The Iola register. [volume] (Iola, Allen County, Kansas) 1875-1902, 1900-06-22
EVERYBODY FOUND GUILTY
First Two Juries Find Four People
Guilty of Assault and Two Will
Go to the Penitentiary

Len Martin and one into Len, came in
Tuesday evening with the verdict
that Mason was guilty of assault with
intent to kill, The court has reserved
sentence.
The jury in the case of T. j. Wooli-
ford, Ben Smith and Mrs. Ben Smith
were out all night and this morning
brought in verdict charging old man
Wooliford with plain assault: Mrs.
Smith with assault and battery and
Ben Smith with assault with intend to
kill.
Mike LATHE, the Hungarian peddler
whose bullet head stood all these as
saults, is an interesting parsonage.
Recently he held forth for some
time to an attentive audience and
many of his statements are borne out
by men in town who knew him at
Pittsburg. Mike is from Damascus
and his tribe or family number 800
Latiiles. For five years he was city
marshal of Damascus and took part
with the English during one of their
campaigns in Egypt some fifteen years
ago. He says all his family are
Christians and have fought innumer-
able battles with the Mohammedans.
Seven years ago he came to America
and drifted to Pittsburg where five
years ago he met the Woolifords. He
had considerable money and made a
good living by peddling. At that
time he says Mrs. Ben Smith was the
wife of her first husband, an Ottawa,
; Kansas, man whose name he forgets.
Later she married an Arabian who
was chum of Mikes. And still later
: Ben Smith. All the time Mike was a
good friend of the family and his
: open purse practically held up the
Smiths for over a year. When his
e. money was gone an attempt was made
} to shake him but he clung to the few
friends he knew and when he drifted
] into Gas City he was assaulted 10y the
5 family and his head knocked in in six
l different places.
e Mike gets so excited when ne tries
to explain his troubles and that he
t sought no trouble but it sought him
+ that he is hard to understand. 1t
. looks very much, however, as if the
t native of the oldest city in the world
= had experienced what in this new land
1 is known as having his leg pulled. -
70 WIN soRDEN CONVICTED
Wednesday the time of the dis
trict court was taken up in the trial
y of William Sorden charged with Sc
ducing lS-year-old Nettie Bennett from
" her home in Breakdown. The attain
v happened last summer. Sorden was
y a married man who worked at the
" Nicholson smelter and he became ac
quainted with the Bennett family anC
y went repeatedly to their home. Mrs
. Sorden sued for and secured di
vorce. Along in the latter part o
~ August Sorden and the Bennett Cir
II disappeared and later were arrested
at Yates Center by Sheriff Hunt. Wn
Conley went to get him and Sordel
escaped by jumping from the caboos
of the train. He disappeared com
u pletely until few weeks ago whel
d" Sheriff Hobart sent to Council Grow
and had him arrested sand brough
'e here. Sorden was put on the stanC
= in his own defense and of all the lam
talks in so grave case his was tn
~ record. 1t seems he is trying to es
cape the penalty under the dodge tina
= the girl led him astray, but ever
;" word he said and every denial was 81
" improbable and so shamefacedl
~ given that everybody in the com
80 room was convinced.
&c The jury was sent out about tw
. O'Clock and returned in two minute
40 with verdict of guilty as charged
- Which means guilty ofenticing gin
N away from home for purposes of cor
:, cubinage" forwhich the law prescribe
= a penitentiary sentence not to excee
"a five years.
- Florence Dutfner, daughter of MI
=. and Mrs. Yeagear, was given divorc
10 from Chas. Duffner and the custody {
- her two children. DufIner deserte
w. his wife at Fort Scott last year.
- In the suit for damages for Dusti
as Adams VS. T. M. Anderson, jr., judg
- ment was rendered for $3Sl.20 an
80 costs in favor of plaintiff.
en- THURSDAYS PROCEEDINGS
he In the suit of w. d. Freeman VS. I
B. O'Neal, judgment was rendered
ke favor of plaintiff for 1854 and costs.