Juniata sentinel and Republican. [volume] (Mifflintown, Juniata County, Pa.) 1873-1955, 1884-09-10
ADDITIONAL LOCALS.
Court Proceedings.

SVoH
The regular term Of court convened on
Monday, September lst, 1884, with a full
bench, and everything in full play by noon.
The first civil case brought before the
court was that of Eliza ]. Cameron VS.. ].
w. Kurtz, and the executor of Robert
Thompson, deceased, No. AZ, Sept. term
1884. A feigned issue to try the owner
ship of a Judgment, that R. E. Parker had
tran sferred to Mrs. Cameron. Verdict for
plaintiff.
The second jury case before the court
was that of Ephraim Rannels and D. C.
Rannels, partners, trading under the firm
name of Rannels & Son VS.. Pennsylvania
railroad company, No. 26, Dec. term 1888.
This was a suit to recover for damage to
sugar and other store goods that had been
stored in the cellar of Rannels & Son,
which cellar was flooded by back water
from the railroad during a heavy rain in
the year 1888. Verdict for plaintiff for
s24O.5O.
The third jury trial was that of Common
wealth VS.. William Longacre, Indictment
aggravated assault and battery, Calvin S.
Kepner, prosecutor, September LIST, 1884.
A true bill. Commonwealth VS.. same, In
dictment, murder and voluntary manslaugh
er. Same prosec'r. Sept. l, 1884. True bill.
On Saturday evening, June Z, 1884,
Samuel Kepner, of Port Royal, and William
Longacre, recently moved to this place,
passed each other in the vicinity of the
railroad hotel in Patterson, and exchanged
jeering words in regard to Port Royal and
and MIffiintown. From the acts of the young
men it seems that each thought that he was
to champion the dignity and good name of
the place in which he lived One word
brought on an other, and drew the men
closer, till they engaged in a rough and
tumble fight, in which Kcpner came out
the victor. What ugly feeling the fight
stirred in the minds and hearts of the men
to ward each other, will never be known,
but that they were not satisfied, is evident
from the fact that on the evening of the
9th day of June 1884, while Kepner was
walking on the pavement on Bridge street,
along The Jacobs House, Longacre encOun-
tered him and a second fierce fight took
place. In this fight the billy was used. 1t
was SAID in evidence that Kepner several
times during the fight exclaimed against the
strokes of Longacre's billy, and after the
| fight, billy was found Oh tho scene of the
conflict, and Kepner claimed it as his prop
erty. Kepner was severely handled, Long
acre pounded him with his fist and kicked
him in the abdomen, till he cried out,
ssenough Billy! and that ended the bat
tie. Kepner was taken TO pump and the
blood was washed from his face and head,
and people that were about him did not
think that he was seriously hurt He how
ever soon grew sick aud later in the night
when he reached his fathers house he was
seriously i'll. A doctor was called and by
Saturday morning he was so Frustrated that
Justice, j. p. Shindel was requested to
take an information against Longacre and
others on a charge OF assault and battery.
All the parties charged were arrested and
placed in jail by June 90, 1884. On July
lst, 1884, all of the parties arrested were
brought before Justice Parker in this place,
and all released excepting Longacre, who
was re-committed TO Jail to await the re-
| 81. g ha
monweath had by this time taken charge
of the case. On Wednesday, July 2, 1884.
Kepner died. After death an examination
OF his body was made by doctors Graham
and Shelly, and great injury to the stomac h
and bowels was revealed. The death of
Kepner caused a change in the charge and
Longacre was held under the charge of
'smurder and manslaughter." On July y
an effort to obtain Longacre's release on
bail failed. The commonwealth asked
$1,000 bail. The judge fixed the bail at
that amount. He remained in Jail till last
Wednesday, September 2, 1884, at noon,
when he was put upon trial. The trial last
ed till about halfpast O'Clock, September
4, 1884, when the jury retired to their room
TO work out verdict. Between the hours
of l2 and O'Clock on Friday morning, Sep
tember 5, 1884, the Court House bell was
rung, as per order of the Court, should the
Jury agree, and the verdict was received
and announced by Judge Barnett. The
verdict was equity of Manslaughter." On
Friday evening at II minutes before S o.
clock p. NJ. the prisoner was taken before
Judge Barnett, for sentence. Mr.. Lyon
and Mr.. Atkinson each addressed the court
in behalf of lenient sentence for Longacre.
The judge sentenced him to pay a fine of
one dollar, the costs of prosecution and to
undergo an imprisonment at solitary labor
in the western penitentiary for the period
of three years. That night the Sheriff start
ed with him for the penitentiary.
The lawyers in the case. were, for Com
monwealth, Mason Irwin, E. D. Parker, and
A. J. Patterson. For Longacre, jeremiah
Lyons, L. E. Atkinson, ex-Judge Junkin.
The fourth jury trial was that of Sarah
Miller, for use of Jacob Deckard VS.. Will
lam G.. Smith, administrator of o. p. Kath-
erinan, No. ii, April term 1884, transcript
from docket of Caleb Parker, ]. p. Plain
tiffs appeal, to recover the amount of a
promissory note. Verdict for plaintiff in
the sum of s72.75.
The fiftb. jury trial was that of Ann Beale
VS.. John Bryner, No. 6l. April term 1884.
Summons in debt on sealed instrument
Defendants plead payment. Verdict for
defendant.
William S. 0Ies VS.. Gideon Sieber, No.
los, April term 1884. The purpose of this
action was to secure an indisputable deed
or title for Sieber, who had bought farm
in Fermanagh township, from William S.
Oles, who received it as an inheritance from
his uncle Evard oles, who died without is
sua 7, uas ailaoad tho. Evard OIas rot