The diamond drill. (Crystal Falls, Iron County, Mich.) 1887-1996, 1894-09-08

dyce," of America, and by comparison
with Il the Myra Clarke Gaines case
pales its Intellectual fires The heirs
of Anncke Jans would be happy could
they divide the mere court costs in the
Jones county calf case. The map of
Iowa has been devastated by this IN
sidious litigation, and boys have grown
TO be men and lawyers. too. since IL be-
gan its INTESTINE career. For score
OF years the readers of American news
papers have been In the habit OF sec
ing, here and there, at sporadic inter
walls and In unlooked-for connections,
mysterious illusions TO the great
zones county calf case" and arith-
metical geniuses have ever and anon
blanched before its involved accounts
and gone driveling 10 lunatic asylums
after vainly attempting 10 compute its
costs and ascertain its results.
Exaggeration? BY no means. have
taken pains 20 gather at first hand
from the plaintiff, who Is now the vic
,torious party, from Jones county Of
fcials and from other quarters, the
facts OF this singular story now set
forth 10 the public for the first time.
There is no stranger chapter in the an
mails OF American law The plaintiff
himself writes me- "Some of the best
farmers IN Jones county lost all their
property long ago In having this case.
Then their children and friends took
il up and fought IL as long as they
could. IL Is still pending" And IL has
long since passed from the condition
OF ncighborhood scandal TO the mag
niflcent proportions of "A national Curl
osity.
This is how IL came about-Robert
johnson, an Ohio boy, OF Virginia
stock, went 20 farming in | SOS in Jones
county, la. In 1874 Farmer Potter, OF
Greene county, an acquaintance Of
Johnson, camo 70 johnson and said he
wanted 20 buy some calves. man
named Smith, a stranger whereabouts,
who has since succeeded in concealing
himself from observation, must have
heard OF this; he went TO Johnson ana
sold him five small dark calves, which
on June 4, 1874, johnson delivered TO
Potter. Just then Farmer John Fore
man, OF Jones county, discovered that
five calves had disappeared from his
farm. He had seen Johnson drive five
calves away 10 deliver To Potter, but
made no inquiry about the matter un-
iii afterward. Farmer Peter Onstott
saw Farmer johnson deliver the five
small dark calves To Drover Potter
When Farmer Foreman missed his
calves he followed Drover Potter TO
Greene county, Ia, and found his miss
ing property in Potter's herd. Potter
said he had bought from johnson the
calves which Foreman now identified
ms his own. So Foreman went back 70
Jones county and demanded from John
son the value OF his missing calves,
which johnson, though an innocent
man, gave TO Foreman in the shape OF
n note for $40
johnson then tried To- find the mvs
FERROUS villain Smith, intending
no doubt. 20 make Smith give hin
(Johnson) a note for fortS-five dollars
but Smith had vanished. Determined
40 have satisfaction somehow, johnson
who was then only thirty odd years o
age, took jaunt out To Greene coun
w. and on being shown by Potter tn
calves which Farmer Foreman ha'
claimed as his missing property, swor'
that he (Johnson) had never sold thos'
calves 10 Potter and that he would no
nav the forty-fve dollar note he ha'
given Go Foreman.
Mr. Foreman then concluded that
was time for him TO take another ham
in the game. lie was fairly pining 10
The excitement OF lawsuit. lie sen
word To Potter that II he (Potter) On
not institute criminal proceeding
against johnson, we wiz. Foreman
,yould invoke the majesty OF the erin
inal court against him Potter. 30 10
ter went all the way To Jones count
again, Joined the Anti-llorse-l mel ~
sociation and succeeded in having Tn
unfortunate johnson indicted for tn
1arcenv OF forty-hve dollars worth 9
calves The mysterious villain name
Smith still remained in allegiance IN
was In December, 1874. Now comes iu'
The indictment was quashcd in Ma.
1873. In December, 1875, a new indic
ment was found and change Of vent
10 Cedar county was secured py JON
son. In 1870 there was n trial ana u
Jury stood eleven To one for acquittin
johnson. Then there was anoth'
trial and johnson was ncquitte
Farmer Peter Onstott testifying Tn
the calves Foreman claimed from 10
Ter were not the calves Johnson M
.old 10 Potter, and that Potter kne
a.. and had even admitted It, but nj
advised Farmer Onstott TO keep n
mouth shut. which Farmer onsto
xvould under no circumstances agr
20 do.
"Heighho," said Farmer johnson
himself after hearing Farmer onsto
testify; 'let us have more law 30
bcpan an action for ten thousand doila
damages In Anamosa, Linn couh'
against seven prominent members
the Anti-Horsc-Thief association.
verdict for three thousand dollars "
rendered in Johnson's favor Dut
indge. probably hating 10 see leadi,
calf case spoiled as IL were set =
-. astda The defendants we