Idaho County free press. [volume] (Grangeville, Idaho Territory) 1886-current, 1908-07-02
In VINEYARDS Court

In Vineyards Court
There was a pretty lively time
in Justice Vineyards court last
Saturday when the case of Lewis
vs.. White was called. This was a
case in which Leghorn pullet, a
steel trap, egg shells, gardens,
fruit trees and two neigbbors play
ed important parts. The case grew
out of keeping chickens in town
and dates from the coming Of the
April showers.
Mr. White, the defendant, is a
resident of the southeast end of
town. He conducts a transfer bust
ness here and is somewhat of a
poultry raiser. Mr.. Lewis, the
plaintiff, drills wells on the Prairie
and is the bachelor neighbor of Mr..
White.
For the past three years all has
been lovely and serene. Mr.. Lewis
showing the spirit of a true neighbor
by giving Mr.. White his cow
beets last fall. Mr.. Lewis cultivat-
ed his cow-beets while Neighbor
White walked admiringly among
bis flock of Leghorns and counted
the number of points the young
cockerels were apt to score.
One April morning the dark
cloud of war lowered over this or
dinarily peaceful neighborhood. 1t
lowered and lowered until it be-
came tired of lowering and settled
down on the division fence between
White and Lewis. A few days after
Mr.. White had Mr.. Lewis arrested
on the charge of petty larceny.
The procession formed and march.
ed to Vineyards court. The evi
dence showed that in some manner
one of Whites fancy Legnorns got
its foot in trap under the domi-
cile of Lewis. The court imposed
a fine of 81 and costs amounting
in all to $40 upon Lewis for his
carelessness. Lewis paid the fine;
thus endeth the first chapter of the
story of the hundred dollar pullet.
Lewis went home and turned to
the account of III. ID. White in his
ledger and made several entries,
and then the account looked some
thing like this:
A. X. Lewis.
Well Drilling and Gardening
Grangeville, Idaho.
Mr.. II. ID. White.
To my fine in court 500
TO destruction of garden by
chickens for three years $50
April 10, credit by pullet- $40
Bal. due $4,000
Mr.. Lewis begun action in Jus.
tice court, Saturday to collect the
eighty. Defendant White in his
answer denied that his chickens
had committed any damage, in
fact denied every thing and filed
cross complaint, asking for eight
dollars damage and cost from Lewis
for taking eight of his chickens.
Lewis answered by denying the
same but admitting he had killed
one of the flock. A jury of six
true and honest men was soon Sc.
cured and the game was on. Judge
assumed his usual grave
look and wrinkled his forehead
often. Never did the Judges of the
supreme court consider the evil
ience as did this jury. AT no time
during the trial was every juror
asleep.
Atty. Scales, with his southern
lash and gems of speech, left no
stone unturned in defending Mr.. |
White and Atty. Cassidy confined
to the fine legal points in
ais effort to secure the eighty for
Lewis. After all the evidence was
n and the case had gone to the
ury, Constable Wallace awakened
he sleeping ones with feather
iuster and led them away to the
ury room. In ten minutes a ver-
fict was returned for the defend
Int allowing him % cents for one
and taxing the cost to the
The cost in this case
along with that of the first action
will bring the pullet up to nearly
800 and some say the end is not
yet.
over Thirty-Fiye Years