White Pine news. [volume] (East Ely, Nev.) 1920-1923, 1921-11-06
FAIRY TALE ECHOES
IN COURT OF JUcT|CE


In the justice court Wednesday
afternoon Alfred Belander of Snake
valley was acquitted of the charge
of mutilating the brand mark on a
sheep. the alleged property of r. H.
Robson, plantiff in the case. v. II.
Vargas, assistant to the district at
torney. conducted the prosecution
and Attorney Anthony Jurich was
counsel for The respondent. No wit
nesses were put on by the defense
and the states witnesses were b. III.
Robson, r. Fl. Bassett and A. w.
Baker
The evidence was listened to by
an interested audience and Justice
Mcdonald, who was recovering from
an illness occasioned by a severe cold.
had time to consume about two
pitchersful of city water during the
progress of the hearing. The pelt OF
the sheep reposed in the courtroom
as evidence and the dry. woolly fla-
yor impaired TO the atmosphere may
have been factor in contributing to
the judicial thirst. Those present
from idle curiosity were surprised
that a common. everyday sheep could
cause so much commotion in the
Aotof AI6at BoOis oO ntutii tCSnuAtdI
controversy and such an exhibition OF
rhetorical effort ON the part of the
contending lawyers. 1t was really
case of a black-faced eve against
Blackstone and echoes of the plant
i've bleating of the unfortunate sheep
were soon lost in the sonorous
phrases of the attorneys. 'sPlaintive
hleatng' Is not intended in any
sense as a pun on plaintiff" al
though il is fact that the attorney
for the defense did his best to get
the complainant's goat-and pretty
nearly succeeded, although not quite,
owing TO the remarkable equanimity
of the witness.
IL appears, as brought out in the
evidence. that blaek-faced eve, the
alleged property of Robson, had got
ten into the flock of Bellander. Twice
during the last summer Robson had
been notified Of the occurrence, but
had delayed for reasons considered
good and sufficient to recover his
property. Finally, on a date in Octo-
Der. when the Bellander sheep were
herded for fall branding. Mr.. Robson
went to the place of his neighbor and
without delay or hindrance on the
part OF anyone, but permitted and as
sisted by Mr.. Bellander and his en-
ployes. identified and recovered his
black-faced eve. He claimed Ii as
his by certain marks and branding.
But it further appeared that dur
ing the last summer the Robson eve
had taken on family responsibilities.
and after being caught by her al
legged rightful owner and placed In
a corral wobbly young lamb, as ir-
responsible as Mary's, separated
itself from its associates. ran bleating
to the black-faced eve and after the
manner provided by nature began to
draw sustenance from its mother. AT
least it is so claimed that the eve
was the mother. as sheepmen agree
that fall lambs never-or hardly
eyer-make a mistake by nursing
anv but the rightful parent
Ii appears TO be maxim In the
ethics of sheep-raising that a lamb
so nursing goes with the eve and can
he so claimed. And as brought out
in the Bellander-Robison case. the
hungry act of the lamb with the
black-faced Robson eve was the
cause OF the trouble that led to the
arrest OF Mr.. Bellander. charged with
a felonous act.
Sitting facts from vcrbiage and to
make a long story shorter. Mr.. Rob-
ison claimed the lamb and took IL
Mr.. Bellander did not resist the act
but appears to have lost his temper
and said. according to testimony of
the plaintiff. that this is the last
gosh -darned time you will take a
lamb out CT my flock that way"
From the testimony II is inferred
that altar this ri hxr Dol
the two men had vocal setto. or
quarrel, as was termed In evidence.
1t was also brought out that after
Robson had recovered his black
faced eve and her alleged offspring,
the eve had by some means gotten
into another pen and thereafter had
been taken by Bellander and branded.
The Robson brand is described as a
black o. and the Bellander brand
as a double bar, or eleven" a.
termed. II was the con
tention OF the plaintiff that Bellan-
der had placed his brand over the
Robson brand. and that the latter
brand mark had been further dis
figured by either cutting or pulling
the wool therefrom.
The plaintiff testified that Bellan-
der had admitted branding the Rob
ison sheep for the purpose of max
ing him all the trouble he could"
The alleged Robson brand on the
pelt shown in court was indistinct
and showed only about one-quarter
OF the circle claimed to be the "black
o." II was on this point that coun-
sci for the defense laid much en-
phasis in an effort TO discredit the
testimony OF the plaintiff.
In thirty-minute grilling on cross
Attorney Zurich resortec
TO every known means to tear tho
hide of the complaining witness and
his testimony. In the main
the examiner attempted to show that
the complaint had been drawn on the
charge OF mutilating a brand mark
The witness had sworn to the com
plant that the respondent Bellander
had mutilated the mark. Later he
had testified under oath that the
brand mark had been mutilated by
cutting or pulling" but that he did
not know who had done It.
The attorney laid great stress on
this and the courthouse shook with