Montour American. (Danville, Pa.) 1866-1920, 1906-01-11
JANUARY COURT
CONVENES

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. Bird ward, Ben
jamin Cook, 4th ward Mcclellan
Diehl, Washingtonville; William E.
Bird, Mayberry township.
There We're 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. a grand juror, was
excused. Jacob G. Miller was sworn
in as foreman. Charles r. Gouger of
Limestone township, was appointed
tipstatf TO wait upon the grand jury
Before proceeding with his charge to
the Grand Jury Judge Little adverted
i'll 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,
should be a lesson for us all reminding
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 a free pass
and that his conscience is perfectly
clear on that score. Uninfiuenced he
SrilNAs lit llctS al dNS u ltt W b1SItuSt
Justice equally and impartiallv under
the law as he understood it.
Judge Little explained that there
would be few bills to go before the
grand jury. He referred 10 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
was tnat OF Commonwealth VS.. john
Sees. who is charged with causing the
death of one of his children. At 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 a farm of so 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 1t
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 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 &c
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
promises and based his right to sell OF
the fact that ne was paving a none,
| rent.
Frank Good, William F. Robinault
and John =, Weaver were also wit
nesses, the latter testifying that he wa
present when the crops were sold anC