The Mena weekly star., 1919-04-24
WILL INVESTIGATE HIGHWAY PETITIONS
Judge Steel Names Levi Pigg, T. ]. Wilbanks and LeRoy Neal for the Task-Jall for Failure to Answer
 Questions of Grand Jury.

were brought before Judge Steel Tuesday evening on the charge of re- fusing to answer or evadng questions put to them by the grand jury. After being told by the court the penalty for such an offense and still refusing to make their answers more definite, they were fined $50 each and sen- tenced to jail until 9 o'clock Wednes- day morning. After sentence had been pronounced they were given an- other opportunity to appear before the grand jury, and their evidence was such that on the recommendation of the jury the jail sentence was held Tn abeyance with the direction that they appear again on Wednesday morning for further examination.
 The case of Mrs. NJ. J. Mcdonald vs. the Home Mutual Life Associa- tion was dismissed on a demurrer filed by A.J. Powers of Fayetteville, attorney for the association. The case was dismissed for want of jurisdic- tion.
 E. H. Butler, Tom Wilbanks and Le- Roy Neal were appointed by the court to examine the records and petitions for the establishment of on improvement district for the construe- tion of the Jefferson Highway. The commission will ascertain the number of signers on the petitions, the num- Der of taxpayers in the proposed dis trlct and the acreage and value of the real estate embraced in the district, making report to the court when the appeal of Joe Lewis ct al, comes up for a hearing.
 The case of c. c. Sparks vs. the Kansas City Southern Railway Com pany was the first railroad case taken up for trial Wednesday. The action was brought by the plaintiff for the recovery of damages in the amount of $15,000 for injuries. received on Feb ruary IT, 1919, while in the employ of the defendant company removing steel rails between Mena and Acorn. The injury was to His left ankle, foot and leg. The jury in the case was empaneled early this morning, and the. trial of the, care proceeded until Alley & Norwood, as attorneys for the plaintiff, filed an amended complaint, which the court ruled entitled the de- fendants to continuance. Accord ingly continuance was granted until the next term Of court.
 In the case of J. P. Payne vs Will S. MacLafferty the jury returned a verdict of $175 in favor of the plain tiff The case was an appeal from the justice court of S. H. Smith, where judgment in the same amount was rendered. The action was brought to collect commission for the sale of property.
 A verdict of $166 in favor of the Thacker Grocery Company and against Mrs. F. Nj. Pipkin and M. H. Dake was returned by the jury in the case of Thacker Grocery Company vs. Mrs. F. NJ. Pipkin, M H. Dake, Mark Hall and Mrs. Mark Hall. This was an appeal from the court of S. H. Smith, wherein judgment had been rendered in a like amount.
 From now on it will be Judge Hal L. Norwood Mir Norwood was elect ed special judge on Wednesday by the Polk County Bar to try the ease of M. K. Penniger vs. J. W Everett, in which Judge Steel was disqualified on account of relationship to the defend ant.
 In the case of First National Bank vs. T. A. Allen, 0. E. Sutton and Fred Farnsworth, the jury returned verdict against the bank. The case was an appeal from the court of s. H. Smith, in which judgment had been rendered against T. A. Allen. The circumstances in the case were pecuIi- CT. The defendant, Farnsworth, had issued a check for 50 cents in pay ment for service at the Sutton res- taurant; the check was alleged to have been paid out in change by the res- taurant management; and when it reached the First National bank in course of business, it was tor $50 and was paid, the change in amount being tiseoy yered when the check was pre- sented at the Planters State Bank for clearance. It was then protested, anc when the matter of protest was taken uj with c. E. Sutton, he authorized T. A. Allen to make payment of the check, but this payment, which was also by check, was stopped by Mir. AL len when he learned the circum- stances in the case, and it was he who appealed from the decision of the lower court.
 In the case of w. R. Murray vs. J. E. Allen and the Bank of Vandervoort as garnishee, the court ordered that $500 which was placed in the hands of H. ". Finger while sheriff, be paid to the plaintig or to his attorneys, AL ley & Norwood The money had been deposited in the Bank of Wander voort by the plaintiff in consideration of the bank guaranteeing bail bond given by the defendant, ]. E. Allen, for his appearance in Circuit court, and the liability on the bond having ceased, the suit was brought to recover the funds.
 The case of NJ. C. Trumbull vs. the Kansas City Southern Railway Com pany was dismissed for want of pros ecution. and the case of N. ". Swift vs the Kansas City Southern Railway Company was continued until the next term of court. as was also the case of R. R. York vs. Will Tow, and the case of Men Strauss vs. Mrs. F. NJ. pipkfn and M II. Dale.
 The case of W. E. Clinton vs. the