The Mankato free press., 1921-03-11
Club HELD MOCK TRIAL
GOOD THUNDER FOLKS
LIKED PROGRAM
Regular Meetings Were Changed
From Friday To Saturday
Evenings

-
evening, March 5, was the date Of a
lively home talent production in the
form of mock trial held in the
school house in the Fleming distric.
where the Blue Earth Valley Farm
ers' club held its meetings. The club
has only recently been organized
but is growing with each meeting
held. With the organization OF this
club 1t has been hoped to furnish a
social recreation, some really educa-
tional parts OF the program and an
opportunity for the discussion oi
farm and community problems.
In the business meeting a resolu-
tion for an amendment to the con-
stitution, calling for the regular
meeting night to be changed from
Friday evenings to Saturday evenings
was laid on the table to be acted
The possibility Of getting home
demonstration agent to come to oui
community was discussed and the
discussion brought out the fact that
some OF our ladies have access to the
classes being held at Vernon. This
district corners with Vernon, Garden
City, Rapidan and Lyra so it may be
necessary to organize in the fou!
townships separately If the proper
number of ladies in each wish &c
organize.
District Called The Corners
Because of its particular position
this district has been called "The
Corners. The petition for a state
road connecting the Daniel Boone
with the Garden City road was pre-
sented and laid aside for signatures
The program opened with community
singing. The trial occupied the rest
OF the evening. The arrest of Frank
Nickerson by Sheriff Fred Fleming
former meeting. Mr.. Zumwalt was
the plaintiff and Will Bryson the
prosecuting attorney while Lee Cox
was the attorney for the defense.
David Fleming was the judge. Ray
Bennett, court reporter and Lester
Fleming clerk of court. The jurors
were drawn from the audience. Mr.
Partridge of Vernon; Oscar Johnson
and Fred Johnson, Mrs. Richard
Armstrong, Pearl Forrey and Marie
Fleming We're retained after proper
witnesses called for the prosecution
were the plaintiff, Mrs. Nickerson
Don Cox and Albert Fleming. For the
defense were the accused, Bert
Nickerson and Lewis Johnson. AS the
trial proceeded 1t developed that Mrs
Nickerson's mind was wandering
as the result of the extraction of a
tooth which operation necessiated
the taking of strong drugs. She testi-
fed that her husband was not a,
home that evening. Three other wit
that evening. Albert Fleming was
with Mr. Zumwalt doing chores. They
together found that the horse was
missing and upon searching found a
coat with enyelop in the pocket ad
dressed to Frank Nickerson.
Coat Did Not Fit Accused.
The coat did not fit accused and
he recognized the envelop as one ne
had used to carry paid vouchers IN
while acting on the school board He
remembered last seeing it on the
which belonged to Walter Fleming
The horse was found the day after
the theft in the possession of Don
Cox who claimed to have bought Il
of Frank Nickerson for 500. 1t had
been delivered unannounced and Don
found 1t tied in his barn the next
morning. He had bought the horse o1
Frank Nickerson without knowing
what horse 1t was to be.
FRANK claimed TO be getting the
horse in trade for high bred cattle
and not needing the horse himself
wished to dispose of it. This testi-
! mony was not riddled very success
fully by the attorneys so the minds
of the jurors were led to question
the possibility OF crooked work on the
parts of Walter Fleming or Don Cox
so after polite attenion to both pleas
and rebuttal and the judges charge
they retired to bring in the verdic.
Of not guilty.