The Somerset herald. [volume] (Somerset, Pa.) 1870-1936, 1890-12-17
+RiFLiNo CASES
Consume The Time of the Court CT
Quarter Sessions-Rsport OF the
Grand Jury,

TRiFLiNo CASES
Consume The Time Of the Court OF
Quarter Sessions-Report OF the
Grand Jury.
Last weeks term OF court was consumed
in the trial Of cases Of a tEiiling character,
most of which should never have
been brought before that tribunal There
must t.e very little satisfaction 70 either side
to secure $ division Of costs, or even 70 nnlct
.he Other side with all the costs; but scne-
how people are fond of lawing. and yerdiets
are very uncertain. and since human nature
has always been fond Of game Of chance
We suppose the time of courts and the
shekeIs Of tax payers viii be devoted TO tins
profilIess labor until the millennium shall
have come.
The frst case called for trial was the CON-
monwealth vs. Abraham Howard and wife,
charged with libel on information of John
II. Friedline. The costs were divided be-
tween Mrs. Howard and the prosecutor.
Jerry McCariy was called to answer a
charge of embezzlement Jerry was secre-
tary Of Knights Of Labor organization N
Elklick township, and it appeared from the
testimony submitted that be bad appropri-
ated 500 to his own use, which sum had
been given him to transmit to the treasurer
Of the National Assembly, a, Dayton, Ohio.
Jerry was convic.ed. and is in jail awaiting
sentence.
Three days of last weeks court we're taken
up with an assault and battery case. or,
more properly, with a double case for assault
and battery, since both sides brought the
same charge and the cases were tried as one,
between the employees of A. F. Johns,
wealthy Meyersdale lumberman, and John
II. Ravcnscraff. lumberman Of Sand Patch
The quarrel which instigated the suit was
brought about over dispute Of ownership
of a piece of land at Sand Patch. on which
Johns had constructed tram road. Ravens
craft claims ownership OF the land, and one
afternoon in November last tore up some of
! the rails on the tsam-road, rendering il use
/ less 10 Johns Early the following morning
gang Of men working under Johns in
structions vent to work to replace the rails,
and while engaged in this work were order
ed of the premises by Ravenscraft. A free
| fight followed between the Johns and Raw
enseraft employees. and a number of cuts
and bruises were sustained on both sides.
The jury retired at five o'clock Saturday
evening and handed 10 their verdict Sunday
morning. The costs Of both cases were put
on Rsvenscraft.
s@s
A csse that provoked considerable mirth
among the spectators was tried before the
court Thursday evening. Jacob and Jesse
Wit, two depraved looking specimens of
humanity, who live all alone in little log
hat in the mountains above Jennenown.
and who are said to be too lazy to do days
work, were called upon to answer the charge
Of stealing a number of hogs from one
Charles Vaneer, whose farm sdjoins the
Witt habitation. Naneer testified that he
had drove Of hogs feeding in his woods
the past summer and that when he went to
remove them he found a number of them
had disappeared. The next witness was the
constable of Jenner township, who testified
that he aad searched the Witt cabin and bad
found a lot of hogs feet and heads under
the cabin floor. The constable was followed
by son Of Jacob Witt, one Of the defend
ants. who was brought into court by dep
uty sheriff he is great big lout OF boy,
% years old, and gave in his evidence in
very loud voice. He said Jacob aud Jesse
killed the hogs Jesse shot them, and after
they had skinned them they would carry
them to the cabin. They killed three hogs
weighing about 80 pounds each, in one
week, and ate every one of them. They
we're big meat eaters. Jesse said unless
went with them to steal the hogs he would
whip me severely" Young Witt said that
he could neither read nor write, but he rat
tied Of the months Of the year in short order.
Ia reply to the question, "Do you know
what bell means" yes, it's a fiery pit to
burn ornery people in, was the prompt
3 reply.
Toe father swore that his son was cross
with him and had born false witness
against him that he had never stolen any
, his son aud young Keiser stole the hogs and
/ brought them to the cabin. and that as the
meat was there he helped eat It, They we're
found guilty and are still in Jail.
Saturday evening young Noah Keiser,
/ who successfully scaled the wall of the jail
, the night the Nicely boys made their break
. for liberty, and was afterwards found by the
q Sheriff concealed at his home in Jenner
township, was tried for the larceny OF 8
turkey valued at 70 cts. Keiser admitted
that he bad helped to steal a turkey from
the prosecutor, and a number Of witnesses
testified to his bad character but his counsel
claimed that the turkey stolen on the day
alleged in the bill of indictment was not the
turkey stolen by his client, since there was
no evidence Offered 10 show that he bad Vis-
tied the prosecutors chicken house on that
day. The jury thought differently, howev-
err aud returned a verdict Of guilty. kei
ser's attorney insists that the court must set
the verdict aside since the finding is unwar-
ranied by the bill Of indictment and the eyi-
Qeiloe, ~ the GODc.u>lOn Ol Auts tTldi hei-
ser was tried and acquitted of the charge of
having stolen gun from resident of Ien-
ner township charge for breaking Jail is
still hanging over him.
James Haskins, colored, was found guilty
of carrying concealed weapons, at Tuesdays
session, and was renanded to Jail pending
sentence.
The Commonwealth vs.. John Ravenscraft,
charged with malicious mischief, on infor
nation Of 4. r. John, vas next called for
trial and consumed day and half From
the testimony addnced it seems that John
owned a tram road on property at Sand
Patch, claimed by Ravenscraft and disputed
by John. One day last fall Ravenscraft tore
up the track OF the tram-rosd. which brought
about the suit for malicious mischief. Yer
dict, not guilty and costs divided.
REpoRF OF GRAND JURY.
We, The members Of the Grand Jury, in
quiring in and for the body OF Somerset
county, through our Foreman, respectfully
present that we have made an examina-
} tion Of the breach OF prison made on the