Pocahontas star herald., 1926-01-28
CIRCUIT COURT IS s.-usnAY
0'"0 ADJOURNED TUESDN :

g, o,'.,,, court in the history q -. .aav
doInb county caine to an emu e. ses-
uo'l'" ,o.l'.,,oon s after having been ID -. -
',o,, "l'o' ,nst eight days. More cases "e ne
sion ,'..s '"S' 80 than ever before IN ~ ~
sane length of time. A large ma'y,r liens
same ,',I'. ls"t trials resulted in conviction,
y, aa ~. there was not a single jury '-~ .
failed to agree. verdicts n '"o.s .',n,,tes
'.n'.o ."',oD ,oturned ~ after only few mlnu'ss
"o,,horatIon. IAN Judge Ashley pa'1
high tribute to the jurors Jus. ..'',oon. ys
no dismissed them Tuesday al's'- ~
The grand jury adjourned SHUT, 20 ,rue
noon no. ofter having returned AZ true
Inns Of Indictment. Their repor. ~
pears in full in another column Oh ''''
paper. he the
Counting the bills returned y .'as ~
present grand jury upon which ac''~, 'r
,ros takon at this term, sixly-h"''
criminal cases were disposed Oh '""
" and eighteen continued un''l "e1
term. Most of the cases con''"'''
were on account of sickness on 'ne l~''
of important witnesses. Twenty 0' ~.
fortv-three cases in which lnuic'n'0"',
were returned by this grand jury were
tried in this court,
There we're 63 cases on tne CIV"
docket. Al of which were disposed o.
Ten men received penitentiary SEN
fences. all for one year each excei"
J. H. Blyze. who received a six-mon'ns
sentence. and Alden Gates, 10 yeafs.
Two Of the men who were sentences
last week, Loren Wetzel, grand larceny
and Jim Osborn, possessing stiii'
were granted n stay of sentence un'n
the next term of court. Osborn IL
said to be physically unable to be taken
to the penitentiary. The other cases
which drew sentences, not reported
last week are, Ray Hill, Jess Beaman
and Guy Talbot. one. year each Tor
grand larceny; VIM. Bradley, manu-
featuring liquor Alden Gates was
given 10 years for murder in the second
degree, in connection with the murder
In April, 1924. of VIM. Pierce, an aged
farmer Pierce was shot In the back
while walking up the Frisco tracks
late one night. Rufe Persful, a boy
living near town. was convicted Of the
murder ana is now serving 15-year
sentence. Gates was arrested at the
time but was released. Several months
later Gates, apparently suffering a
mental disorder. confessed committing
the murder He was taken to the state
hospital for treatment and. after sever
nj months, was discharged as cured.
He was later indicted for the crimk
and his case came up for trial last
Friday. Persful was brought here
from the penitentiary and served a.
chief witness for the State in the case
The jury was out only fifteen minutes
before returning with their verdict.
Gates filed motion for an appeal to
the Supreme Court, which was grant
ed, and his bond was placed at 5000
by Judge Ashley He was placed IN
jail here while relatives are maxine
an attempt to raise the amount of the
bond.
Experienced court officials. attorner-
and jurors here are lavish in th.,-
praise of Judge Ashley and ATTY ru,.
Tor their manner of handling the cou,t
The judge is explicit in his iustr,s
tions' prompt in his decisions and 49,.
To- both prosecution and defense !.
nearing the cases. He is round,.. -.
his first term as Circuit Judge ana =
course, is candidate for s.o'.s
term. 1t is not likely that he v,,, =
opposed by another candidate
Mr.. Ellis has completed his s.,.
term and has made an enviable reons' ,,,,'''
ms prosecutor. He gave tho h. "
na" 70 every case he tried. Thar =
much as any man could do H. ss
not seek reelection to this oa,sa WI
mas announced that he will be : ~a'
didate for chancellor Of this tba ~. san-
chancery district. e'sn'h