Free trader-journal. (Ottawa, Ill.) 1916-1920, 1919-03-28
NOTE OBTAINED Of
M0THER-|N-LAW BY
FORCE IS Cancelled
JUDGE DAVIS RULES IN LOCAL
CIRCUIT COURT CASE THAT
LARS Anderson OBTAINED
PAPER BY USE OF THREATS.

Judge Davis in the local Circuit
Court decided that Lars Anderson of
Mazon had secured a note from his
mother-in-law, Mrs Catharine John
son by various threats He ordered
that it be restored to her and the de.
PENDANTS were ordered to pay all the
costs. The case was tried week
ago in the Circuit court and required
three days to dispose Of 1t was hotly
contested and created much interest
not only because of the unusual char
acter Of the case but the antics of
the son-in-law while at the trial.
Mrs. Catharine Johnson was the
plaintiff in the suit against her SON
in-law and Dennis Heaton OF Seneca
She was represented in the case by
F. II. Hayes of Morris and the de
PENDANTS by J. ]. Conway of Ottawa.
The complainant and her son-in-law
are both residents of Macon township.
Mrs. Johnson is rs years Old and a
widow She lives on a small farm of
thirty-tive acres Anderson Is "A meat
butcher by trade and married to
Annie, daughter of Mrs Johnson.
They all lived together and Lars, who
is a husky and active fellow got
along with them about like a strange
bulldog
EZr
his mOther-in-laW at the point of q
big gun, it was claimed which he
fiourished and threatened to shoot
if she didn't ''keter rit' and go to
town with him and produce the note
Being afraid, she went with him ana
executed the note. Anderson trans.
ferred the note to Dennis Hcaton, vii
lage clerk in Seneca. and he tried to
sell it. Before the sale could be made.
however, a bill was filed in the Cir
cult Court of La Sale County asking
that the note be cancelled because Sc
cured by threats. Judge Eldredee is
sued a temporary injunction restrain
ing Heaton from selling the note unit,
the case was tried. At the conclusion
of the trial Judge Davis took his deci-
sion under adyisement until ayester-
ady afternoon. when he ordered the
note surrendered to Mrs. Johnson and
the costs taxed against the defend
ants
There We're a large number of wit.
nesses at the trial from Mazon and
they testified to AndersOns actions
several times at the farm He beat
his motherin-law and his wife. they
said, and threatened them with fire
arms. one night Mrs johnson didnI
'keter rit" as he called it, and he
locked her outside. The night was
cold and she had to sleep in the barn
with scarcely any clothing. Next
morning he playfuIIy took a fivegal
Ion jar of milk and threw it over Mrs
! Johnson a handful at a time Their
/ he tried throwing raw eggs at hel
/ and pork sausage balls, and he was a
/ pretty good pitcher. This was one oi
/ his regular jokes, the neighbors claim
ed He is a man of great physica
strength and ability and during the
trial he went on top of the three-story
| Moloney building and then climbed
the flag pole twenty feet above the
building. much to the delight of the
large crowd that gathered
At the present term of the Circuit
Court in Grundy County Mrs. Ander
son secured divorce from Lars anC
obtained the custody of their two chill
dren.
Lars went to camp after he va!
drafted and was found delinquent. /
is said that he informed the officers
in camp that he had volunteered.