The Telegraph-courier. [volume] (Kenosha, Wis.) 1888-1946, 1925-06-18

Two weeks ago Joseph Conley
came to Kenosha to visit his mother
for short time, intending to return
to his work in Chicago within ten
days. Today Joseph Conley is under
arrest on charges of reckless driving
which may be changed later to man
slaughter in the fourth degree, follow
ing a verdict of coroner's jury in
the municipal courtroom on Tuesday
afternoon which heard evidence in the
inquest of the death of Arthur Bal
ties, who was killed on Saturday even
ing in an automobile accident on the
Burlington road. Following an agree
ment between Judge John Slater, Dis
trict Attorney Lewis Powell, Assist
ant District Attorney Morris Barnett,
and Attorney Roy Stephenson, repre-
senting Conley, the defendant was al
lowed his liberty on bonds of $1,000
which were offered at once.
The coroner's jury listened to. evil
dence in the case for an entire af-
ternoon on Tuesday before it was able
to arrive at a decision, and then af-
ter all of the evidence was in and the
jury had been out, celebrating for a
half hour it came back expressing the
wish to be taken out to the scene of
the accident. A short time after their
return the, jury brought in the verdict
declaring that Arthur Baltes died fol-
lowing an accident which was caused
through the recklessness of one JOS
eph Conley. Conley's arrest followed
Immediately upon the announcement
of the verdict by the jury.
Conley himself on the witness stand
insisted that Arthur. Baltes, driving
the Ford sedan going east on the Bur-
lington road struck his (Conley's)
Moon sedan which was driving west
on the same road, the front wheels
buckled each other resulting in the
wrecking of the Ford and the ditch
ing of the Moon. He also insisted on
repeated examination and cross-exam-
ination by Asst District Attorney Nor
ris Barnett, who conducted the in
quest for the state, that his car was
not being driven more than seventeen
miles per hour at the time of the &C
cident, and he declared to the coro-
! ner's jury that in his opinion the
Baltes car was coming toward him at q
rate of speed which he estimates at
from thirty to thirty-five miles an
hour.
During the course of this testimony
there were occasional flares between
Barnett and Stephenson, in which the
latter insisted that his client was be-
ing drawn into giving testimony which
was irrevelent in the inquest. Stephen
son accused Barnett of attempting to
| make the inquest a personal injury
case, and Barnett retorted with denial
"A fellow mortal has been killed" ne
said, "and we want to know the truth
of the circumstances under which he
died" Coroner Joseph Friend inter
rupted the argument which began to
take on heated proportions by order
ing the testimony in the case contfn-
ued, and disregarding the protesta-
tions of both Barnett and Stephenson
Were Driving to Roadhouse.
| Conley continued to tell the jury
that he was driving two of his friends
Tony Granitti and Sam Iorio to g
dance on the Burlington road.
"What kind of place is this dance 2
| questioned Barnett.
"It's roadhouse," answered Conley
what do they do there"
They sell pop there and danes
with music. A man by the name of Ar
runs the place"
Sam Iorio added to the testimony
which attempted to show that the
Conley car was not exceeding twenty
miles per hour on its trip westward.
The real tragedy of the affair as
| it. appeared in the heart of the moth.
err of the dead boy was brought ou
wildly on the witness stand when Mrs
Selma Baites, mother of Arthur Bal
! ties, was asked to testify, A comelI
little woman, with >haggard face anc
wrinkled hands, and with an expires
sion of mother-love in her every men
Continued on page 12)