Iowa County democrat. [volume] (Mineral Point, Wis.) 1877-1938, 1891-11-20
Baker Given IL New Trial on the
GrOul d Of Error During
the Trial.
Ford Will Case-Lumber Litigation
and Other Legal Matters OF
Importance.
Madison, Wis. Nov. IS.

ago the state was startled by the AN
nouncement that the Iron Exchange bank
Of Hurley had been 70 obed OF s39, 500.
For long time the county OF Ashland
tried in vain TO solve the problem Who
stole the money! and during the proceed
ing incidentally proved that Hurley Is Il
very remarkable town, IN which leading
bankers spend occasional evenings in pri
vate boxes at variety theatre and dance
house cracking wine with the decolette
Terpsichoreans between acts; that's just
what both the accused men proved that
they were doing at the very hour the bank
was las is supposedly robbed. p"
The two men were Cashier Reynolds and
Phelps Perrin who was the young teller.
Hurley was already somewhat notorious
for the "s.ockades" which virtuous fe-
male reformer told about Il few years since
and thus made the Wisconsin lumber re.
gions famous. Charlie lie Claire and the
bIoodhounds figured there.
And this il the way the money WAS
handled, according to the testimony OF
those who handled it and their friends;
First, the 800 600 was shipped to a min
ing AMI iron company by the bank at
Ashland, due warning having preceded
it, and it consisted of 10000 in gold,
tl5, 900 in new currency ri ,O20 in silver
change and the remainder in old currency.
Some other money was received at the
same time, 40 the total weight of the gold
alone was sixty.two pounds.
There men and u small boy were all
who saw or handled the bags after they
were delivered from the train. Mr. Alex
ander, the express agent, wheeled the
whole amount uptown in his wheelbmrow,
stopping awhile ut the Alcazar Variety The
ater-and. Saloon to chat with his friends,
resting meanwhile by sitting on his wheel
barrow Cashier Reynolds met him at
the bank, and aided by Mr.. Davis, they
carried in the money. Both the other gen
tlomen swear they saw Reynolds lock the
vault after the money was in it, He then
went TO his room, and thence TO the thea.
ter. About midnight he returned and
found the doors of the vault wide open,
without sign of violence, and the l,oney
gone He hurried to the theator and
found Perrin, who promptly produced his
key and declared it had not been out of
his possession. Mr.. Reynolds swore the
some Ms to his
Investigation was in order 1t soon
trnnspirod that young Perrin was alto
gother too intimate with II Hurley "tough'
named u. W Baker, and had loaned him
u 800; so Perrin was arrested, This clcw
was furnished by Lou" Thaycr, the pref
ty mistress of Baker, who gave informa.
ton that he had much more money than
usual. But it was also proved that Mr.,
Reynolds had some queer acquaintmces,
and Perrin proved his honest possession
of considerable sums of money, Many
other strange things were also proved but
at last both Baker and Perrin were con
yicted and sent to Waupun to serve long
terms
Yesterday the supreme court rendered
decision which gives Baker, who was con
victed only of completely with Perrin, the
principal, another chance to obtain his
liberty. On the trial the state claimed
that there was II conspiracy between Baker
and Perrin, and the state offered oonsd.
erat le testimony rs to the declaration and
act of Perrin that took place in November
1888, and the winter of SO. 80 in the alb,
sence of Baker. "But," the court says,
per Justice Winslow, at is indispensable
that there he proof sufficient to establish
prima iacie the fact that II conspiracy eX'
listed ut the time of the acts or declarations
sought to be- introduced, In the present
case we are satisfied that the
evidence is entirely insufficient to show
even u prima facie case OF conspiracy
between Perrin and Baker prior to An.
gust, 1889 when Baker came to Hurley to
live" The admission of the evidence re.
ferred 60 above is decided to be nm error
for which Judgment must be reversed, ms
it was "manifestly likely to be very preju-
dicial' to Baker There were also some
other errors on the trial. The cause is re-
manded for a new trial, and The warden of
he state prison is ordered to surrender
the plaintiff in error to the sheriff of Ash
land county, who will hold him until he
shall be discharged by due course of law. "
In the case of Perrin, the judgment is
confirmed 10y the supreme court
The Ford WIN Case
Francis +. Ford died January %, 1856,
leaving considerable property The
courts in several states were called upon
to construe his will, Mrs Ford duly re-,
nounced the provision made for her un-
der the will and elected to take under
the statute. June |, 1886, the county