The daily Gate City. [volume] (Keokuk, Iowa) 1855-1916, 1910-05-23
Effort Made by Mrs. Lou Payne,
grandmother Of Carl 3. Berry,
to Have Grand Jury
Investigate Case.
DISTRICT COURT NOW ON
Grand Jury EmpanelIed This After
noon, But Petit Jurors Are
Excused Until June IA
Court News.

The legal fight for the possession OF
three year old Carl B. Berry came
mighty near working its way before
the grand jury which was impaneled
May term Of the district court and
the case might have waxed into some
thing more sensational.
Mrs. Lou Payne, who, as stated
previously in The Gate City, obtain
ed possession of the Berry child af
ter her daughter. who had adopted it,
had died. chiffon Essie Erickson,
mother of the child by birth, obtained
the child after Mrs Payne had secured
II from its adopted mother, and spir-
tied it away.
1t was learned today that Mrs.
Payne sought the county attorney in
an effort to have the child's mother
brought before the grand jury on the.
charge of kidnapping. This the coun-
ty attorney refused to do, feeling
positive that no jury would convict
the woman of that crime under the
circumstances
The case will be heard this after
noon before Judge H. Bank.
The attorney for Mrs. Lou Payne,
who now wants custody of the child,
will contend that when the child was
adopted by Mrs. Berry the child's
mother forever relinquished all claim
to possession Of it, and that Mrs.
Berry's mother is rightfully entitled
to possession of the child as its
grandmother.
District Court Convenes.
The May term of the district court
convened this morning at ] O'Clock
with Judge H. Bank Jr., presiding.
The morning was spent In the assign
ment of cases and this afternoon the
grand jury was drawn.
The term promises to be replete
with criminal cases of more proper
tons than those of the past three or
four terms here. There VII be one and
possibly two on trial for murder; an
other pair may be indicted for assault
with intent to do great bodily injury
while still another will come before
the grand jury charged with obtaining
money under false pretenses. There
does not appear to be the large num-
Der OF cases for investigation that
there were during the past term but II
indictments are returned several OF
them may resolve themselves into
lengthy trials.
Budget Of Work.
1t is expected that the grand jury
will probe the following cases;
Abe Anderson, colored, charged
with asaultfng Moses Jordon, farm
err Of New Boston, who died from The
blow he received on the head inflicted
by a weapon in the hands of the de
PENDANT. Anderson is still in the coun
ty jail He still refuses to talk abon
the quarrel.
Beatrice Keys, colored, who sho
Wm Carter in Rag Alley Saturday al
ternoon. She was given no prelimir
airy and in event that Carter dies tn
grand jury may indict her for murder
Carter is very low at present.
Paul Graves, colored, for assault
with intent to do great bodily injury
john Briggs, colored, for assault
with intent to do great bodily injur.
y ] ScoviIl, obtaining money unde
false pretenses.
There will likely be number {
otter cases that County Attorne
Theodore Craig has for the gran
jurors and it is difficult to predict no
long the body will be in session
Fightmaster Trial.
Thomas Fightmaster will like
have to stand another trial for Q
tempted rape. He is a Croton ma
whose trial during the last term
court was long one. The jury d
agreed after being out many hours.
Petit Jurors Excused.
The petit jurors We're excused til
morning until June IA. There W
be no jury trials until that date.
the meantime Judge Bank will be bu
nearing motions and trying cot
cases. A short session of the gra
Jury is looked for. 1t is not like
that that body will be in session I
longer than three days. The gra
Jurors drawn are the following:
]. A. Vermazen, Charleston TOW
ship
W. Johnson, Des Moines townsh
r. P. Allen. Montrose township.
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