The Mitchell capital. (Mitchell, Dakota [S.D.]) 1879-1918, 1900-12-21
THEY WERE INNOCENT
University Students Wanted to Create
Some Excitement at College and
Break the MOnotony.
Carried Away % Of President Graham'S
Blooded Chickens and We're
Then Arrested.
A Mock Trial Saturday Night Found
Them GuiltleSS Of the Charge Of
Larceny.
DIDN'T STEAL CHICKENS.
DIDN'T STEAL CHICKENS

Three University Students We're Ex-
onerated From Trying to
Feather Their Nests
Along late in November some Uni
versity students we're not satisfied with
the quistude which prevailed around
the halls of Dakota University and sew
eral of them conspired to do something
that would bring out q talk from the
faculty on the morning following. One
night as chickens we're taken from the
henhouse of President Graham and put
to rest in the hen domicile of Professor
Stout. While the chickens were rs-
stored to tneir rightful owner the Incl
dent lead TO the arrest OF three of the
students who we're suspicioned of tax
ing part in the transferral of the pro-
fessor's blooded chickens. 1t was ar
ranged to have q mock trial and the
robbery" was ventilated At the court
house Saturday evening before large
audience OF students and city people.
! O. z. Thompson acted as the presid-
ing judge, Miss Han.y, Of the Uuiver-
sity, was appointed as court stenogrAph-
or, A. G. Kingsbury was the sheriff
aud E. w. Noyes was the clerk Of
court. In this instance the ladies we're
given the privilege of sitting on the
|jury and six were selected as follows:
Misses Hall, Kuhler, Youngman,
Douthit, Harrison and Kennis0n, and
the following gentlemen were called:
Messrs. Shepherd, Rnthenberger, Peck
Kratz, Ireweeks and Harrison. The
three young culprits we're brought into
court and their fair open countenanees
did not betoken any thing of q criminal
nature. They were Arthur Sylvanus
Cory, the dutiful son of Methodist
preacher, WI. Austin, who admitted
on the stand that he was studying Cor
the ministry, and John Kingdom, whose
pure life resented tho unfortunate situ-
alton in which he had been placed.
Lsuritz Miller and J. M. Deyers were
the attorneys for the state and Gus
Loevinger and w. B. Mallory represent
ed the three defendants.
The curt road the charge to the de.
fendanss of their having purloined 45
chickens to the value OF $50 from the
residence of President Graham, and
they each responded they were no,
guilty.
The opening testimony by Harris
was to show that Cory undressed in 9
very peculiar manner on the night oi
the robbery, that he appeared nervou.
as il shout to commit crime. Devers
who had worked up the case, was called
80 winners but the defense objected tc
his testimony on the ground that he
had delusional insanity, and severa
Witnesses stated that Devers WIS insane
ly jealous when he had 40 cause to be
DR.. Bobb was called in for expert tasti
mony and all kinds OF questions were
fred 3. him. Miss Noble was called on
tie jealously matter and agreed thai
Devsrs was intensely Jealous and wher
he asked if he was at ali Jealous OF hel
the young lady blushed and answered
promptly and in stentorious manner
'No." Several other witnessel
were examined on this point but tht
court ruled that Devers was competen
to talk straight. His testimony looked
black for Cory and Austin whose track
he followed from the henhouse to theil
rooms, for he measured the feet of botf
men with the tracks aud they cores
ponded exactly. A letter OF Cory's
found by Ray Graham on the floor o
tho henhouse, was shown to the jury
and another letter written to his girl in
endearing terms was read to the jury
in which he referred to the anticipated
raid on the henhouse. Austin wal
clinched by having blood stains on hi
coat, and DR.. Bower was brought forth
to testify that it was chicken blood
Devers cinched Kingdom by telling hov
he criminated himself by showing hov
to steal chicken without raising an,
racket. Ray Graham testified that tb,
chicken, which was brought into ou 4
was one of the stolen property "A
this point the state rested.
When the attorneys commenced
their defense it was evident that the,
were going to prove an alibi for thei
clients, and that there were two othe
students who robbed the chicken roos,