The Redwood gazette. [volume] (Redwood Falls, Minn.) 1873-1940, 1909-11-10
BUSY DAYS FOR
GRAND JURY
In Session Nearly a Week and a
Lot of Offenders Listed
for Trial.
Trial Juries Working on Ditch Cases
Only So Far--G. J. Merci-
full to Erring.

The November term of court this
year is likely to establish a record on
magnitude of business pending in
both the civil and criminal branches.
The grand jury has been constantly
in session for FIVE days Wednesday
to Tuesday-rendering a consider
able number of indictments in open
court, with quite a bunch reserved
for future announcement.
Indictments have been entered up
for trial against Roy Cox, for as
sault on Albrecht at Morgan, in Sec
ond degree 1.-TWO counts; against
Otis Walker for indecent assault;
against William Jarvis and McCrack-
en-, each for the larceny of a watch
at this place; against Chas. Collins
for assault on Policeman Lauterbach
ed degree); AMI against Herman
Hardt of Sanborn for selling liquor
on Sunday.
Of the civil cases, the action of
Galbraith VS.. Schueller was dismissed,
that of Warden Wolfer against the
boomers was ordered stricken from
the calendar, and the scrap iron
case of Sherwood VS.. Shelestuk etal.
i l.
So far, the jury cases have been
confined to the ditch cases up from
Wanda and vicinity. In the first
trial, that of John Hoffman VS.. the
County Commissioners, the jury
rendered verdict in favor of the
county and Hoffman will have to
pay his assessment and some costs
besides, unless the case goes higher
The other cases arising out of the
construction of ditch No. Z have
been grouped to include the adjoin-
ing lands, and the first case, affect
ing the lands of John FernholZ, Paul
Tirnm, George Bauer and John P.
Dooner has been before the jury
since last Friday, the parties being
still at it yesterday.
The voluntary confession of the
State Bank stenographer referred
to last week, to the charge made
against her of abstracting the funds
of the bank and covering the trans
fers for time by false entries. the
shortage covering several years OPP
erations, was the talk of the street
last Saturday, the confession having
been made the day previous and
the party at fault and her relatives
making restitution in full of the
banks fund The bank officials had
no feelings of revenge against the
misguided young woman, and shared
in the general sympathy both for
the offender and the good names of
the two innocent families involved.
The grand jury, however, took up
the matter, as they were in duty
bound to do, the circumstances hav-
ing been more or less public.
The state bank examiner and Off
eers of the bank were called into the
jury room and all of the facts SUBJ
stantiated, thus fully clearing all
concerned of any desire to compound
or cover up crime. After a thor
ough sitting of the circumstances a
majorit y of the jury, although not
unanimous. got together on prop
osition not to indict the erring par
ty. 1t appears to have been a case
where the jury was influenced by
sympathy and pity for human weak
ness, and when we consider that it
is more than probable that any jury
would be exceedingly apt to be in
huenced by the same sentiments had
the party been arrested and brought
to trial, we at least hope that the
ends of justice, in large sense, will
not suffer by this action Of the
grand jury. We don't believe it
will establish a precedent for any