Evening times-Republican. [volume] (Marshalltown, Iowa) 1890-1923, 1902-11-20
Enrniu 3arsauu 9hurad Nurer 70 1902

around Newburg, doing nothing
much" then testified for plaintiif that
he was present when the false weights
were broken by Mr.. Cox, that Crawford
was not present at that time, and ad-
mitted, on cross eXamination, that ne
had heard of Crawford being caught at
| the scales the night before, by the
| Clays.
Squire Palmer, justice of the peace
of Newburg, then testified for the
! plaintiff as to Crawford's character ana
| whereabouts at the time of his disap-
pearance, but he did not know very
much about either. His court docket
was introduced and identified, contain
| ing the information that caused the ar
rest of Crawford for stealing four hogs
and also a transcript of the evidence
that was presented to the grand jury
| Crawford, the plaintiff took the stand
| in his own behalf at 2:20 on the after
noon of the second day, but by agree
| ment between attorneys and to accom-
modate some witnesses who could not
return the next day, his testimony was
| interrupted while the defendant intro
duced several witnesses.
c. L. Roberts, postmaster at Grin
nell and grain dealer at Newburg, testi-
| fed that he had been asked by the
| Clays and Cox to test the weights in
| dispute, that he did so and found them
| forty-seven pounds to every 1000 off,
and that he advised Mr.. Cox to break
| them UP in the presence of witnesses,
which was done. On cross examination
/ he told how the tests were made, that
| first he weighed the weights themselves
| and then went to the scales and drove
on some hogs and a COW, which they
weighed first with the true weights and
| then with the false ones. Mr.. Roberts
| testified that this was on the next day
following the night Crawford was
/ caught by II. w. Clay, that the scales
| had not been cleaned off, and that he
! balanced the scales in the regular way
| by the use of the slide on the lower bar,
without the use of any extra weights at
all. Counsel for plaintiff tried to get
/ the witness to admit that it took more
weights TO balance the scales when a
heavy draught was to be weighed than
when light one was to be weighed.
/ The court, with some indication of inn
patience, interfered with the observa-
ton that like bodies weigh alike, no
matter whether one intends the next
| moment to pile 1000 or 10000 pounds
on top of them.
Mr.. E. B. Bonsall, a farmer living
near Newburg and brother law of
Crawford, both having married sisters,
testified that he had signed a note with
| Crawford for some corn; that on March
u he stopped at the home of his wife's
| onf1 M,.c ~
wife and child were then staying dur
ing Crawford's absence, and found Mrs.
Crawford in tears; that Mrs. Cox, the
mother, told him Crawford had gone
away owing at the Grinnell bank and
other parties, and would not return, and
she advised him (BonsalD to secure
himself for that note in some way. He
said that Mrs. Crawford then told him
that she had letter from Crawford
| telling her to sell the home and team
and apply it on the debts. He said that
he then consulted an attorney, secured
bill of sale for the corn from the
former owner to prevent creditors at
taching, and also bill of sale for
| Crawford's interest from Mrs. Craw-
ford. which she willingly signed.
Frank Stansberry, cashier of the
Bank of Gilman, identified the various
checks that We're handed him with the
protest notices attached. He said that
he had become suspicious of Crawford
and had taken the precaution to secure
from Snyder contract in writing that
he (Snyder), would pay any of Craw-
ford's checks that the Bank of Gilman
might cash and that ever since then he
would not cash Crawford'S checks UNI
less the payee would endorse them as
additional security. He said that on the
18th or 9th of March he cashed eight
or ten checks of Crawford's aggregating
$3711.53, which, when presented al the
Merchants National Bank of Grinnell
for collection from Snyder's bank, were
protested for the lack of funds; that on
the 29th he went to Grinnell with his
written contract and forced Snyder to
ray the checks, altho the latter had to
borrow the money to do so, because
neither he nor Crawford had enough
money on hand. He testified that Sny-
der, when confronted with the contract,
exclaimed "My God Am / stuck for
it?" and that Snyder told him only
few weeks ago that this overdraft of
Crawford still stood unpaid Witness
teStlneQ tildt dileI LIE puoiiNe''ioii "
the newspaper articles Crawford could
not draw checks upon his bank. but on
redirect admitted that 1t was for the
reason that Crawford did not have any
money on deposit there and that II he
had a deposit his checks would be
cashed.
Crawford's Testimony.
When Crawford was put upon the
stand his case was lost and the court
as well as jury fairly exasperated.
Crawford denied that he was caught
substituting false weights but admit
ted that he was so charged by Fl. w.
Clay when he, Clay, caught Crawford
in the act of carrying a set of ex-
ira, weights to the scales after dark
which weights afterwards proved to be
false and to weigh stock heavy, and
were broken in presence of witnesses. He
denied that he paid Clay any money
but admitted that his father in law
for whom he was working paid Clay
5000. Subsequently he denied all
knowledge of this. He denied that
anyone was present besides II. w.
Clay when he was caught when both
n. w. Clay and the brother Gregg
Clay each testified that both We're
present.
AS to the hog stealing episode Craw-
ford admitted the arrest and settle
ment for the hogs which was all the
newspaper article had charged but as
to the details of that incident there
We're many contradictory admissions.
- ,xtrf0 nd tncf n1 hat hnGS