Evening times-Republican. [volume] (Marshalltown, Iowa) 1890-1923, 1920-10-20
DIR. 4. ]. HObSON
WINS ISLANDER SUIT
PIONEER HAMPTON PHYSICIAN
FOUND NOT GUILTY in DIS
TRicT COURT.
SENSATIONAL TRIAL AT
HAMPTON COMES TO END
Action Brought by Dr.. c. F. Osborne
For $4,000 Damages Results in
Victory For Defendant-Similar
Action by Lutheran Hospital Prob
ably Will Not be Tried.
Special to Times Republican.

Special to Times Republican.
Hampton, Oct. 20.-Dr. A. J. Hob
son. pioneer physician. and dean Of
the medical profession In this city.
was acquitted by q jury in the
Franklin county district court on a
charge Of Islander. brought by DR..
9. +. Osborne, another widely-known
physician of Hampton and head sur
geon In the Lutheran hospital here.
Dr.. Osborne sought to recover dam
ages OF $4,000.
The jury agreed on verdict ut 2
o'clock, this morning. after delibera ;
ting eight hours. and Judge Thomp-
son. OF Mason City, who has sleeping
quarters in the court house, was
awakened to hear the jury's report
OF not guilty. Judge Thompson there
upon discharged the jury.
Action Most Sensational.
The action just brought to a close
was one Of the most sensational ev-
er tried In the Franklin county court.
DR.. Hobson was charged by DIR. Os-
borne with having circulated SLAM
derous stories connecting his name
with immoral practices within the
hospital, ana, specifically, that DR..
Osborne was making a harem out Of
the hospital. Because OF the alleged
remarks the hospital brought a si,ni-
lar action, asking $4,000 damages.
It II thought likely that this case
will not be tried, as the evidence In
the Osborne case would be practical
" the Same as would be available in
the action brought by the hospital.
Verdict Satisfactory TO Public.
While naturally there was more or
less partisan feeling worked up over
the case 1t is believed that the YER
dict will be received with satisfaction
to the public. DIR. Hobson has prac-
ticed his profession here thirty or
forty years. has always borne good
reputation, and never has his name
been connected even BY Inference
with any scandal. He is Of the "old
family physician" type who has driv-
en- the country since the days when
means Of travel was either horseback
or horse and buggy. Many poor
family Of early days has recited In
stances Of DIR. Hobson answering
calls when he knew that he never
would receive fee.
Denied He Circulated Story.
On the witness stand DR.. Hobson
testified that he was not responsible
for the stories that were circulated
about DR.. Osborne. He testified, how,
ever, that he had heard them, as did
- no1l led Efvoo
One Of the principal witnesses for
the plaintiff was ]. D. Bevans, pub
Usher Of a magazine which special-
ICES in salacious reading, who had
heard Of the Hampton rumors, and
who testified that DR.. Hobson, when
interviewed by one Of his men, had
repeated the stories involving DR..
Osborne's name. On cfoss-examina-
ton, however, Bevens testified that
DR.. Hobson had said that he had
heard OF the rumors, and referred
him to the nurses at the hospital
Judge Thompson gave plaintiff
thirty days in which to file motion
for a new trial. as
Argumsnts Of Attorneys. G
b. G. Dunn OF Mason City, opened
the argument to the jury for the
plaintiff. Gerald Leming, OF Hamp-,
ton; D. M. Kelleher, Of TT. Dodge,
and B. H. Mallory, Of Hampton, fol-
lowed for the defendant and ]. A.
Senneff. Of Mason City, closed for tho
plaintiff.
Because DR.. Hobson saw another
star rising in the medical world
brighter than his own was one of tho
reasons why DR.. Hobson had SLAM