The Filer record. (Filer, Idaho) 1919-1930, 1921-01-27
RAmSEYER FOUND
NOT GUILTY IN THIRD
TRIAL FOR MURDER
Jury In District Court Finds Filler
Farmer Not Guilty 81 Murder Of
,. n. Abel In Quarrel.

Homer ,. Ramseyer. prominent
Filler raneher residing north OF
town. was on Sunday morning at
s,s0 o'clock acquitted OF the mar
der OF his nelghbor. J. n. Abel. who
he shot during quarrel over lrrl-
CATION water.
The verdict OF mot guilty" came
al the conclusion OF the third trial ~
the case held In the district court
at Twin Falls. presided over IN all
three instances by Judge W. A. lab
cock.
In the first trial Ramseyer ~Hs
convicted OF second degree murder.
A retrial OF the case was ordered
when the state failed TO show malice
IN connection with the shooting. His
attorneys fought their way through
two succeeding trials. securing first.
hung jury. and then complete ac-
quittal
Attorneys William Guthrie aud
Turner X Haekman. who handled
the defense In the second trial. were
retained for the third. Frank J..
Staephans. prosecuting attorney. rep
resented the state.
Deliberate seven Hoars.
The case had gone 10 the Jury az
O'Clock Saturday night. after has-
ing been begun on Monday morning
OF last week. Although the jury ala
not prcseni IT'S verdict until s;su
O'Clock Sunday morning. a. had
reached an agreement at O'Clock
sunday morning. having deliberateI
seven hours on the case. After
breakfasting. the verdict was pre-
scented to the court. after which The
jury was discharged
Ramseyer was accused OF having
shot Abel In the lex during quar-
rel over irrigation water. at the
headgate between the Ramseyer and
Moseley ranches. occupied by Abel.
ON the evening April rs. 1890. In
lection set In and Abel died five days
later. May ,.
Claimed shooting Justified.
The defense alleged that the trou-
bile. which arose over the distrihn.
ton OF irrlgatlng water. was only .
recurrence OF previous bad feeling
between the TWO men. and declared
that Ramseyer had previously been
bounded" by Abel. citing in par
ticular an instance when Abel at
tackled Ramseyer In front OF store
In Filler. and Ramseyer. 10 avoid fur
Their danger was alleged to have
fled
This incident and the contention
that Abel Was advancing upon Ram
scyer with shovel. that he was
accompanied by his son and hired
han. Oscar Heiter. aud that Ram
seyer was backing away. believing
himself In great bodily danges aud
wishing TO avert trouble. warned
Abel To stay away from him. was
used BY the defense a. a foundation
for the argument OF Jastifahle
shooting
The trial was marked by the IN
PRODUCTION OF new testimony offered
BY John simmons, farm hand. EN-
ployed by Ramseyer. who testified
he ~as an eye witness 10 the shoot
ing. His testimony bore upon an
important point In the case. namely.
whether or not Abel was armed with
shovel when advancing upon Ram
seyer Abels son and hired man had
testified that he did not have the
shovel. simmons testified that he
did
Despite efforts OF the state TO
lmpeach the testimany OF the witness.
~ stood
f. Considerable Interest had been
manifested In the case by citizens
OF the tract. and Al nearly every ses-
sion Of the court the room was
packed 10 full capacity.
Jury and Witnesses.
The jury selected to hear the case
~as composed OF the following: c.
n. Uirieh. william Spencer. O.
Strong. y. c. Boone. J. G. Hayden.
J. N. steeismifh. u. c. Remission. ".
". Patton. Thomas Holmes. Harry
". Fisher. L. J. Miller and c. o.
stratton.
Among those from here who ,esti-
fled in the case were. Z. J. Lyons.
n. s. Frame. John Kessler. Oscar
Heller. Hildra Abel. II. A. Reynolds.
=. o. Walter, A. s. Goff. Mrs. Mabel
SusU X nfllfn chs m mr.