The Mena weekly star., 1917-05-03
CIRCUIT COURT HAD
 l STRENUOUS SESSION
Agany Gases Dealt With Liberty of Individuals-J. H. Allen Lost His Suit Against the County-The
 Bonds Approved.

Among the closing acts of Judge
 Bowling at this term of Court was
 the approval of the bonds of off, eers among them being the bonds ot w. E. Anderson, county treasurer # Will Alexander, county clerk; w. L Parker, circuit clerk; J. A. Hughes county assessor; Albert Robertson county weigher; w. E. McVey, coun- tv surveyor, and J. Il. Riales, Joe Emerson, D. A. Walker, H. N. LJmus Douglass Walker, R. J. Pierce, q. L. Bagwell Wm. Ghamblin ana A. J. Bailey as constables.
 The April session of Circuit court closed Thursday night, after having been ill session for nine days. This session will go down in history as one of the most strenuous and seri- ous that has been held in this coun- tv by reason of the fact that there were so many cases that had to do with the personal liberty of indi- yiduals. There were times when Court, jurors and spectators were overcome with grief and sympathy for those who were called to suffer inc penalty of the law.
 The case of ]. H. Allen vs. Polk County, which was an appeal from the County Court on the matter of the allowance of the claim of the appellant for services rendered as a member of the Board of Equali- zation last fall, was tried before the Court, most of the evidence having been submitted in writing on the part of the members of the board. The Court held that the Board of Equalization, like a school board, a city council, or the directors of a corporation cannot legally transact business unless a quorum is pres ent, and the other members of the board, council or directorate have been notified of the meeting. The Court further held that from the unstable testimony presented by the members of the board it was impos- sible to determine just how long and when the board was in ses- sion as a board, and for that reason he refused to disturb the judgment of the County court in the allowance of the claim.
 Among the last cases tried was the charge against Hosea Ross on the in- dictment of selling tobacco to a min- or. The prosecuting witness was Felix Reeves and MT, Ross was the only witness in his own behalf. The prosecution was handled by Deputy Prosecuting Attorney George Steel and the defense by Col. Pole Me- phetrige The jury returned ver- diet of guilty and assessed the fine at Si0.
 F. J. Smith, Minor Pipkin and J.. E. Taylor were appointed by the Court as Commissioners of Accounts.
 A representative of the Van Noy Interstate News Company, cor poration. appeared in open court Thursday morning to answer to five indictments returned against said company on the charge of sell
 ing cigarette papers. A plea of guilty was entered to indictments numbers 5S0 and 58i, and the Court assessed fine of Si0 on each indict- ment. Indictments 582, 583, and 5SA were ordered dismissed on the pay ment of costs by the defendant company.
 The cash bonds of Martin Earl and John Kronlein were forfeited by the Court. These were the young men from Illinois who were arrested in the mountains near Acorn last winter, charged with killing hog belonging to P. T. Reed. The men had been given an examining trial before Justice of the Peace l.. N. Burnett and had been bound over to the grand jury, giving a cash bond for their appearance, and faii- ing to appear it was these bonds which were forfeited.
 Artie Lawrence and Austin Counts of the Shady community were tried before jury Wednesday evening on an indictment alleging that they had been drunk at a Christmas tree gathering held at Happy Hill school house in Faulkner township last Christmas. The defendants were represented by Judge J. l. Alley and H. H. Thomas, respectively. The prosecution was conducted by as sistant Prosecuting Attorney George Steel The case was submitted without argument, and the verdict was not guilty"