Reporter and farmer. [volume] (Webster, Day County, Dakota [S.D.]) 188?-1946, 1907-01-10
W. STATE r

Failing 10 furnish bonds in the sum
OF $500 for his appearance at the next
term OF state circuit court in Turner
county, A. Hedging, a Nebraska man.
has been lodged in the county Jail pend
ing the converting Of court and action
upon his case. Hodgins claims TO be a
representative of an Omaha grocery
house and at the time he got into
trouble was ~canvassing through the
county securing orders for goods. The
charge against him is obtaining property
by false pretenses The complaining
witnesses are Mr.. aud Mrs Earnest
Handwerk, who reside on a Turner
county farm. They allege that Hodgins
came TO their home, and after selling
them a bill of goods, took in pay.
ment therefore a note for the som Of
$3l 80. This was taken to a bank at
Marion and sold, Handwerk's note
being good. 1t is further alleged that q
few days later Hodgins again visited
the Handwerk home, taking a bottle Of
whisky with him. Handwerk was, 10
is alleged, induced to drink and when
he became sufficiently mellow" it is
alleged that Hodgins informed him that
he had lost the note and asked him to
sign another. Haudwerk complied
with the request. 1t is further alleged
that Hodgins inserted a ~" in place Of
the 81" which had appeared in the first
note, making the second note call for
the sum of $37 80. This note Hodgins
is also charged with having sold at a
bank. When Handwerk was notified
of his Indebtedness at the bank, it
dawned upon him that he had been
duped and without delay he swore out
a warrant for the arrest of Hodgins. A
companion of Hodgins named Shaife,
who also was canvassiDg for orders in
Turner county, was also arrested, but
as the result of the preliminary examin-
alton of the two men the case against
Shaife was dismissed and Hodgins was
held for appearance in the circuit court
as stated, Handwerk will have to pay
both notes, which aggregate the sun of
$6S.7S,. ..
State Superintandent-ele Ustrud is
either being misquoted by the Sioux
Falls Press or showing lack ..of infor
nation as TO the affairs Of the state
school fund. He was first made to say
that the idle fund in the treasury
should be divided among the schools,
instead of being allowed to lie in the
hands of the treasurer. This statement
was taken up by the papers Of the state
as an attempt to destroy the efficiency
of the permanent fund by dissipating it
in case any were on hand and further
shown that at the time of the last
annual report there was but seven cents
OF snch fund on hand. The Press then
attempts to explain by saying that il
was the idle income funi which was
being allowed to remain in the treasury.
There has never been any of this fund
allowed to accumulate since the days of
Thomas E. Ruth as commissioner of
the fund. Ever since that, while the
law only requires one distribution of
this fund each year, On the 18th day of
June. 1t has been the policy of the
department. to make two distributions,
one on the date required, and the other
on the 18th day of December.
Not the slightest trace has yet been
found of T.. +. Williams and William p.
Patterson, who recently escaped from
the county Jail in Fairfax while await
ing trial on the charge of holding up
and robbing two railroad men at Bone
The two men made their escape
in an unusual manner. Marshal Piper
took them to supper and upon return
ing to the Jail left the prisoners in the
corridor while he went up town for a
few minutes, To tine officers astonish-
the men were gone when he