The Richmond palladium and sun-telegram. [volume] (Richmond, Ind.) 1907-1939, 1908-03-10
Before Jury Retired, the Court
Stated Evidence Did Not
Prove Beyond All Doubt,
CenterviIIe Mans Guilt.
ZIMMERMAN CHIEF W.T.
NESS FOR PROSECUTION.
Man Who Will Go to Reforma-
tory Told Of the Under
standing He Had With PouI-
try Dealer, Just Freed.


Monday afternoon after all the evi-
dence in the case of George Limiting
the Centerville poultry dealer charged
with buying stolen chickens, had been
heard, Judge Fox ordered the jury TO
return a verdict acquitting the defend
ant of the charge. Judge Fox stated
that the evidence in the case did not
prove beyond reasonable doubt Lint
ing's guilt. AS the jurymen were
preparing to the jury room for the pur-
pose of complying with the courts or
der. Prosecutor Jessup, pale with an
ger arose and stated to the court that
he believed his action to be high
handed in the extreme In a few min
utes the jury returned and handed to
Judge Fox verdict of acquittal as or
dered.
Ammerman's Story.
Tom zimmerman, convicted on a
charge of chicken stealing, gave ap-
parently straight forward testimony to
the effect that Limiting had given him
money for chickens he had stolen.
William Newman. "Dickey Rat"
Thrine and other members of Ammer-
mans gang. testified that they had
taken stolen chickens and placed them
in coop in the Limiting barn.
He Did Not Know.
In the face of this testimony intro
duced by the state. the defense placed
Limiting on the stand. He testified
that he had purchased chickens from
zimmerman. who was apparently the
gangs financial agent. but that he did
not know he was buying stolen prop
erty. This evidence was not substan-
tiated. All the other witnesses intro
duced by the state only testified as to
the good character Limiting had borne
in Centerville.
Yesterday afternoon Tommy Ammer-
man. champion chicken thief of
Wayne county. who will be sent to the
Jeffersonville reformatory, took the
stand and told how he would steal
chickens and turkeys and dispose of
them to Limiting.
Could See in Dark.
II was averred by the state that
Limiting took his poultry wagon,
drove out into the country and at some
unfrequented spot zimmerman and the
other members of the gang placed their
stolen chicken in the wagon. Lint
ing paid them. One occasion in que S
tion when it was alleged that a trans
action like this had taken place. At
torney II. l.. johnson. in cross exam
ination, asked zimmerman if he had
noticed whether there We're any chick
ems in the coop on the wagon when
Limiting stopped TO talk with him. Am.
norman was positive there We're none
'You would know Il chicken if you saw
one?" questioned Mr.. Johnson Per
haps not in the daylight but he would
know a chicken at night put in Pro
en- in the dark" said the witness and
the big crowd in the court room laugh.
ed merrfly.
zimmerman also testified that he
stole chickens and then placed them
in n coop in LintinG's barn. The first
time he did this he met Limiting the
following morning. zimmerman said
when he asked Limiting if he had found
the chickens. Limiting asked him if he
had put them there and zimmerman
told him that ne did. He then said
that Limiting paid him in the neighbor
hood of So tor the six chickens and
two turkeys.
No Agreement.
zimmerman said that he had never
had an agreement with Limiting tC
steal chickens for him. He said that
he just stole them and Limiting bought
them. Once, he said. Limiting remark
ed TO him. Don't so to one place
too often or take too many"
On another occasion Ammernar
said, he met Limiting in his back yard
and Limiting told him not to do any
Stealing for few days. He said that
people were getting suspicious. The
next time zimmerman said, that he
met Limiting be asked him if it was al
right to resume "husine ss'' again and
that Limiting told him 10 go ahead, tina,
suspicious had hecn quieted.