The Goodland republic. [volume] (Goodland, Kan.) 1891-1907, 1903-08-14
Foster Lumber Company
E. TOWNSEND, Manager
NOTED RAwLINs COUNTY CASE

Treasurer GOOdin Used County Funds to
Fight County Seat War.
The editor Of the Oberlin Herald in q
reminiscent mood gives his personal
recoIlectiOns Of case which is fast be-
coming forgotten history. He says:
Probably the most sensational case
ever tried before the district court of
Decatur was the case Of Tom Goodin,
who was sent to this county for trial on
change Of venue from Rawlins county.
"GOOdin had been county treasurer in
the county seat fight between Brakeman
and Atwood. GOOdin had unfortunately
taken the Brakeman side and as Atwood
was making the fight for its life, the
Brakeman crowd was constantly in need
of money, and there was no place quite
as handy as the county treasury to get
it when hard pushed. Atwood won out
Oh the county seat fight and the fellows
that had been booming Brakeman were
busted, AID when GoOdin's time as
treasurer was out he was found to be
defaulter for about $1,000. At
the time GOOdin had property enough to
have settled the deficiency, but the
people made big roar and began to
talk Of hanging him and it was brought
out on trial that Pat Fleming did come
to town and buy rope that he said was
to hang GOOdin and Cy Anderson.
GoodIn turned his property over to his
bondsmen and fed the country, going to
Seattle, Wash, where he started a cigar
stand with few dollars he had with
him. Here he was arrested and his trial
came of at the February term Of court
in Oberlin in 1890, Judge Pratt. of Nor
ton, presiding.
'Tbe writer was foreman Of the jury
and some Of the jurors still live in this
county, among them are Lew Hale, Of
Lyle; I. L. Jordon, of Jennings; Tip
Bacon, OF Dresden, aud Jacob Bolin, Of
Summit. The trial lasted nearly a
week. GOodin had S. W. McElroy, S.
D. Decker and Col. May, Of Oberlin, and
NJ. A. Wilson, Of Atwood, as his at
torneys, while Attorney Cole, of Atwood,
was prosecuting the case. When the
evidence was all in the state opened and
then II. A. Wilson made the first speech
followed by McElroy and Decker and
May; the latter especially tried to work
upon the feelings of the jury; Tip Bacon
was, however, the only man that shed
any tears. When Cole got up to make
the last speech he ridiculed the at
tOrneys for the defense, having a witt
cism about each Of them, but We only re-
member the one about Decker. He
said. Then in came Decker like a
spawned nightmare on the track OF a
beautiful dream
THE case was then given to the jury,
The first night there was the most hiIari.
Gus time We have ever seen on a jury
no one slept wink and the stories that
were told were wonderful productions
Every hour they were called TO order
and vote taken. The first vote was
seven for acquittal and five for convict
ion. By the next night it was nine fol
scquittal and three for conviction; thi:
held until the jury was discharged The
jury differed on the punishment There
was no doubt as to his guilt, and those
that voted for acquittal thought thai
GOOdin was the creature OF circum
stances to some extent and as ths
county had lost nothing or but little anC
as GOOdin had turned over everything
to the county he had been punished
sufficiently without sending him to thu
pen On the other hand the boys that
we're for conviction, thought that a
treasurer he was responsible for the
funds and should not have allowed the
money to be squandered in a county
seat fight. AS We think OF it now ",
are still uncertain which was right
Goodin was never tried again, but thr
case stands out as the most stubbornll
contested case ever tried in Decatur
county"