Omaha daily bee., 1885-03-03
LEGAL LORE.
Grabne Found Guilty-Suit for Di-
vorce-General Legal
News.

Yesterday afternoon the jury In the
Grabne case returned a verdict, finding
the defendant guilty of murder in the
second degree. TIE verdict was returned
oil hour and a half deliberation
From the fret there was no doubt in the
mind of any man on the jury that Grabne
was guilty, and the point to be settled
was whether he should receive q sentence
for murder in the first or second
degree. One man on the jury was In ia.
yor of hanging him. while the other
eleven thought that the fact of the evi.
dence being largely clrcumstantlal should
mitigate the severity of the punishment.
Hence the verdict. Grabne himself,
when told of the fact, appeared to be
very much relieved, rs, it seems, he has
been afraid since his first ~arraignment
that he was to be hanged. Mrs. Klusa's
trial will be taken up this week, just
when Is not exactly known.
The history of the case is too we'll
known to require anything but the brief
est review. On the 29th of December
John Grabne, husband of Lusina Klusa,
was found In an pncont clous condition,
lying In the rear of his house, at the foot
Of a long fight CT stairs. His leg was
broken and his head had been split open
evidently by some sharp instrument. He
was taken Into the house, and the next
day was removed to the hospital, where,
In q few days, he died. Mrs. Klusa, and
Grabne, her supposed paramount, were In
the meantime arrested. Both deny any
completely in the affair, and say that
Kluss had teen drunk and had fallen
down stairs. 1t was proven, however,
beyond a doubt that GrAbne had been
guilty of unlawful intimacy with Mrs.
Klusa, and that both had been in the
habit of quarreling with the husband.
The supposition that Klusa had detected
the psir In flagrante delicso, and that
they had rushed upon him
when detected In their guilt was borne
out and strengthened by the additionally
accommodating evidence which finally
proved couvioting. There is but little
doubt that Mrs -sKlusa wi receive q sem
tence equally severe with that of Grahne.
Before Judge Wakeley the case of Mrs.
Margaret Elliot va the city of Omaha is
on trial. Mrs. Elliott sues the city for
damages alleged to have been sustained
by the action of defendant in tearing up
and not replacing q beard sidewalk ad-
jacent to her property.
SUES FOR DIVORCE.
M. w. Currie, of Omaha, sues for i'll.
vorce from his wife, Melissa Currie, on
the grounds of abandonment. Plaintiff,
in her petition, alleges that he was mar.
ried to his wife at Wappalo, Iowa, In
1876, that he has always treated her al
a husband should a wife, but that In 1885,
she deserted him without cause, and en-,
tered upon a life of shame. She Is nov
an outcast and seems TO prefer 30 to re,
main, although he has repeatedly offered
to take her back into his heart and
home.
UNITED STATES COURT.
Judge Dundy went to Lincoln yester
day, and will examine tho accounts o.
Marshal Bierbower in formal session q
the United States court. Other minol
matters, such as motions, etc., will also
be disposed of.
Last week Deputy Marshal 'Aller
berVeu tWO aGVhclluenC Wits against In
property of Gross Br,s., dry goods mer
of Madison, Neb., one of $500 from
Marshall Field & Co., the other of $160t
by Cohn Bros, of Chicago. 1t appears
that the members of the firm, which haI
been failing for some time, In order tt
escape attachment suits filed by eastern
creditors In the United States court, con
fessed Judgment in favor of local alIeget
creditors, who we're relatives. 1t is sup
posed that this step WAS but a ruse to es
cape eastern creditors and hence, Oh
wrlts Issued In the United States court
Deputy Marshal Allen secured the prop
erty, which he now holds pending thu
ds% cision.
tCOUNTY COUTR.
In the county court yesterday the cas-
of D. Fitzpatrick vs.. E. G. Coudit, TO,
plumbing work done, was tried, resulting
in a judgment for defendant.
Marriage licenses were issued to viii
liam Duggins and Helen Higgins, Geo
W. Low and Lille B. Hendricks.