La Junta tribune., 1908-06-20
District Court.

The district court convened in ad-
journed session last Wednesday
morning. with Judge Rizer on the
bench.
James T. Ingle. charged with the
murder Of John Niehaus. a machin-
ist in the local shops. pleaded guilty
to involuntary manslaughter. and
was sentenced to six months in the
county Jail. Ingle has been in the
City Hospital during the past ten
days under guard. being threatened
with an attack of typhoid fever. He
was able to appear in court Wed
nesday morning and plead guilty to
the charge Of involuntary man
slaughter. Niehaus in his ante
mortem statement admitted that he
provoked the quarrel with Ingle and
struck the first blow. which the lat
ter resented by stabbing Niehaus in
the abdomen with pocketknife. AS
Niehaus was much the larger man.
and taking into consideration other
circumstances in the case. the dis
trict attorney was very doubtful
whether trial would result in any.
thing else than an acquittal. 1t is
probable that Ingle's sentence will
be commuted, and in that event he
will be released from custody.
Twelve good men and true, ten
witnesses. two lawyers. one Judge.
one district clerk, one stenographer,
one sheriff, one undersheriff and
one bailiff gave their entire time
and earnest attention on Thursday
to serious consideration of the case
of the People VS.. Luther Kennison.
who was charged with having felon-
iously, willfully, burglariously and
with malice aforethought entered
shanty. two miles south of Swink,
and did then and there steal. take
and carry away goods and chattles
belonging to F. f. Amend. consist
ing of two quilts, two sheets. one
blanket. two frying pans. two gran
ite pans. one oil cloth, five pounds of
high grade lard, ten pounds of Swink
sugar; one mop, one washboard.
two shingle nails. and various and
sundry trifles too numerous to mem
tion, Of the total value of 50 S5, con-
trary to the statutes in such cases
made and provided and, against the
peace and dignity of the great state
of Colorado. H. S. A. The case was
vigorously prosecuted by District
Attorney Mcdaniel. and just as Wig
orously defended by o. G. Hess.
who appeared for kennison. After
several hours serious consideration
of the painful details. the jury was
instructed on the fine points of the
law involved in the case. and argu-
ments pro and con were made by the
distinguished counsel. The jury re-
tired and in fifteen minutes returned
with verdict of not guilty, and the
defendant was discharged. And
thus was the majesty of the law
emasculated. and the peace and
dignity of the great state of Colora-
do vindicated-all at the expense of
Otero county, ss-as usual in such
cases made and provided.
Court adjourned Thursday even
ing until next Monday morning, at
which time the case of the People
VS.. w. H. Irwin. charged with OBJ
tanning goods from the Draper Shoe
and Clothing Company under false
pretenses. will come up for consid-
GRAFTON.
On Wednesday the distinguished
counsel for the defense. in the
Rocky Ford State Bank case. headed
by A. M. Stevenson, will argue a
motion to. quash all of the indict-
ments against the bank officials on
the ground that they have not vio-
lated any law in Colorodo. In the
event of the motion being overruled
the case will go to trial on July 18th.
Court will probably be in session
all Of next week, and then adjourn
until after the democratic conven-
tim