The Mankato free press., 1922-01-20
Pulls THE LAUGH
FROM BIG CROWD
Suit At Madelia Was On
< Trial Yesterday
STAGED IN THE THEATRE
Was Something Like Vaudeville
Show; Audience "Tickled
To Death"

Had the>census taker visited Madelia
yesterday, he could have found the en-
tire citizenry congregated in or about
the town opera house. The occasion
for the big and interested gathering
was the suit of Carl Nelson against
Chief of Police L. L. Houle which was
tried there before Justice of the Peace
William D. Hinchon. Legal talent in
the trial consisted of c.. J. Laurisch
for the defendant and John e. Regan
for the plaintiff.
Jurymen returned q verdict for the
defendant yesterday evening at $50
o'clock. Deliberations took thirty
minutes.
1t was the contention of the plain
tiff that on the morning of December
"a about three o'clock he was arrested
for intoxcation and lodged in jail by
the defendant in yesterdays action
and that at the time he was incarcerat-
ed he was searched by the officer who
is alleged to have taken from the per-
son of his prisoner a watch, chain,
knife and $S in cash. Nelson con-
tended that these articles were never
returned to him. II was the conten-
tion of the defense that Nelson was not
in possession Of any of these articles
at the time of his arrest and that he
never turned over anything to the po-
lice at the time he was searched.
Town at Fever Heat
The case has been discussed in Ma
della since the time of the arrest, un
til every one in the town had formed
an opinion in the case on one side or
the other and the result was the NAM
moth attendance yesterday which
made it necessary to remove the seat
OF the mill of justice from the city
hall to the opera house. When the
transfer was made, il was procession
almost a block long which filed into
the show shop.
charge to defray expenses OF heating
of the theatre but this plan was not
carried out
On the witness stand, under cross
examination directed by Mr.. Laurisch.
Nelson admitted that he suffered with
snakes" and that the morning OF his
arrest he rushed from his own home
TO the home of a clergyman with the
tale that he was being robbed. At the
tine he bore this message, Nelson is
2ii to have been atdred in sleeping
a2r.
When the police arrived they found
'l.2 room occupied by the plaintiff to
: in a disorderly state and several of
TIE window panes smashed. Nelson
later pleaded guilty to charge Of in
toXication and paid a fine.
Use Eleven Jurors
by consent of both sides the case
yesterday was tried with eleven jurors
instead of the usual twelve good men
and true. 1t was-a task to find tails
men who could qualify and the twelfth
man drawn had a reasonable excuse
for not serving. 1t was at this point
that an agreement was reached re-
gard. g trial with the lucky number.
Jurors who served yesterday were
c. S. Chrisuanson, Jr., foreman, A J.
Mclean, A. Simonett, George Espen-
son, r. NJ. Sargent, Theo. Tollernson
F. A. Seymour, ]. p. Hale, 0. F. Lar
son, T. M. Teigum, and George Hill.
The improvished courtroom present
er a gala day appearance. Every seat
was filled and many were standing. AT
every brilliant sally by counsel, the
crowd broke into applause. Arguments
were interrupted by salvos of hand
clapping and the noise at the close OF
each attorneys argument was deafen-
ing.
One of the attorneys in the case re-
marked today that his opponent ap-
peared to have the crowd with him
but Il had the jury with me-" he
chuckled.
Attorney Resan stated today that
the case will be appealed to thu dis
trict court Of Watowan county.