The Parma herald. (Parma, Idaho) 1903-1917, 1907-01-05
JUDGE INSTRucTS
JURY TO AcQUIT
Proceeding In Lansdou Case a
Farce. Court says 0ffsnss
was Not EmhezZlemant.


There was proceeding in the Sew
enth District Court Dee. 27-2S. called =
trisl, but which WAS in rrality farce
One Robert Lansdon, who two years az,
was the assessos of Washington county
was charged with embezzIing tic
sum of s4o.5o ef The funds Of that
county.
This case was brought in washingtpl
county. but Lans,I.,ls new that the jig
was up with him there, - secured a
change OF venn- to Canyon county lie
had eondrcsesl his office in such mar
ner that his bondsmen went of his bOirl
on the grounds that he was r"f respn-
sibIe. His friends ARE said To have pail
handsome sum for him when he retir-
ell from the office "f assessor. The pres
ent case WAS much discussed in Wash
ington county, prior to the late eIec-
tion.
II According to the evidence presented
r. VI. Brow al a. the tsxe= on sheep. He
paid tins into th, county funsls. Later
he went before the commissioners vf
Washington county AMI asked fer and
obtainedz refund If $4O.5O, which he
claimed MAS due Brown as rebate ON
his taxes for the time his sheep were
grazing in Idaho county. Brown testi-
fled that his sheep were not grazed in
Idaho eounty-that he never asked for
any rebate, was not entitled to it and
did not ger it. This money was never
paid back to Washington county by
Lansdon-
When the prosecution was through
with its testimony-the attorney for the
defense moved that the Court instrurt
the jury to bring in verdict Of aequit-
tai on the grounds that the state had not
proven that the crime of embezzlement
had been committed He argued that
Lansdon had. obtained this sum under
false pretense and not 10y embezzlement.
The Court tOpk the motion under adj
yisement until the next day. After
sleeping over the night on this motion
the Honorable Court gave the instruc-
tion to acquit-and the jury did accor'l-
ingly. A first class coat of whitewash
was administered and Lansslon gOes hack
to Washington county 'sNot Guilty" "
But he has that $40 so still in his jeans
unless he spent it during the last cam
paign to aid in upholiing LAW and Or
der in Idaho.
"Well, who is Lansdon, anyway
asks one vf the uniniated. lie was the
Republican candidate for Secretary oi
State and WAS elected by that office dur
ing the hate campaign. True, he ran lr--
hind his ticket in the county where b,
was best known, hut he got there, all
the same. He is to be swora into offic,
on the first Monday in January 1907
and lie must go into office vindicatesl
A Republican deputy sheriff summones
/ a special venire of "a men from whicl
the jury was tn he drawn, and out Of thii
number 2l were Republicans and ; Dem
ocrats. OF course this was a ''just hap
pened so.' When the jury was bein,
selected the three Democrats wer'
promptly excused by the defense an,
twelve good Republicans tried and tru'
were accepted. Another case of 'jus
happened So
When the Court advised said twelv'
tried and true Republicans to return ;
verdict OF not guilty they very prompt,
did it. And all OF this was to uPhol,
. Law and Order in Idaho
In view of all this the News mos
. heartily eougratulates the Seventh udi
cial District upon having retired his hon
2 or. the present incumbent, and eleetini
q rs his Successor the Honorable Edwar
: BRYAN. The News also wishes to con
, gratnlate Canyon county upon havin
elected VIM. Thorp as sheriff of sai'
Z county. And it would respectfully al
, wise our Office holding friends not to b
z guilty Of such offenses rs Lanssion's dur
8 ing the term Of office to which they hav
. ocen elected; for ii they do there will b
no whitewash administered with the:
3 consent and approval. The whitewasl
bucket is now empty and viii not be re
rlenished-Csldwell News.
That's the house the Doctor
built,