Lancaster daily intelligencer. [volume] (Lancaster, Pa.) 1864-1928, 1881-09-17
BAER. VS.. SENSENIG.
CELEBRATED CASE AND DISTIN-
GUlSHED AUDIENCE.

CELEBRATED CASE AND DIsTIN-
GUlSHED AUDIENCE.
DID Levi Say lt?-Did Adam DO 1t:
In pursuance of an adjournment made at
the time first appointed for their meeting,
the arbitrators Col. VIM. r. Gerhart,
County surveyor) Jacob Erisman, (tip-
staff and David Warfel deputy county
treasurer) met in the court house ycster-
Gay afternoon to hear the testimony in the
civil suit of Adam II. Bear against
Levi Senscnig, being an action 70 recover
S2O, 900 damages suffered from a slander
alleged to have been uttered by Sensenig
at the meeting of Republican return judges
in this city in May, to the effect that Baer
had burned his stlll-house down. Messrs.
Reynolds, Eberly and B. F. Eshleman
were Sensenig's lawyers, and j. Hay
Brown, esq.,, took charge of Baer's case.
The attendance of spectators was large.
The representation of politicians, Office
holders and hunters, was very numerous
including, besides the parties to the case
and their counsel, Judge Kilburn, Chair
man of Republican County Committee A.
F. Shenck, Deputy Clerk of Quarter Ses.
sions Geo. w. Eaby, Deputy Prothonotary
Major A. s. Edwards, Coroner-to. be-elect
d. A. Shiffer, Legislator Cock Gatchell,
Examiner Foreman Peter Baker, District
Attorney -SOmetimc-M Maybe w. D. Weaver,
Clerk of the Senate T. B. Cochran ex-
Jury Commissioner Luther Richards, No
taries Public NJ. Brosius and Frank Pennell,
Ex- Politician Johnny Grau, cx.Shcriff
Amos Croft, County Treasurer S. A. Croft,
Court House Janitor Geo. Hunter, ex-
Sheriff IL. N. Brenneman, Alderman A.
X. Spurrier, Senator A. G. Reinehl,
County Committeeman-Al Almost Elect G. G..
Kennedy, Sheriff Strine and Deputy Sher-
iff C. S. Strine. County Recorder
JnO. p. Good, Poor Director Martin Krei-
der, Sheriff to-be John H. High, Prison
Keeper not to. be G. A. Smith, District
Attorney T. j. Davis, Farmer J. w.
johnson, Campaign and Agricultural Ora
tor w. Thrown, Senator and Peaccmaker
John NJ. Stehman, Candidate at Large
JAG. L. Wilmer, Tax Collector F. G. Al.
bright, and other shining lights of Repub-
licanism.
1t was no ordinary company and no COM
mon case that assembled it.
The entire afternoon was taken up with
bearing the testimony of the plaintiff s
side, which was taken down by Stcno-
grapher Mullock.
Baer testified that in the turmoil of the
return judges meeting the charge had
been hurled at him, "When arc you
going to burn your still house
down again." Or go home and
burn your still house down again, :"
and that many people had informed him
Sensenig had uttered it he was greatly
damaged by the false insinuation, it had
been printed in the Nep Era that Sensenig
said so. On cross-examination plaintiff
denied that the insurance companies re-
fused to pay him because it was alleged he
burned his distillery down hc denied
that he had offered or sent anybody to
offer to settle with Sensenig for
500, $50, s2J, or any amount :;
he admitted that he had taken
a rctraction to Sensenig for him
to sign, which plaintiff wrote and
John NJ. Stehluan dictated Sensenig had
declined to sign it until he could show it
to Ed. Martin, who generally knew what
MIR. Geist would print Senscnis said
Geist had treated him very cleverly of late,
and he didn't want to sign anything he
wouldn't like, without first showing it to
his lawyers. There was 4 good deal of
wrangling over Baer's testimony and what
questions should be asked him, but rs he
generally answered them before his coun-
sci could stop him tho artitrators had his
replies before the eloquent debate began
over tho admission of the questions.
Peter Baker, j. A. Bausman, Peter Her.
shey. Major A. S. Edwards, Squire Sam'l.
Miller, S. A. Croft, E. McMellen, Geo. A.
Smith, Walter Hauck, Samuel Mylin and
G. Musser testified, mainly to the effect
that Sensenig had shouted out in the meet
ing that ho had bought Bacr before for
$25 and that Baer should 20 home and
burn down his still house again.
Sammy Croft was cross examined as to
his feelings for his neighboring Lcvite !;
he admitted that he and Levi were "not
particular friends" but he would never
do Sensenis the harm that the later
had done him; on tue occasion at the hall
Levi was standing on the seats "with his
hat in ono hand and his fist in the other"
surrounded with "the set of ruffians that
Levi generally has around him - witness
disclaimed any interest in tho case and had
reluctantly Obeycd a subpoena to testify.
When Christian Musser, of Pequea, was
cross-examined he was asked: "Are you
on good terms with Sensenig? Did you
not take $50 from him on one occasion
and pocket it, and cheat him?" He an
swered, &C. and another map, got money
and could not deliver tho goods.''
City Editor Walter Kieffer testified to
the immense circulation of the New Era,
which the plaintiff alleges carried the
slahder to the hearthstOnes of the people.
The arbitration adjourned about 5 p.
IN. and met again at 10 a. m. to-day, when
there was another large audience present,
the politicians of the New Era predomin-
ating.
Sensenig took the stand and swore that
the alteration between him and Baer oc-
CURED in the afternoon of the return
judges meeting, not in the evening as most
of the other sides witnesses had testified;
somebody shouted at Bear, and he thought
it was Sensenigland called to him, "You
can't buy me for $50" Sensenig retorted