updated 12/25/2016
updated 12/25/2016
Clayton
Co. Justice & Court Proceedings
... as reported in
the 1882 newspapers
~compiled & transcribed by Reid R. Johnson for Clayton Co. IAGenWeb
Elkader Register, Fri., January 13, 1882:
District Court
State Vs. Hiram Hines, et. al., charged with larceny of timber. A plea of guilty entered. Judgement that each pay a fine of $1 and costs, and that all defendants, excepting the father, be confined in the county jail for 30 days, or until the fine is paid.
State vs. William Crowe, larceny. The case was dismissed by the prosecuting attorney, on account of lack of evidence to convict.
State vs. William Sunmons, assault with intent to kill. Motion to set aside verdict convicting of assault and battery, overruled. Judgement that defendant be fined $1.
State vs. Hesner, assault with intent to do great bodily injury. Defendant fails to appear, and bond adjudged forfeited. Prosecuting attorney to prosecute on bond.
State vs. Anton Hoag, larceny. Defendant pleads guilty to larceny of $19 worth of property. On Thursday the Judge sentenced Hoag to pay a fine of $20 or go to the county jail for 6 days. He preferred the latter, and is now behind bars.
State vs. H. Booth, assault with intent to do great bodily injury. Jury returned a verdict of guilty of assault and battery. Defendant was fined $50 or 15 days in the county jail.
State vs. Charles Day, burglary. Trial by jury, and a verdict of guilty returned. Motion for new trial overruled. In this case the Judge deemed it advisable to give a long sentence, and gave him 6 years in the penitentiary at Anamosa. It will be remembered that Day robbed the post office at Giard, and also made an attempt to escape from the jail at this place.
State vs. George W. Glazier, threatening to shoot and take the life of Anna Glazier. Dismissed on motion of complainant. Defendant to pay cost.
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Elkader Register, Friday, February 10, 1882. Clayton Chips column-
Last Saturday night the tranquility of our burg was very sadly interrupted by a shooting affray, in which seven or eight persons were interested, all of whom were immediately put under arrest. The parties are Mr. P. P. Beckert and his three sons on one side, and the two Cole boys and Hiram Brock, their brother-in-law, on the other. It seems that a difference has existed between these two families for a number of years, and has been the occasion of more or less quarreling whenever any of them have met. It happened that all were in town on Saturday night. A quarrel was started between two, then one and another interfered, until seven or eight persons were mixed up in the melee, in which Hiram Brock struck Sam. Beckert. Beckert then drew a revolver and shot at Brock, wounding him in the thigh. The melee continued for a few minutes, several getting black eyes and bloody noses, and then was quelled by the interference of a number of citizens: S. Beckert was soon arrested on the charge of shooting with intent to kill, and three others were arrested on the charge of being accessory to the shooting. Their examination is taking place to-day (Wed.) before Justice Adams: J. O. Crosby att'y for the defense, and L. O. Hatch for the prosecution. Cole and Brock are under arrest on the charge of assault and battery. Their examination is to come off on Friday.
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Elkader Register, Fri., February 17, 1882. Home News column:
Samuel Beckert, the man who shot Hiram Brock in the melee at Clayton, last week, has been bound over to appear before the grand jury in the sum of $250. Brock is rapidly recovering from his wounds, which were slight.
Justus Herwig, of Cox Creek twp., was arrested on Tuesday, charged with assault and battery on Perry Watkins, of the same township. The case came before Justice Skinner, but was taken before 'Squire Adams, on a change of venue, where Herwig was assessed $22 for his sport.
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Elkader Register, Fri., February 24, 1882. Clayton Chips column-
The second trial concerning the shooting affray which your paper has mentioned, took place before Justice Adams on the 14th inst. Mr. Brock was found guilty of an assault and battery upon Sam. Beckert, and fined $3 and costs, which he paid
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Elkader Register, Fri., March 17, 1882. Home News column:
Two vagrants named Jno. Logan and Jno. McNally, were before Justice Lewis, Wednesday morning, and after a short examination fined $5 and costs. Lacking the necessary funds to pay the fine, they were remanded to the county bastille.
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Elkader Register, Fri., April 28, 1882. Home News column:
J. W. Mitchell is now behind the bars of the county jail for indulging in his propensity for stealing, having robbed the till at M. O'Brien's saloon of some small change. He will remain here for 30 days, at least.
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Elkader Register, Fri., May 5, 1882. Home news column:
Henry Kruck_witt, of Guttenberg, is now an inmate of the county jail, having been sent up for thirty days by Justice Jacobs. the offence for which Mr. K. was sent up was threatening to burn the town of Guttenberg. He is somewhat cracked about his upper story.
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Elkader Register, Fri., May 19, 1882:
Last week two young men came to this place, and offered for sale a suit of clothing, a watch, etc., at surprisingly low prices, which excited suspicion that all was not right. Soon after they left town, word was received of a burglary in Tama county, and Sheriff Place and Will. Sargent started after the two fellows. On Wednesday, they arrested them near Brush Creek, when they proved to be Tom. Annis, and Clifford Beemer. After arrest one of them made a confession, not to the Tama county robbery, but to burglarizing the store of A. Rittenhouse, Brush Creek, on the night of May 2nd. They were taken before justice Fred. Glime, of Strawberry Point, who bound them over to await the action of the grand jury, in the sum of $300. Annis gave the required bail, but Beemer failed to furnish his and was brought to the jail at this place.
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Elkader Register, Fri., May 19, 1882. Millville Matters column:
A lively race occurred on the Blue Belt last Friday, occasioned by a prisoner named Absolom Guy, escaping from the officer in charge. After a lively chase and several revolver shots, he was captured. Guy was charged with stealing timber and on trial before Justice Marshall, was escorted by Constable Seely, to the county jail, where he is sentenced for a term of 30 days.
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Elkader Register, Fri., May 26, 1882:
Last Thursday night the store of E. R. Barron & Co., McGregor, was burglarized, and goods to the amount of $150 taken. On Saturday, constable Jno. Bachus, of Clayton, arrested one Billy Gilmore, at Guttenberg, for the crime, and secured a majority of the goods stolen. Gilmore was taken before a justice at McGregor, and bound over to await the action of the grand jury. He is now at Elkader's noted summer resort, Palace de Place.
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Elkader Register, Fri., June 23, 1882. Home News column:
Marshall Webb, of McGregor, was in town Wednesday, having brought up George Williams, a wife beater, who will take his meals at Palace de Place, for the next 60 days. Justice Matthews gave him his card of admission.
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Elkader Register, Fri., July 14, 1882. Home News column:
On Friday last. James and John Farmer, of Cox Creek township, were before his honor, W. C. Lewis, charged with committing an assault and battery on the person of Peter Nugent, of the same township, but after trial were discharged, the evidence not being strong enough to convict. S. K. Adams appeared for the defense.
On Monday Peter Nugent, of Cox Creek twp., was before Justice Lewis, charged with an assault with intent to murder James Farmer, of the same twp. The testimony was sufficient, and in default of $400 bail, Peter now languishes in jail, awaiting the action of the grand jury.
(Note: A resolution to this case could not be found. However, the Elkader Register of Nov. 24, 1882, notes that James and John Farmer were paid for being witnesses by the county Board of Supervisors, which seems to indicate that Peter Nugent was tried on the above charge...rrj)
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Elkader Register, Fri., September 8, 1882:
District Court
State vs. Tom Connell, drunkenness, appeal from justice court. Decision of justice affirmed and defendant ordered confined in the county jail.
State vs. Thomas Buggy, drunkenness, two counts, on appeal from justice court, same decision as above.
State vs. George Ellinger, Murder, dismissed. This case was for the murder of Gustav Rechfus, of Monona township, on the evening of March 31st, 1882. Mr. Rechfus was sitting by his own fireside, when some one crept up to a window, and killed him by a shot through the window. Mr. Ellinger was shortly afterwards arrested for the crime, and taken before a justice for preliminary examination, and the case dismissed. The matter was brought before the grand jury, and they indicted Mr. Ellinger, and he was again placed under arrest. The dismissal of Mr. Ellenger makes the matter a deeper mystery than ever before, and it now seems doubtful whether the red-handed murderer will ever be captured. (See Gustav Rechfus Murder)
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Elkader Register, Fri., September 15, 1882:
District Court
The September term of the circuit court of this county closed on Saturday evening last. The petit jury was discharged on Friday afternoon, and the grand jury on Saturday evening. This latter had thirty-six cases before it for disposal, and cleared them all up before they were discharged. The following are the cases in which sentences were pronounced...
State vs. W. H. Stevens, passing counterfeit coin, case dismissed, and defendant rearrested to answer to the same charge in the United States court at Dubuque.
State vs. William Furguson, making counterfeit money. A plea of guilty entered, and defendant sentenced to fifteen months in the penitentiary at Anamosa.
State vs. I. Smock, burglary. This case is one in which defendant, who is not of good sound mind broke into a school house in Elk township, and took and destroyed a number of school books. He was given nine months at Anamosa.
State vs. W. J. Irish, assault with intent to commit murder. Defendant plead guilty, and sentenced to ten days in the county jail.
State vs. Albert Parsons, burglary. Defendant entered a plea of guilty, and asked for the leniency of the court on the ground of first offence, youth and promise of future good behavior. The judge delivered him a kindly lecture on the error of his ways and admonishing him to keep in the path of rectitude hereafter, after which he sentenced him to penitentiary at Anamosa for the period of one year. The same sentence was also entered in the case of William Parsons. These young men were arrested for entering a smoke house in Elk township, and taking some hams therefrom. They both plead guilty.
(Note: Elkader Register, Fri., 22 Sept. 1882: "In our district court report, last week, we were in error in saying the Parsons boys plead guilty to burglarizing hams from a smoke house. It should have read...turkeys from an outhouse." ...rrj)
State vs. G. W. Glazier, and James Glazier, indictment for assault with intent to rob. The former entered a plea of guilty, and the latter was convicted after a trial. These two are men of advanced years, and were indicted for entering the house of James Schroeder, near Strawberry Point, and with drawn revolvers, demanding their money. Mrs. Schroeder recognized their voices, and they were shortly afterwards arrested at Manchester. Five years is the time they will serve the state.
Sate vs. William Gilmore, for burglarizing a store at McGregor, entered a plea of guilty, and was sentenced to eighteen months at the Anamosa penitentiary.
State vs. Joseph O'Connell. The defendant was charged with attempting to commit rape on a little girl, under ten years of age, residing near Beulah, and plead guilty. He was sentenced to the penitentiary at Anamosa for eighteen months, his youth saving him from a longer imprisonment.
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Elkader Register, Fri., September 22, 1882:
The latest arrival at the jail is one (Thomas) Monahan, sent up from North McGregor, last week, to await the action of the grand jury, for an assault with intent to kill.
(Note: This case was tried at the Jan. term of the District Court, 1883. State vs. Thomas Monahan, assault with intent to murder, defendant arraigned, and pleads guilty to an assault. Sentenced to pay a fine of two dollars, and eight dollars to apply on costs ...rrj)
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Elkader Register, Fri., October 20, 1882. Home News column:
On Monday, Thomas Carroll paid his regular visit to Justice Lewis, and received a sentence calling for 60 days board and lodgings at the expense of the taxpayers of this county. Some provision should be made for working the prisoners at the jail, or else for sending these chronic offenders to some place where they will remain for a long time, and not be an eternal drain on the purse of the tax payers for justice fees, constable fees, etc.
Chas. Bockman imbibed to much of the juice of the corn, and as a consequence he was taken to jail, and on Tuesday he came before Justice Lewis, and plead guilty to being drunk, for which he was fined $10 and costs, in default of which he went to jail.
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Elkader Register, Fri., December 8, 1882. Home News column:
John Brown, Wm. Wright and Mel Hayne, are the latest arrivals at the "stone house on the hill," increasing the number of boarders to thirteen. The former was sent up from McGregor for vagrancy, and the two latter from Volga City, for carrying concealed weapons
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Elkader Register, Fri., December 22, 1882. Home News column:
Daniel Castilio, a vagrant, is the latest addition to the temporary residents at the rock house. Justice Adams sent him up