The Mankato free press. [volume] (Mankato, Blue Earth County, Minn.) 1879-1924, 1891-05-29
From Tuesdays Daily.


The main interest in the District
court to-day centered in the appear
ance of Geo. S. Powlison at 9 o'clock
this morning to plead upon the charg-
es contained in the indictments
against him. The second Indictment,
charging him with stealing 800 in
money on Dec 9th, was the only one
pressed. and to the question of the
Judge as to whether or not he was
guilty, he replied in a firm, distinct
voice, II am guilty, sir"
Judge Severance stated that he
wished to look into some features of
the case before pronouncing SEN
tence, and said that he would SEN
tence PowlisOn sometime on Friday,
probably at two o'clock. In the
meantime he is liberated upon his
bond. County Attorney Hughes
states that he will not make any
statement to Judge Severance con-
corning the case, or seek TO influence
him to inflict a heavy sentence. He
says that while no promises will be
made or any understanding had, he
does not think that any of the other in
dictments will be pressed. Lorin Cray,
who is assisting in the prosecution,
says that in case punishment in
some Just proportion with the crime
is given, the other indictments will
not be brought up, but that in case a
very light sentence is given, the
prosecution will be pressed until the
demands of justice shall have been
satisfied.
The penalty for grand larceny in
the second degree is from two to five
years in the penetentiary, not to eX-
coed year in the county Jail, or a
fine of not to exceed $1,000.
Powlisons manly, yet modest, ap-
pearance in the court room has made
him many friends.
The first Of the criminal cases to be
tried was commenced yesterday after
noon, and was that Of the State Of
Minnesota VS.. Mordon 0. Whitney,
who is charged with grand larceny in
the first degree. The trial lasted
throughout good part of to-day. 1t
is claimed that Whitney, who is a
wealthy farmer residing ten miles
from Albert Lea, stole team of
horses worth $500 and pair of mules
worth $3.50, with their halters, from
the barn of Nicholas Frederick, in
Jamestown, this county, June 18th,
1890. Don D. Harding claims to own
the mules, having purchased them of
Whitney, and gave chattel mort
gage for about $3.50 on them and also
on the horses, to Whitney, agreeing to
pay for them in lumber. Whitney
claims. that the note ran for one year
and That when it was not paid the
foreclosure of the mortgage was twice
advertised, and that Harding each
time spirited away the property, SO
that no sale could take place. The
plaintiff claims that the lumber was
ready for delivery, and that no notice
of seizure was given him. He claims
that Whitney secretly slipped into
the barn at night and took the horses
and mules away without authority.
1t was reported that Whitney was
prepared to take the animals to Da-
kota to dispose of them, when Hard
ing had him arrested. Whitney claims
that he took them from the barn in
public manner, in daylight. about
! a. N. The state is represented by
County Attorney Byron Hughes and
B. D. Smith, while the defendant has
W. e. Todd of Albert Lea, and Pau
& Young, of this city, for his attor-
neys. The case is a very mixed up
one, and civil action is also on the
calendar, growing out of it.
The suit of Fred Mclean VS.. the
Omaha road was completed yesterday,