Decorah public opinion. (Decorah, Winneshiek County [Iowa]) 1895-1928, 1899-04-12
THE EAST0N CASE.
FOUND GUILTY AS CHARGED.
A Brief Summary Of The Recent Trial
at West Union.

ton trial was published exclusively i'm
the PUBLIC OPINION from week to
week as the trial progressed, yet u
brief summary of the case taken from
the record will not be amiss at this
time.
The case was called for trial OH the
l4th day of March, 1899, at l:3O o'clock
p. m. On motion of County Attorney
II. p. Hancock, Attorney f. P. John
son and Jas. H. Trewin were entered
upon record as attorneys for the state.
The defendant was represented by At
torneys HI. Powers of the firm of Pow
ers, Lacy & Brown, of Dubuque, HI. It.
Reed of CrescO, David E. Clements of
West Union and Dan Shea of Decorah.
The defendant first requested, and
was granted leave to withdraw his
plea of not guilty, and to file motion
to quash the indictment. The motion
was argued by the attorneys on both
sides, and on the morning of the 18th
the motion was over-ruled. The de-
fendant then filed written demurrer
tc the Indictment, which was SUBJ
mitted to the Court after argument and
overruled. Thereupon the defendant
entered his plea Of not guilty of the
offense charged in the indictment.
The jury was then impanneled and
sworn. Attorney E. P. johnson oc-
cupied from o'clock on the afternoon
of the 18th until 10 o'clock on the fol-
lowing day in making the opening
statements to the jury. Attorney Dan
Shea followed for the defense AT Il
o'clock on March 10th, the first wit
ness in the case was sworn, and the
taking of testimony continued from
day to day until April 3rd, when both
sides rested.
After completing the testimony the
defendant moved the Court to direct a
verdict for the defendant, which
motion was overruled. The Court then
directed that the arguments of counsel
commence in the afternoon of the same
day. Attorney E. p. Johnson opened
the argument on the part of the state,
occupying the afternoon on Monday,
April 3rd, and the forenoon on Tues
day, closing in the afternoon. The de-
fense created sensation at this stage
of the proceedings by declining to ar
que the case, to the disappointment of
many who desired to hear Senator
Trewin and the attorneys for the de-
fense.
The Court thereupon read his in
structions to the jury, and about 4:S0 p.
m. on April 4th, the jury retired to
consider their verdict. AT about 500
o'clock the following morning the jury
returned the verdict ofguilty as charged
in the indictment. After reading the
verdict the Court thanked the jury for
their promptness, and for being so
patient during the long siege of the
trial and then discharged them, an
nouncing at the same tune that the
Court would pronounce sentence upon
the defendant the last day of the term.
On April eth, Judgment was rendered
upon the verdict as follows: ut is
ordered, considered and adjudged by
the Court that the defendant James II
Easton be imprisoned in the peniten-
tiary of Iowa, at Anamosa, Iowa, at
hard labor for the term or period of 8
years, and that he pay the costs of
prosecution" The attorneys for the
defense filed notice of an appeal to the
Surpeme Court, and bail in the sum Of
$1,000 was furnished by Easton.
The speedy trial, promptness of wit
nesses, and the dispatch of business
was largely due to Judge Hobson, who
had familiarized himself with the law
applicable to the case; there was no un-
necessary delay made in discussing
questions of law as to the admission or
rejection Of evidence, as the Court was
fully advised by former experience and
knowledge Of the law applicable to the
case.