The Ottawa free trader. [volume] (Ottawa, Ill.) 1843-1916, 1886-05-08
THE COURTS,
Circuit Court.

4 JuuBe uncnaru duJourueu ~ until n
o'clock Monday when on the assembling
the attorneys, jurors and witnesses the md
ter was again taken up. The afternoon wi
devoted mainly to the evidence of the RAJ
road men who swOre in contradiction to [
statements made by the McManuses. T
defense got the jury pretty well imbue
with the idea that the plaintiff along wi
the companions who were riding with hi
was pretty well under the influence of lio
or and that the injury sustained by hi
was largely the result of his own careles
ness-so much so that the company oug
not to be held liable. This impression N
plaintiff tried to refute through rebuttiu
testimony On Monday late in the afte
noon A. J, O'Connor opened the argumer
for the plaintiff making very strong pie
He was followed Tuesday morning
Messrs, Gentleman and Nicholson for th
company and Senator Duncan closed ia
McNlanus. The court then instructed tn
jury who went to their jury room Mt ll:3
and remained out until $50 when they I'd
timed Nerd ct of not guilty. The othe
cases growing out of the same cause will bd
tried at the June term
Jennie Potter Lewis Wi1son, Tresspa,s 0,
tie Case.
The next case on t triallist az err the one
Of McManus the c., B. & G r. r. Co. wa,
an action of tresspass on tie case brough
for IS, 900 damages, by Bull, Strawn & Ru
ger attorneys for Jennie Potter of Marseille.
against one Lewis Wilson of the same place
the ground for the same being alleged SIAN
derous remarks made by Wilson on Oct. Is,
1885, about the chastity of Mrs. Potter.
The plea of Wilson by his attorney Geo. W. |
W. Blake is that he is not guilty If SANDER
ing Mrs. Potter. 1t was expected that this
trial would come off, the plairif being
present with her attorney, but just Ter the
opening session Attorney Blake male mo-
ton for q continuance of the sane and
presented in behalf of the same an ,ffidayit
made by defendant setting up the absnce of
two material witnesses, Michael Mlligan
and Julia Miligan his wife by whom he
could prove that Mrs Potter's reputation
for chastity was bad. The attorneys for
the plaintiff not beng willing to admitthe
truth of the affidavit an the facts in it be-
ing material the court continued the case tn
til the June term when it will be tried.
" c. Thompsoay 0. j. Wilson 6 Co.
Before entering upon the trial of n. C.
Thompson II resident of Rockford against
o. J. Wilson, Samuel Wiley and William
ilson of Earlville, comprising the late firm
Of o, J Wilson Co, Mr.. Samuel Nicholson
one of the attorneys for Wiley, the most in
terested party def nj mt, presented
an ;ft 'avit in support of motion
praying continuance that o. }. wilson,
q material witness for the the defense could
not be produced at this term of court,
Mr.. D. b. Snow for the plaintiff resite, the
motion and the court overruled it. A try
was at once impannelled' agd the trial on
the merits Of the case entered upon. Tie
claim Of the plaintiff who is n manufacture
of agricultural implements at Rockford was
based on two notes given by o. j. Wilson &
Co., doing business at Earlville for $il326
in Aug in 1884 for lows cultivators and
other implements. The notes being due and
unpaid suit was brOu ght upon them. William
Wilson one Of the defendants being out of
the laws reach and o. J, Wilson having no
property of the Wilson bank wreck, the
party mostly interested in defeating the note
was Samuel Wiley who was a member Of the
firm and who has property. His defense to
the notes were that it was given without his
knowledge and not for anything that came
in the scope Of the partnership business and
in violation of it by William Wilson. This
defense he offered o ssbsta + by oral
testimony as to the partnership agreement
between himself and other members of the
firm, there being no written contract but
this the court refused to allow and as re.
suit he had no ground left to stand upon.
The case was argued by D. B. Snow for
plaintiff and Messrs. Duncan, Nicholson and
Gentleman for the defendants. The jury
after being out a short while returned yer
diet in favor of the plaintiff of $i2S.75.
The jury trial on Wednesday ofGrundy Co.
Nat. Bank J. Feehan ct al resulted in .iudg.
for plaintiff of $3l2.S0.
County Court.
No active Jury business has been done N