Rensselaer Semi-Weekly Republican, Volume 40, Number 43, Rensselaer, Jasper County, 4 February 1908 — Dowling's Assailants Were Fined. [ARTICLE]

Dowling's Assailants Were Fined.

The Newt on circuit court made -short work of the assault case against thefwo Elijahs, OnfeW and Arch, father and son,'who on last Oct 18th, almost killed Tom fowling. The parties are prominent formers residing near Morocqo and Dowling is the* road supervisor of the district the Elijahs live in. The Dowling side of the case has been frequently told, and is to the effect that he weiit to the defendants so, .talk witlr them about a proposed ditch thru their farm; that Without provocation the two men pounced upon him, knocked him down with a spade, and that the ; yoUnger Elijah ent him with his knife. ; The defense put ppby the Elijahs was that they were discussing the matter with Dowling when be be came overbearing, arrogant and abusive and finally strufik the elder Elijah over the head with, his buggy whip, knocking him down. The younger Elijah came to , the assistance of his father and Dow-. .■ . . **. / .••• - * ‘ ■ j . ling proceeded to lambast him: over the head with the whip, breaking it. Dowling reached for the spade Which he had in the back end of the bnggy and he and yotfog Elijah seuffled for it, and the young man was cut on the thumb by his open knife in his vest poeket. He gave as a reason for havingdhe kniteopen in his pocket that he had been cutting twine on fodder sad had kept the knife open foroonvenience. It suggested to him that he had better use the knife and he did so, but simply Jin self defense. Dowling let loose ol' the spade and yonng Elijah struck him over the head and knocked him down. This was the substance of the testimony given by both lather and son. Abont one hundred witnesses were down from Morocco, according to the Enterprise, and that paper states that there wa# a great deal of bad feeling stirred np by the trial. The paper also states that much of the testimony sounded much like it had been thoroly rehearsed ttefore the trial,, but the paper does not state on which side the apparently peijured testimony was given. Fiom this distance, however, it looks like the Elijah's werelucky to escape a penitentiary sentence. ;As it was, they were fined $l5O each, and the total costs will be - about SISOO. '