Rensselaer Semi-Weekly Republican, Volume 39, Number 103, Rensselaer, Jasper County, 3 September 1907 — “BAD MAN” WAS FINED [ARTICLE]

“BAD MAN” WAS FINED

Thursday at Wheatfield, during the progress of the big ball game there, J. P. Swisher got pretty well loaded up and very boisterous and annoying, Deputy-Sheriff Joe O’Connor, who was present, tried to make the fellow behave himself, but he proceeded at once to do the “bad man” stunt, pulling out a big knife and swinging it around in a very threatning and dangerous manner. He was finally disarmed by the help of by-standers, especially a man named Griggs; who caught his hand with the knife in it as he was holding it behind his back. He was taken before Squire Van Doozer, who fined him sl6 and costs. These he stayed, with Harmon Clark as security. After® lie was released he picked a quarrel with another Rensselaer man, Attorney Abe Halleck, who finally cooled him down somewhat with threats of sending him to the pen, for his attempts to use the knife on Joe O’Oonuor and others.

Swisher is the same party who brought half a dozen fox scalps, all of evidently the same age, dc wn here a few weeks ago and filed claims for the bounties, after vainly tring to sell his claims to other parties. He lives on an island in the Kankakee river, but in Lake county. He claims to have got the foxes in Jasper county—but then there are no fox bounties paid in Lake county.