Ottumwa semi-weekly courier. [volume] (Ottumwa, Iowa) 1899-1903, 1900-04-10
Con Stafford Says He Cannot Get
a Fair Trial.
ALLEGES. PEOPLE ARE PREJUDlCED
Says Morning Newspaper Exaggerat-
ed the Manner OF llis Arrest
Man in Police Court Want.
ed In Creston.
From Mondays daily.

Scott & Ayres, attorneys for Con
Stafford, have filed motion in district
court asking that the case be contin-
ued, and in support thereof copies ar
tlcles from morning paper, which the
motlon characterizes as sensational,
and says that the publication thereof
has prejudiced the minds of the people
against this defendant to the extent
that jury could not be found THAI
would give him a fair and impartial
trial. The motion recites: That the
defendant, Con Stafford, was arrested
on the charge for which he was indict-
ed on or about March IS, 1900, and has
ever since been confined in the Wapello
county Jail. That he has employed
Scott d Ayres to defend him, but mas
not paid them any money; neither
has he any money to employ persons
to look up evidence in his behalf He
says that his home is in ST. Louis, Mo
| with his parents, and that until very
recently he was unaware that his faith
| er knew of the trouble into which he
had gotten. That his father arrived in
Ottumwa April 4, and since that time
has been making an effort to prepare
for the defense. He says that he does
not believe that he can have fair and
| impartial trial because morning pa
per printed sensational articles regard
ing his arrest with flaming headlines,
and sets out a copy of the article re-
ferred to. He says that the article is
greatly exaggerated and that the de-
PENDANT is personally held up as des-
perado and an all around bad man and
that the people OF Ottumwa and i'm
mediate neighborhood have been great
ly prejus;ced against him on that ac-
count. He further says that Roy mas
been tried to jury and found guilty
and that Grub Sherrod is now on trial
to a jury selected from the citizens of
Ottumwa and vicinity as talismen;
that il he should be tried at the pres
dents of Ottumwa, and that while
jurors might be found that would be
wiling.to say on their oaths that they
had not formed an opinion as to his
|guilt or innocence, yet there is such u
feeling against him in this community
that he does not feel that a jury could
4 pc, found who would give him fair
and impartial trial. He further says
that he thinks the ends of justice
would be more fully met, We're the case
continued until the next term of court.
Clara Nosler was granted a divorce
last week from her husband, Henry C..
Nosler.
James Scott, the man captured by
the police Friday evening, charged
with breaking and entering Burling-
ton freight ear, was held TO await the
faction of the next grand jury and was
remanded to Jail in default of bonds
in the sum of $500. Creston officers
lwere in town yesterday with warrant
for Scott on the charge Of breaking
and entering a saloon in that place
last week. The Ottumwa police found
lsonle of the plumber in certain house
in the East End, which was identified
as having come from the Creston sa-
loon. The Ottumwa officers would not
give Scott up because the Burlington
officials desire that he be tried on
the breaking and entering charge first.
4 Catherine Mitchell, white woman
about 60 years of age, and Bert
lCrutchfield,7 young colored man,
] were arrested Saturday on the charge
lof lewdness. Both entered pleas of not
guilty to the charge and are being
4 tried this afternoon.
From Saturdays Daily.
I After celebrating for about twenty
minutes the jury in the case of the
State of Iowa VS.. William Roy. came
Unto court with a verdict of guilty yes
i terday evening. The court has set next
4 Thursday for Judgment. The crime
for which Roy has been convicted is
Il that of robbery. The Indictment re
i cites that he Gl.u1) Sherrod and C1ln-
ningham Stafford held up a Mr.. Abott,
a resident OF Hillsboro, last month and
relieved him of watch, Is cents in
change and a draft for $500. For this
crime he may be imprisoned in the