty of araault and battery, only. Tomato plants at Mrs. Zimmermans’.