The Fulton County news. [volume] (McConnellsburg, Pa.) 1899-current, 1904-11-23
IN The JUSTICES COURT.
Members of Abe Dishong's Family
Brought Up for Starting Forest Fires
on Scrub Ridge.
INSUFFICIENT EVIDENCE PRODUCED.


ton by the ponderous leaden
weights attached to the town
clock, nor that Judge Swope gets
a hand in all the judicial business
in this county.
Iu front of the bar of the Jus.
tice sat three prisoners that had
just been brought in from the Jail
by Deputy Sheriff Fields, where
they had been IN confinement to
await this particular hearing.
These were Mrs. Abram Desh-
ong, her daughter Annie, aud her
son Cleveland-all of the Mead
owgrounds. Their faces showed
plainly their keen realization Of
the fact that in the decision of the
Justice rested their fate-wheth-
er they should be remanded to
jail, and there remain until next
March court, or be cleared of
the charge against them, and al
lowed to go back in peace to their
home.
Behind the bar, reclining in an
easy chair, was Justice While,
hearing the case with an ease
and dignity born of thirteen
years of continuous service on
the bench CT the County's lower
court.
To the right of the Justice sat
Attorney Daniels who represents
the great state of Pennsylvania IN
the prosecution of Fulton county
people who violate her statutes.
Between occasio nal puffs of
smoke drawn from a Cremo which
ne held IN his fingers, he leisure,
ly drew the facts from the wit
nesses; while seated nearer the
the prisoners, was j. Nelson
Sipes, whose manner and tone of
voice was so free from excitement
so subdued and sympathetic,
as to make the prosecutors feel
ashamed of themselves for being
instrumental in putting innocent
people to so much trouble.
In addition to the characters
already described in this scene
were a promiseuous crowd of wit
nesses, friends, and others who
had been drawn there through
morbid curiosity, so that there
was scarcely standing room.
The trouble all arose in this
way: About the Goth of last
month, a forest fire was raging
on Scrub Ridge mountain, in Bel
fast township. Charlie Bard, the
fire warden of that district, IN
obedience to the law, collected a
posse of men and went to the
mountain to extingulsh the fire,
and by the evening of that day,
had the fire under. control.
AS a matter of common prud-
ence, MIR. Bard detailed three
William, Christopher,
and Richard Dishong, to watch
until the danger limit should be
entirely passed. Seeing smoke
arising at different points, they
went to tind the cause, and found
Mrs. Abram Dlshong, her daugh-
ter Annie, and son Cleveland; and
on the grounds of suspicion,
made information, had the three
persons named, arrested by Con.
stable Ii. e. Deshong of Licking
Creek township, brought TO town
last Wednesday, and lodged IN
Jail to await the hearing Already
described.
There was no evidence produc-
ed last Saturday morning that
would warrant Justice While 10
holding the accused parties for
trial in the Quarter Sessions, aud
he discharged them.
III seemed that the Dishong
family had done no more than
what their neighbors had done in
the matter. They had been out
trying to prevent the fire that
was raging in the mountaio, from
getting down and destroying
their home, and the fences aud
other property on the farm on
which they lived.
No blame should be attached
to the officers for their eff RI TO
npprehond the parties who had
set fire TO the mountain. Persons