The pioneer press. (Miller, Hand County, S.D.) 1893-190?, 1895-04-25
Circuit Court.

SouIts
Court adjourned last Thursday I'M
I'll Tuesday, awaiting report of grand
Jury. The session opened again
tuesday afternoon, and the grand
Jury reported two indictments, one
against Mrs. 0. $. Fulton, in regard
to obtaining and disposing of goods.
and against A. d. Hill charging the
receiving of deposits in Hand county
bank after said bank was insolvent.
Court adjourned Immediately after
the Hill Indictment was handed in.
Nh. Hill was here and Immediately
gave bond for his appearance at the
September term.
Squire Ober won his case against
the county for fees.
There was very general surprise
when the above indictments were
made public, but itsoongave way to
expressions Of disgust when the ami
mus OF the affair became known,
which the PRESS can only treat brief
ly in this issue.
The civil calendar contained suits
to set aside the sale OF the Fulton
stock of goods to A. D.. Hill. These
suits were instituted by wholesale
houses of st. Paul and Minneapolis.
These wholesale houses were repre-
sented here by their attorneys, Nc
Laughlin Of st. Paul, and Baldwin
x Frederick, OF st. Lawrence. Mr..
Hill was ready and anxious for trial
but the other fellows were not, so
these cases went over till next tenn.
Mrs. O. $. Fulton, OF course, was an
important witness in these cases.
In the meantime states attorney
Frederick was getting in his draft
through the grand Jury, by summon
ING and questioning a large number
of witnesses, all of which resulted in
indictments against A. d. Hill, the
principal, and Mrs. Fulton, an i'm
portant witness, in the civil suits.
The very general opinion obtains
that it is simply "a piece OF work to
reflect against Mr.. Hill in his civil
suits. 1t is reported the Indictment
against him was obtained upon the
bank book record that three deposits
had been made after the date of an
assignment, which would show
knowledge of insolvency. Neither
of these depOsitors themselves eyer
made any charge, because their mon
ev was returned to them by Mr.. Hill,
absolutely proving that he had no
intention of defrauding them. These
three deposits, all less than 500,
were made to Assistant Cashier Pres"
ton, while Mr.. Hill was i'll Iowa,
where his partner lived, and where
the assignment was made. AS we
understand it, as soon as Mr.. Pres
ton received knowledge OF the as
signment he closed the bank, but be-
fore he had received such knowledge
he accepted the above three deposits.
Is it not a little singular that this
thing should be worked up without
knowledge or consent of the parties
really at interest, and after two or
three grand juries had come and
gone? Why wait this long to Jump
onto Hill? And why not give him an
immediate trial as he demanded?
Every man has q few enemies, and
to CRAFTY personal spites some few
will drag their own manhood to an
exceedingly low level, but the PRESS
believes that A. d. Hill today has the
warm friendship and sympathy of
the great majority of Hand county
people. The fact that persons in a
position to do it have plugged an in
dictment against him for something
he did not do, and even if he did, he
repaired it as oOn as possible, is no
indication of either public sentiment
or Justice, becausea grandjury is on
ly one side of a case. When the trial
comes, if it ever does, the whole mat
ter will be exploded andfall to pieces.
Ii it is q crime for a man to fail in
business, or to be unable to pay his
debts, the majority of mankind may
as well give up the ghost"
Judge Gaffy receives many compIi-
ments from the bar and public gener-
ally for promptness in handling all
matters pertaining to his court.