The Richmond palladium and sun-telegram. [volume] (Richmond, Ind.) 1907-1939, 1914-05-01
ELLIS MAY BRING
SANDER CHARGE
IN COUNTY COURT
Mrs. Conkle's Friends Deny
Charge That Church Jury
Acquitted Her on Promise
to Withdraw.

Charges made by friends of George
Ellis today that Mrs. Ina Conkle, &C
quilted yesterday morning of a malic
ious SANDER charge, preferred by Ellis
and heard before church tribunal at
the Third NJ E. church, was found not
guilty with the understanding that she
and her husband, Charles H. Conkle
and the two children withdraw their
memberships in the church, were moi
substantiated by DR.. D. w Stevenson
who was foreman of the jury
THE verdict was decided strictly on
the merits of the case and without any
agreement that Mrs. Conkle would be
acquitted provided she and other mem
bers Of her family withdrew their
church memberships. They did not
withdraw from the church until after
the verdict had been read" declared
Dr. Stevenson.
May File Suit.
Mr.. Ellis when asked today if it was
his intention to prefer charges of ma
llcious SANDER against Mrs. Conkle in
the civil courts, stated he had reached
no decision on that question. my at
torney is not in the city today and |
will consult him before l reach de-
cision. I may issue a public statemen.
in day or two" he said.
Further details Of the proceedings
in the first church trial held in Rich
mond in quarter of a century were
learned today
According to a man who attended
the hearing the Rev. B. E. Parker
pastor Of the First NJ E. church, who
assisted in the defense of Mrs. Con.
kle, addressed the jury and urged that
a verdict of not guilty be returned
saying that the only thing she could
be found guilty of was what she had
confessed to, which was that she had
gossiped about the neighborhood that
it was thought Ellis had some connec
ton with the assault on Wicks. The
Rev. Parker then concluded by ex
pressing the hope that Mrs. Conkle and
Ellis would agree to forget their diff
ferences and shake hands, obviatine
the necessity of a verdict in the case
Try to Make Peace.
When the jury retired the members
sent for the Rev. Parker and told him
that his suggestion of a reconciliation
between Ellis and Mrs. Conkle was
an excellent idea, whereupon the Rev
mel anu tuc fteN. w lllldIIS, vi rem
dleton, who acted as prosecutor, urged
the two parties in the case to renew
friendly relations, but without success
Then two jurymen tried to act as
peacemakers but their efforts also me-
with failure. Finally the tired ant
sleepy jurymen re-convened and de
cided verdict was necessary. They
then voted unanimously to acquit Mrs
Conkle
It is stated that when the Rev Syl
vester Bilheimer, pastor of the church
heard of the verdict, he exclaimed
This means more trouble for me,
but the Rev. Parker quickly informed
him that it would not, because Mrs
Conkle and other members of her fam
lily intended to withdraw their church
memberships. 1t is stated that the
Rev. Mr.. Parker then prepared the
withdrawal notices which were signed
by the members Of the Conkle family
Mr.. Ellis today asserted that the
Conkles formally withdrew from the
church before the verdict was rem
dered. The formality of asking fol-
letters was waived by the members O.
the Conkle family
FINE FOR MOSQUITOES.