The Leon reporter. (Leon, Iowa) 1887-1930, 1902-01-30
DISTRICT COURT.

DISTRICT COURT.
Among the import ant cases decided at
this term of court was the case of ID. d.
( Dorm VS.. the Board of Equalization of
Leon, Mr.. Dorm having appealed from
of equalization on his holdings of bank
stock in the Exchange National Bank.
Mr.. Dorm is assessed on property in
Decatur county to the value of $47 900,
and holds SO 900 stock in the Exchange
National Bank which he claimed should
be listed as monies and credits, from
which he could deduct and Indebtedness
of $4,000. The board refuses to deduct
the amount, and Judge Parrish ruled
that bank stock is monies. and CT edits
and allowed Mr.. Dorm to deduct the
amount claimed.
The grand jury finished their labors
last Saturday and we're discharged, after
returning two indictments, but as the
parties have not yet been arrested the
names of the indicted persons can not
be made public. They also visited the
county Jail and reported it in very bad
condition as to the heating apparatus
and the sanitary conditions, which
Judge Parrish ordered spread on the
records and called to the attention of
the board of supervisors with orders to
have the defects remedled. The steam
heating apparatus at the Jail is worn
out and cannot be used and a single
stove is used to heat all that part where
the prisoners are confined. The water
closet IN the Jail was also found in bad
shape. and i: is probable the board of
| will hox
made at once.
The case of T. j. Grimm VS., w. A.
Ramsey has occupied most OF the time
of the court and jury since last Friday.
1t is from Long Greek township, the
plaintiff suing for $4,000 damages on
the claim that defendant had alienated
J the affections of his wife, the parties
} being brother-in-laws and the case has
: been widely discussed. G. w. Hoffman
and Marion f. Stookey were attorneys
} for the plaintiff and Il. w. Baker and v.
r. McGinnis for defendant. About fifty
} witnesses were subp oenaed in the case
and it has been hard fought one, be-
? ing given to the jury at IL O'Clock yes.
4 terday morning, but up TO the hour of
t going to press last evening the jury had
= not agreed on verdict.
J About four years ago one w. l.. Cal
l lender moved into Grand River town
, ship, this county, and proved himself to
be handwriting, honest, law-abidln2
: citizen in fairly good circumstances for
: renter, but his wife sickened and he
s took her to Texas about one year age
where she died, leaving two children
one boy now four years old and cir
s six years old. While in Texas he be-
J. came acquainted with woman who
In, l>o
: she followed him to his Iowa home las
March, lived in the same house anc
room with him until May when they
claim to have gone to Charlton anc
were married. Last fall it became the
neighborhood talk that the new step
mother was shamefully abusing the
children and finally the 18th inst on tht
application of Thos. Reardon, neigh
Dor, Judge Parrish issued writ of hab
Gus corpus for the possession of thu
children and warrant for the arrest o
the woman. The court after full anC
careful inquiry and investigation and {
long and somewhat stormy though vel
conducted trial admitted that it was on,
of the most serious and complex. case
of his experience. 1t appeared from
the evidence given by as intelligent ant
truthful people as can be found in an,
community, the greater number Of tn
witnesses being themselves parents
that the father was temperate, industri
Gus, good tempered and good citizel
generally, though very deaf and of
somewhat slow and phlegmatic temper
ament and loved his children very deep
ly, that the step mother seemed to hav
a special spite at the boy and had OF
one occasion took him by the feet ant
dipped him head first into a rain barre
then laid him on the ground until h
regained consciousness and had the
repeated the operation; that she ha
beaten and starved him and had other
wise maltreated him ana l.atl expresses
the wish he would die. THE step moth
er herself testified on the stand mat sh
was by occupation a nurse and for sew
eral years had spent her winters i'll tn
south and her summers in the north
and for several months had travele
with travelling salesman for a whole
sale house in Mexico as an interprete
and since her marriage on one occasion
had pounded her husband over tn
head with broom stick and broke
skillet in the same way. The court wa
10th to part children and father but fel
he could not leave them in their ste
mothers care and so appointed Thoma
Reardon guardian at noon Thursday
At four clock of the same day the hus
band appeared in court with petition
for divorce. v. r. McGinnis voluntar