Omaha daily bee., 1889-03-21
LINCOLN NEWS AND NOTES.
A Somewhat Remarkable Case In
the District Court.
MINEHART's TRIAL CONCLUDED,
Several witnesses Examined Yester.
day, But No New Facts OF I'm
portance Elected General
and Personal.
LINCOLN BUREAU OF THE OMAHA BEE, !
1929 p STREET,

LINCOLN, March 90 J
This morning a somewhat important case
was begun before Judge Field aud fury
begun and broke down. 1t was that Of
Nancy Brown VS. George Brown ct al TO re-
cover damages under the Slocum law. The
allegations werc that in March, 1883, William
III. Brown, the then husband OF Nancy
Brown, became intoxicated in the saloon Of
George Brown, on the east side OF the gov
ernment square; that he started home at
night, lost his way, fell into deep pool in
the Antelope creek, was rescued by neigh
bors, carried to his home, and there died of
an acute attack of pleurisy, brought on, 1t
was alleged, by the wetting he got and his
physical condition. This suit was commenced
to recover $1,000 damages by his
widow, she having four children
TO support, her own by q previous
marriage. In October last she remarked,
and so the damages she claimed was for the
time of her widowhood. George Brown had
also died. His widow was poor, no attempt
was made to hold his estate, and so his sure
ties had to bear the brunt of this action.
The Defense If it had been entered on, would
have been that William Browns wife had
married; that when attempting to get her
husbands army pension, different statement
as to the cause of his death than that set out
in the petition was given, and also that for
w
had not drank at all in the Browns saloon.
After other proof had been given two men
were put on the stand for the plaintiff, and
they said that they had not seen the deceased
in Browns saloon. Mr.. Maule, of counsel
for the plaintiff, said that this testimony
took them by surprise, previous statements
to counsel having been different to the testi-
mony. They had other witnesses, but II was
no use going further, and they asked the
court to direct verdict, which was done, it
being for the defendants.
On the balance of the claims of plaintiff
and defendant in the orange cider case, the
jury gave to the defendants, Hargreaves
Bros, recovery of S246.
Mineheart's Trial Concluded.
The trial of the Methodist Episcopal
church VS.. Rev. James Minehart is on the
eve of closing. Nine witnesses were intro
duced for the prosecution and thirty-six for
the defense. The church rested on last Fri
day, and the accused called his last witness
at last evenings session. The morning was
occupied by the church in rebuttal. Moth
ing new, however. was developed. The nine
were faithful in allegiance to the testimony
given, or at least every one OF them recalled.
AS before stated by THE Bee the church,
or the prosecution. feels confident that case
has been made against the accused Thirty,
at least, of the witnessed on the stand for the
defense are equally confident that the charges
have fallen fiat. 1t is useless to say that
there has been no conflict IN the evidence ad-
and to-day would be but to rehash what has
already been written and read. Nothing SUBJ
stantally new has been elected. At the call
of the afternoon session of the investigation,
MIR. Minehart rose to his feet and after
few preparatory remarks humbly said he
was sorry for severe criticism he had made
| upon ruling of the chair during the morn
| ing's session. 1t certainly had the ring of
manliness. The confession prompted COM
mandatory remarks from Elder Britt and
others on the jury and Presiding Elder
| Miller, who frankly expressed willing for
giyeness. Mnehart again arose and said :
| "Feelings seem to be mutual, and the good
| old song, 'Blest be the tie that binds our
| hearts in christian love- might be in order"
LET it be sung" said the presiding elder, and
| the chorus of voices that sounded the notes
| of this familiar piece gave no evidence that
! a trial was in progress, that whichever way
! it ends, must lead to hopeless division of a
| church that now numbers over two hundred
and fifty. This fact is conceded by both
Sides 1t has two big ones. One represents
| sixty or seventy persons and quarter of a
million dollars and the other twice that num-
! ber, minus any considerable part of the
| wealth.
The testimony will make about eight hun
| dred pages of ordinary foolscap written out
| It was taken IN detail by stenographer.
| Fred and Herman Eichey, Mrs. c. e. Gould,
G. II. Vaughn, j. H. Steven, Mrs. Dora
Doyle, H. McCurdy, Rev. Matte Williams
w. ID. Smock and w. D. Howard were the
| last witnesses called for the defense in the
buttal, MIR. G. j. Culbertson, evidently lost
| his temper under the searching cross-exam-
| nation by the accused He spoke very much
as though his ''word'' was the matter in con-
troyersy. If the testimony of the thirty
witnesses for the accused can be re-