Decorah public opinion. (Decorah, Winneshiek County [Iowa]) 1895-1928, 1899-03-22
THE EAST0N CASE
Occupies the Attention of the
Court at West Union.
1T WILL BE CLOSELY CONTESTED.
A Large Number of Witnesses Have
Been SubpOened, and the State
is Making a Strong Case.
Account of the Progress
of the Trial.
THE EASTON CASE
1T WILL BE CLOSELY CONTESTED.

The much discussed case of the state
of Iowa VS.. James H. EastOn opened
at West Union last Tuesday afternoon
at ! 80 o'clock. When the case was
called, Co. Atty. H. p. Hancock asked
the Court to enter the appearance of E.
p. Johnson, of Decorah, James III.
Trewin, of Lansing, and G.. N. Houck,
of Decorah, as assistant attorneys on
behalf Of the state; John H. Powers, of
Dubuque, HI. T. Reed, of Cresco, Dan
Shea, of Decorah, and d. w. Glenn
ents, of West Union, appearing ON K
half of the defendant. The defendal
through his attorneys, asked leave to
withdraw his former plea of not guilty
and file motion to quash the indict-
ment, and it was granted by the Court.
The jury was dismissed from the room
for the discussion of the motion, which
consisted of two divisions; the first at
tacking the minutes taken before the
Grand Jury, and the second raising
questions of jurisdiction, etc. The
motion was argued by Reed and
Powers, for the defense, and respond
ed to by Trewin, for the state. The
state not having had notice of any
questions of the nature presented by
the motion beforehand, and con-
sequently no time to prepare to meet
the motion, Judge Hobson adjourned
court until nine o'clock "Wednesday
morning.
Upon the reassembling of court
Wednesday morning, the argument of
the motion was taken up, lasting un-
til eleven O'Clock. The motion was
overruled, defendants excepting. The
defendants attorneys filed demur to
the indictment, raising questions of
Jurisdiction and attacking the indict-
ment for duplicity and other questions.
After being argued by Reed and
Powers for the defense and Trewin for
the state, the Court overruled the de-
mprrer, defendant excepting.
The jury was then called and the
following agreed upon: G. 8. Gruver,
n. l.. Harvey, G. H. Kiple, F. R.
Chittenden, George Harrison, II. G..
! Smart, George Wander, Geo. Schriver,
G. II. Messer, c. q. Haug, Fred Nefz-
gar, aud otto Schmidt.
Attorney E. P. Johnson then began
the opening statement Of the case to
1.-THE jury, but court adjourned before he
had completed.
Thursday morning Mr.. Johnson
finished his statement to the jury on
behalf of the state, and was followed
by Dan Shea, for the defense. Both Of
these statements are lengthy, and give
an outline of each side of the case, a
will be brought out by evidence. W.
have a stenographic report of each, bu
owing to the length and Limitation o
space, are unable to publish them thi'
week. However we hope to prin
.hem in eur next issue, SO that Ou
readers may know what points will b.
taken up in the trial Of the case.
After the statements Of Messrs
johnson and Shea, at HOO a. m
Thursday, John French, the prosecut
ing witness, was called by the stat
and testified that on August 2l, lS9
he deposited 500 in paper money il
the First National Bank Of Decorah
That James H. Easton took the none.
: and gave him certificate of deposi
{ for 1t. w. H. Dent was called ant
identified certain records and docu
ments necessary to prove the inqoI
poration OF the bank; objected to b
lcause unable to identity certain siQ