Abilene weekly reflector. [volume] (Abilene, Kan.) 1888-1935, 1905-10-19
WILLIAMS WAS GUILTY.
INSURANCE CASE ENDS IN LIBEE
VERDICT.
Jury Was Ont Fifty Hours But Final
~ Agreed on . DecisiOn-Of Inter
cat to Mutual Insurance Patrons.

Ors Alliance Insurance comPan.
against A. B. Williams, the local rep
resentative OF the Continental Insur
anCs company, reached verdict earl!
this morning after nearly fifty hour
of secret elaboration, According Il
ahe verdict reached, Mr.. williams II
guilty as charged in the Information
He was arrested and tried on eight
counts and the jury brought In q YER
dict for conviction on each allegation
The case was one OF the hardest fought
of any ever tried in this county. Mr..
Williams will probably appeal the
case and ask for another trial.
1.-THE crime Of criminal libel, such
o. Mr.. Williams has just been con-
voted OF. Is punishable BY payment
Of 81, 900 fine and . term Of one year
dn the county jail. Should o new
trial result or an appeal result In the
decision reached today being sus-
Gained Mr.. Williams would have On
Immense fine to pay % we'll 90 long
term in prison. However, Mr.. vii.
liams 10 still hopeful for o reversal OF
matters 10 smother trial or on an ap'
peal. His counsel have taken the
steps precedent to asking for new
trial.
at is probable that no jury 10 any
criminal action ever triso In this
county was in the jury room for such
. prolonged period as the twelve men
who tried this case. The final argu.
ments Of the attorneys ended WedneS'
day forenoon, after which the case
was submitted to the jury. Mastery
Arguments were made on both sides
and the case Was watched With keen
interest BY hundreds.
"Mr. williams printed and extern
sIvely circulated hundreds Of Circu'
lars branding the Farmers Alliance
Insurance company % false to lie
patrons. The company resented the
action as being criminal libel and the
suit and conviction resulted"
There are about nine hundred
policy holders In Labetts county. 1t
was but natural that they should be
disturbed by these charges. II they
were true 1t was time to drop the
company, II they were false Mr.. Will
Hams should be held to account. A
was made charging Mr..
williams with criminal libel. He
was arreGted and on the eleventh day
Of September, 1905, be was brought
10 trial In the district court Of La
bette county, Kansas.
The burden Of proof 10y upon the
members Of the company. The pre-.
Of Law wAs<that Mr.. vii.
llams was innocent until he was
proven guilty. So 1t fell upon the
Farmers Alliance Insurance company
10 prove that Mr.. williams circular
VAS false, that their own business
methods we're correct, and that Mr..
Nllllams' attack mas malicious. This
hey had to do OF the home Of the
,rlSOner and among hlS friends. I
Officers Of the company were present {
md their books were brought Into D
'Ourt, every opportunity to cross OK.
mine, but 60 utterly did Mr.. vii.
Jams fail to discover proof Of fraud /
u mismagement that the jury re-
armed . verdict Of guilty on everyone
4 the eight counts. That 10 twslve
men, his own neighbors, have said !
hat Mr.. Williams circular was false
a toto, and Criminally malicious As
Rell.
For years the MutualS Of Kansas
md especially the Farmers Alliance
have been the objects Of q diSreputa-
bic and interruptions warfare. De.
lAmatOry circulars, unsigned, undAt.
ID, without imprint, poStmArksd
sometimes In the state, sometimes
and occasionally dlstribut-
ID on the streets, have been scattered
throughout among the people BY the
isns Of thousands.
This company has not been bOasIiul
but 90 a servant Of the public It has
Iolt II duty to prevent false impres-
ions and hss therefore had u standing I
shAllenge Of 800 In gold to any per.
ION who could prove that 1t has not
,n every occasion paid its losses dol.
ar for dollar when proof was made in
with the terms Of the con-
irAct IL The policy.
The members OF the Farmers Ain