Barbour County index., 1910-10-19
District Court

| don was in the hands of the jury
when the Index was printed last
week, but in a short time a verdict
was rendered finding the defendant
guilty of grand larceny. He was
| sentenced to the state reformatory.
The young man was found in posses
sion of a watch, some money and
other small articles belonging to Es-
tella Frost of Kiowa. He was board
ing there when they disappeared but
he claimed that another party had
stolen the articles, concealed them
at an elevator and told him he
could have them. He claimed, also,
that he did not know that they were
stolen when he went and got them.
| The story was too weak for any
! credit whatever.
The case of State VS.. Grover FL
lott was disappointment to many
sensationalists. A few moments be-
fore the case was called the defend
ant announced that he would plead
guilty. He was brought before Judge
Gillett Wednesday, entered a plea
of guilty and was sentenced indeter-
minately to the state reformatory
Judge Gillett gave Grover some ex-
cellent advice and made the prophe-
cy that with the right kind of rec
ord he would get his freedom in
about eighteen months.
Growers offense was rape.
Blanche Mccoy, a girl IA years Of
age, was the complaining witness,
and, considering all the surround
ings and the reputation of the girl,
the punishment, while the Hghtest
under the law, is amply severe.
Pleas Of guilty were entered by
Red" Mercer and "One eyed" Ri
ley, both Of Kiowa, charged with
"bootlegging," and each was given
the minimum of 500 fine and 80
days in Jail.
Robert Wise and E. T. Bowman
of Sun City, charged with shooting
into building, entered a plea of
guilty and were fined 81 and costs,
the total bill being $3.50.
Divorces were granted on Wed
nesday in the cases of Abraham
Moses VS.. Ida Moses, and Annie
Keith VS.. Joseph Keith. There
were no property matters involved
in either case. Mr.. Moses is a prom
inent farmer of Sharon township.
The other parties are known only
locally.
The big civil suit of the term was
the case of H. W. Skinner of this
city VS.. w. P. Gibson of Elm Mills
The suit involved a pasture deal, l,an6
Mr.. Skinner asked for damages il
, the amount of a little over $4,000
He alleged that Mr.. Gibson had &C
cepted a large number of his cattle
, for pasture and represented to hin
that the pasture contained $3.50
: acres but that it actually contained
less than 5000 acres; that by reas
, on of such Misrepresentation, th'
pasture was overstocked, the cattle
did not have sufficient grass anC
shrank, entailing great loss. An
other allegation was that the fence:
were in bad condition and that tht
cattle got into adjoining fields anC
!. destroyed crops, and plaintiff wa!
l obliged to pay the damage.
Mr.. Gibson set up a general de
nial, excepting that he admitted
that there was an error in the stip
ulated acreage in the pasture, bu
he claimed that the shortage wa!
much less than claimed by the plain
tiff. He also had a cross bill o.
damages and other claims which ht
rendered as an offset.
There were some fine law point:
presented and the jury was excused
several times while the attorneys ar
= gued. The contention raised by the
] defendants attorneys was that in {
| transaction of this kind the plaintiff
could not claim damage by reason o
the shrinkage of the cattle, that Il
= he overstocked the pasture and suf
, fered loss thereby, he did SO at his
} own peril. Judge Gillett sustained
this contention which reduced the
, claim for damages to less than 81,
! 600.
Mr.. Skinner was represented b.
t Noble & Tincher, and Mr.. Gibson By
= Seward 1. Field and VIM. Barrett
f the latter being one of Pratt's able
: lawyers.
j. D. Mathews A. Donovan
Arch Rankin c. ]. Preist
]. w. Young D. A. Hahn
B. Mills P. L. Lake
> J. F. Trice Sam Scott
NJ. w. Smedley w. E. Humphrey
The case went to the jury Frida,
> evening and in the course of few
). hours a verdict was returned 70