Rock Island Argus. (Rock Island, Ill.) 1893-1920, 1903-02-26
AT LAW OVER COAT
Robert Mcconnell and Henry
Ferns, of Bowling, in
Strange Suit.
GARMENT Is OF NO VALUE
Plaintiff Seeks Possession as Means
OfPersonal Vindica-
ton.

The trial of rather unique case
was set for this afternoon before Mag
istrate Johnson, the parties being
well-known residents of Bowling
township and the matter at issue the
fair name of the plaintiff and the
possession of an old overcoat.
The facts of the case. as told by
the parties out of court, are sub
stantially as follows: About three
years ago Henry Ferns. who resides
in the southern part of Bowling. miss
ed suit of clothes and an overcoat.
which he alleges39vere taken from the
dresser in his bedroom by some I'M
known party As time passed the
mystery of the disappearance of the
articles of wearing apparel deepened.
Many months after the loss had
been sustained Mr.. Ferns heard flat
tering reports of the powers of GER
tain medium, or fortune teller living
in Davenport, and he determined TO
see if she could tell what became of
his missing property.
Visits Medium.
Accordingly he went to the madam
and stated his case. The worthy
dame adjusted her retrospective APP
paratus and going back to the time
when the clothing disappeared she
described the course that the thief
had taken and traced the garments
down to certain room in a certain
house, where sh. assured her visitor
they were reposing at that time.
Mr.. Ferns was somewhat incredu-
lous, but having started the investiga-
ton he determined to follow it up.
He figured from the description given
that his long lost togs were at the
home of his brother-in-law, Robert
Mcconnell, who lives about three
miles north of the Ferns home. Mr..
Ferns accordingly bided his time till
one day he found all the members of
the Mcconnell family away from
home. Then he pried open a window.
climbed in and instituted n search.
In due time he was rewarded, as he
is now willing to swear, by finding
his lost overcoat. He took the gar
ment he believed was his own. car
ried it home ana now has it in his
| possession.
Story Gets Out.
Soon the story went abroad that
Robert Mcconnell had taken the coat
and suit that Henry Ferns had lost
and that the latter had found the
overcoat in the Mcconnell home. Mr.
Mcconnell became much wrought up
over the matter and thought to have
his brother-in-law arrested for house
breaking. When he sought legal adj
vice, however, he was dissuaded on
the ground that such proceeding was
hardly likely to accomplish anything
and he finally decided upon repIevy-
ing the coat as the most likely course
to follow.
H The coat is an old one now and
itself. Mr.. Mcconnell claims that the
garment was given to him by a frieuo
who had no further use for it anC
stoutly insists that it never could
have belonged to Mr.. Ferns. This i,
what he stood ready to prove. As
sistant States Attorney II. W. Ohm
sted represented Mr.. Mcdonnell and
Ludolph & Reynolds Mr.. Ferns.
At. o'clock the witnesses for both
sides were on hand, but the trial die
not proceed. At the last moment Mr.
Ferns agreed to pay the costs of the
suit and give up the coat, thus vir
tually admitting that he was in error
and that the Davenport fortune teller
had given him the usual return foI
his money, a plausible piece of fic
ton.