Danville intelligencer. [volume] (Danville, Pa.) 1859-1907, 1906-01-12
JANUARY COURT
CONVENES

JuIOIS Will uOt appear uutll tIllS 1lOTn-
ling. The grand jurors appeared yes
terday morning and entered upon their
duties. The trial of cases will pro.
ceed this morning.
The Constables presented their re-
turns as follows: Amos Albeck, An
thony township; Philip Boyer, Cooper
township; George Pursell, Derry town
ship; Charles r. Gouger, Limestone
; township; William S. Bogart, Liberty
township; Charles H. Rudy, Mahoning
township; G.. W. Bennett, Valley
township; Mont. Gearhart, West Hem
lock township; w. E. Young, Dan
vile, 1st ward Edward Ritter, 2nd
ward; B. B. Brown, 3rd ward, Ben
jamin Cook, 4th ward Mcclellan
Diehl, Washingtonville; William E.
Bird, Mayberry township.
| There were no violations of law re-
ported except in Derry township, where
| the constable reported one of the roads
as in bad condition, it being too mar
| row.
| Matthew Ryan. grand juror, was
excused. Jacob @. Miller was sworn
in as foreman. Charles r. Gouger of
Limestone township, was appointed
tipstaff to wait upon the grand jury
Before proceeding with his charge to
the Grand Jury Judge Little adverted
in a very feeling manner to the de-
mise of DR.. S. Y. Thompson, late As
| sociate Judge of Montour County. The
late Associates sudden death, he said,
| ch III ha n Iaccn,, fc,- II
| us of the uncertainty of time and the
certainty of death. 1t behooves us to
be prepared to meet the dread sum-
mons His Honor said that he has been
stricken himself and that he hopes to
meet his late Associate in the Sweet
Bye and Bye 1t behooves us all to
seek salvation through the Son of God
The eulogy, he said, had been pro-
nounced on DR.. Thompson and any
further word of praise from him were
not necessary at this time.
Judge Little took occasion to say
| that just now when the subject is so
much discussed he is happy to state
that he has never accepted free pass
and that his conscience is perfectly
clear on that score. Uninfuenced he
said, he has always tried to dispense
justice equally and impartially under
| the law as he understood it.
Judge Little explained that there
would be few bills to go before the
grand jury. He referred to the charge
Of murder against John Sees and at
considerable length defined the crime
of murder and the different degrees
thereof. About II O'Clock the grand
jury retired.
The first case taken up by this body
fhot Of Ipmmnnraaltbr Toh,,
Sees. who is charged with causing the
death of one of his children. At 2 80
in the afternoon the grand jury return
ed true bill in the case.
Sees, who is 'doing time" for an
attempt to break Jail, can not be tried
at the present term of Court and the
witnesses in the case were discharged.
w. V. Oglesby, Esq, was appointed
by the Court to audit the public ac-
| counts, which comprise those of Pro-
thonotary and the Register and Rec
order, an accounting of which has to
be made to the State.
TUESDAYS PROCEEDINGS.
Court convened yesterday morning
at 10 o'clock with His Honor Judge
Little and Associate Charles Wagner
on the bench.
The traverse jurors were on hand
and the trial of cases at once began.
The first case attached was that of
Commonwealth VS.. William Keefer,
the charge being larceny as bailee.
The prosecutor was Thomas Good.
The facts of the case are briefly
these. On the 31st of August last
Thomas Good bought farm of 80 odd
acres situated in Mahoning township
from Miles Farnsworth. Good was
tenant on the farm the year previous
and on leaving last spring the grain
in the ground was sold at public sale
along with other things. 1t is not
denied, however, that according to the
terms of the sale the straw was to be
left on the farm. The grain in the
ground was purchased by William
Keefer, the defendant, who rented the
farm for the present year and is now
the tenant.
The Commonwealth contended that
when Mr.. Good purchased the farm it
was with the article of agreement in
force providing that all straw should
be left on the ground. The contention
of the defense was that when Mr..
Good sold the grain in the ground to
the defendant under the terms of the
agreement the straw, which was to re-
main on the farm, became the property
of Miles Fransworth and they alleged
that the latter, before transferring the
property to Mr. Good, for a considera-
tion gave Keefer, the tenant, now de-
| fendant in the case, permission to re-
move the straw and everything but
the manure. Accordingly Keefer be-
gan hauling out and selling the straw
and the arrest and law suit followed.
The first witness called was Miles
Farnsworth, who explained the terms
under which the farm was sold to
Good. These according to his view
gave Good possession of the straw. He
strenuously denied that he at any time
had given the defendant permission to
haul the straw off the farm.
Thomas Good was the next witness,
who testified that the defendant was
not only selling the straw from last
years crop, but that he had declared
his intention of selling the whole of
next summers crop. He denied the
fact that the agreement cited as to the
sale of the grain had any force in the
premises and based his right to sell on
the fact that he was paying money
rent.
Frank Good, William P. Robinault
and John p. Weaver were also wit
nesses, the latter testifying that he was
present when the crops were sold and