Dodge City times., 1890-11-21
A SALUTARY LESSON.

last tuesday, before Judge Berry, a cas-
that ought and probably will stand be
fore a certain class of people in For
county. as warning TO not seek recours
IN the law for every fancied crievanc
that may come to them
Inc case was the state VS.. Robert ri
denonr. Miss Raines and the Missc
Wray, all of Royal township, the prose
cutting witness being A. Griffith. The
charge preferred was creating a disturb.
ance at religious service.
The ,acts in the matter were that two
inlerlopers, named Cook, man and wife
respectively, have been holding a reviva
meeting at the Ridenour school b ouse in
Royal township, for the past ms NTH OF
more. Cook and his wife both preach,
claiming to belong to the Free NJ ethodist
denomination, though their methods OF
stirring the moral side of the depraved
smacks much of Salvation Army tactics.
Indeed Brother Cooks cosmopolitan
character does not allow him to scruple
at the manner so the end is attained. No
later than year ago, this exponent of
the old orthodox belief in an old fashion,
ioned devil. with horns and TAIL pressd-
ing over lake of burning birthstone,
exhorted the pedestrians of Dodge City
to once more get their souls out of his
Satanic Majesty's grasp. from dry
goods box on the postofDce corner. Re-
cruits did not flock to his standard in
proportion to tho wind expended, and he
silently folded his tent and stole away to
greener fields and pastures new.
Many of the good people of Ridenour
honored Cook and ais consort with their
presence until his language became so
personal and abusive that all but very
few refrained from attending. Then
some of Cook followers went forth and
invited them to come again, giving them
to understand that another man would
preach. The defendants named above,
together with Amos Raines went there
on the evening of November 5th. Cook
had on previous occasions, made a point
of hurting his most terrorizing '.hell-fir
and birthstone" in the words of one of
the witnesses, at these young people and
had been personal in his remarks to the
last degree. On this occasion Mrs. Cook
was depicting the agony of the souls
that were sizzling in the eternal fires of
perdition. while Cook laying aside his
Christian forbearance, proceeded to keep
his eye on the audience, and stcrnly re-
bukcd even the winkIng of an eyelid.
Cook began praying after the sermon,
and in his supplication called forth the
names of the defendants. making a per-
sonal reference to each. They arose and
left the building, and Cook promptly
followed them, and continued his extra
ordinary exhortations, laying his hands
on Amos Raines, who then slapped him
in the face This was the extent of the
beating that Ford county exchange
referred to.
The prosecution made a motion to dis
miss the case, but the defendants refused
and the court ordered the trial to pro-
ceed,
From the evidence of the prosecution,
any jury in the land would have acquitt-
ed the defendants, as it was clearly
shown that there was not what could be
called disturbance at any time, even by
the widest stretch of the imagination.
While all the witnesses for the state
testified that they heard whispering,
none could distinguish what was said,
though two or three sat in the seat i'm
mediately in front of them. Another
testified that he saw notes passed, but
the cross examination developed the fact
that the witness had himself written the
first one. Others testified that they
saw the defendants laugh, but no one
swore they heard with one exception.
Rev. Cook swore that he saw them wink
but reluctantly admitted that he could
not hear the noise made by the meeting
of the eyelies. Mrs. Cook swore that
her spouse did not use the defendants
name in his prayer, while Cook swore
that he had and so on ad naseum.
Counsel for the defense, Messrs. Hen
bricks and Whitelaw. might have given
the case to the jury at this point, but as
Judge Whitelaw told the jury, the
young ladies would never have as good
an opportunity again to talk to the peo-
pie of Ford county, and add to the gen.
eral rout, so the defendants each testi-
fed, telling substantially the same story
they went there in the same spirit
that they would attend any religious se--
vices, and not for the purpose of crea-
ting disturbance. They passed COM
ments regarding election returns, smiled
at the result, and that was ALL Their
evidence showed that Rev. Cook tramp
led under, if he ever possessed every feel
ing that should animate a man profess
ing his high calling. that he had been
Extensively personal, and had taken ad-
vantage of his position to put them in a
false light. The case was given to the
jury at $50 but one juryman, hungry
editor like ourselves, held the jury until
supper time, but after they had dined
promptly returned verdict of mot gull
ty" and threw the costs of the case on to
the prosecuting witness. They will foot
up some s135. Applause greeted the
verdict.
A charge of assault had been preferred
against Amos Raines but it never came to
trial being dismissed.
The defendants in the case arc among
the best people in the county, being
highly esteemed and respected wherever