The diamond drill. (Crystal Falls, Iron County, Mich.) 1887-1996, 1914-02-07
JUDGE O'BRIEN
PRESIDED HERE
JUDGE FLANAGAN TOOK o'BRIeNs
PLACE AT nouGHroN
COMMISSION FOUND HALL INSANE
Watkins and Msnnssto Both Found
Guilty Court lasted the Entire
Week


Circuit court opened last Monday
morning with Judge 4. II. O'Bren Ct
Houghton sitting in place OF Judge
Flanagan. the latter having been r.
quested by O'Brien to take his place
on the Houghton bench during the
trial OF the six defendants in the See.
berville murder case. Judge O'Brien
was found to be disqualified to sit Ia
the case because of distant relation
ship to one Of the defendants
After the call of the calendar Mon
day morning the jury was dismissed
until after dinner when the case OF
the People vs. Georger Hall was callti
90. A question as to the sanity uf
the defendant having been raised. 4
commission consisting of Drs Q. r
Larson. McBurney and Libby, was
appointed to pass upon the sanity cf
the man. Immediately upon the
reassembling of the court. the jury
was excluded from the room while
testimony was taken. The first wit
ness was Mrs Mcpherson who was as
one time teacher OF Hall in the
district school She told of his actions,
many Of which were peculiar, and she
was followed by several other witness
es. including the physicians. The latter
pronounced Hall simple minded and
the decision WAS that ha should b.
committed TO state hospital instes
Of trying him for murder.
The question then aross as to the
hospital to which he should be com.
mitted. Criminal insane are taker
care OF at Ionia and the other hospitals
dislike to have among their population
insane people Of a criminal tendency
no there was hesitancy about sending
him 10 Newberry. A message was ser.
to the attorney general asking hls
advice
The case of the people vs Stanker
was put over The term and that or
the People VS. Zenile was first noticet
for trial but upon the representation
of tine defendants attorney, G.. G..
Rite, that the defendants childreu
were sick with whoopipg cough an
that one OF them is material witness,
Judge O'Brien decided TO put the
case over the term.
The case of the people vs. Brown wAs
discontinued on motion of the prose
cutor and that Of the people vs. Otto
Anderson came up for trial immeoiss-
ely following the Hall case. A jury
was impaneled and testimony for ths
people completed Monday afternoon.
Defendant was accused of keeping
his saloon open ON Sunday contrary g.
the statute. The testimony in thi.
case was not very strong against the
defendant whose case was looked after
by A. F. Dixon That there werA
persons in the room back of the saloor
was not disputed but there WASH
any testimony showing that liqucr
was being sold in there
The denfense was that the room
was not part Of the saloon but was
a separate part OF the building nscc
By Justice of the peace. Some liquor
was stored In the room but it wa
In bulk with no seals broken. A side
door lead out from the room onto thu
street.
Judge O'Brien was at one time dis.
posed to take the caee away and direct
a verdict Of guilty but the testimony
about the side entrance kept him from
doing so. "a
The Jury retired early on Tnesdg
morning aud in about an hour retuI
ed verdict 9f mot guilty
The case Of the people vs 0elago was
continued by consent. AttiIlio Gialli
pleaded not guilty TO the charge OF
threatening 10 kill Captain Bowden
bur owing 10 the illness of the com.
planning witness the case had 10 b.
put over the term.
Immediately following the Anderson
case. the assault and battery case
against Nick Mannesto was called.
The case was appealed from Justice
Davison's court. An old man named
Ellis was given permission to fix up
a shack on Mannesto's land near
Fortune Lake and live in Il. He was
also given the privilege Of quitting
wood on the land. some OF it 20 be
burned for himself spd some OF IL for
Manncsto. Ellis IL 80 years o. age
and went to live by himself from the
county poor farm because he wanted
10 be alone.