Jamestown weekly alert. [volume] (Jamestown, Stutsman County, D.T. [N.D.]) 1882-1925, 1911-10-26
LaMOuRE COUNTY
DISTRICT COURT
HAS MANY CASES OF PUBLIC m
TEREsT-CARPENTER AND
LEE DAMAGE SUITS

LaMoure, N. D., Oct. 23.-Court
has been in session for over two
weeks with Judge ]. A. Cohey on the
bench. Much business has been brot
before the court and disposed of in
a dignified manner and with great
dispatch. It seemed at first that
trials were moving slowly, but the
constant application to duty has al
most cleared the entire calendar of
cases. Some old timers and many
new cases have been disposed of,
both civil and criminal.
One druggist was found guilty of
plugging" and received the usual SEN
tence meted out to these one time
common offenders.
One horse thief was found guilty
and another plead guilty.
Several criminal cases of the less
er offenses were tried and defendants
found guilty. Clones of Rock" one
of the greatest orators of North Da-
kota, is prosecutor in the criminal
cases and is assisted by his partner,
Hon. w. H. Hutchinson, also an ora
tor of fame. Attorney Tom Curtis
of Lisbon and E. M. Warren of La
Moure defended in the principal
criminal cases.
Mrs. Carpenters Case
lhe first interesting and important
civil case tried was that of Charlotte
M. Carpenter against the Village of
Dickey. A suit for $531S.O5 dam
age sustained by Mrs. Carpenter for
injuries to her ankle by reason of
fall caused by a broken rotted plank
in the side walk at the Village of
Dickey on April 26th, 1910.
Much testimony was taken; the
whole village population watched
the trial with eager interest. The
jury received the case and after a
few minutes consideration found for
the plaintiff for every count asked.
Attorney LaSell of LaMoure, repre-
sented the plaintiff and was assisted
by Knauf & Knauf of jamestown,
while the Village of Dickey was ably
represented by Jones & Hutchinson
OF LaMoure.
Lee VS.. Bowlby
The next important civil case was
that of George ]. Lee against G. E.
Bowlby, both of Edgeley. In this
case the plaintiff claimed damages in
the sum of $4,000 for defamation
of character by slanderous words
spoken to him by the defendant in
the presence of "divers persons"
Some forty witnesses were in attend
ance on this case. The plaintiff
proved that the defendant had been
a CRATER and protected blind pigs
while he was justice Of the peace, all
of which the defendant admitted on
the stand, that he had said and
claimed that it was true and that
many at Edgeley knew it long before
the words were uttered. Many wit
nesses testified that the grating
charge had been generally long
known.
Meanwhile the plaintiff tried to
produce witnesses who knew his
character to be good. But he was
unable to produce the best citizens
of Edgeley and could not successfully
assail the terrific onslaught made
on his character.
The jury heard the case for two
days and after being out IL hours,
returned a verdict in favor of the
defendant and against the plaintiff
thus finding that the remarks were
true and everybody knew it and that
therefore plaintiff had not been dam
aged. Hon. Tom Curtis of Lisbon,
represented the plaintiff and put up
a fierce fight until every vestige of
ground was swept from under his
feet and even then spoke for two and
a half hours to the jury and by his
good wit his many sallies and ora
torical flights, tried to convince the
Jury that defendants 20 witnesses
were perjurers and that plaintiffs
four witnesses were truthful, but
with the efforts of Mr.. Murfin and
John Knauf for the defendant, show
ing every logical conclusion to point
to the truth Of defendants conten-
tions the jury inevitably found for
the defendant.
The court room was crowded with
the citizens of Edgeley and LaMoure
and without doubt, the showing up
Of the tough element of Edgeley as
made by John Knauf in his argu-
,ment, will do much to make Edgeley
as clean little city as anywhere may
be found. 4, s,i. s &.
Among prominent attorneys at
Il , A VFa! f. aiE Il