updated 01/20/2020
updated 01/20/2020
Clayton Co. Justice
& Court Proceedings
... as reported in the 1903
newspapers
~unless otherwise credited, the articles were contributed by Reid R. Johnson for Clayton Co. IAGenWeb
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Elkader Register, Thur., April 16, 1903. District Court column-
District Court - Disposition of the Causes:
The trial of Lillian Ellsworth begun last week Wednesday, on the charge of the murder of Henry Wilson, went to the jury Friday morning. After being out four and a half hours they returned a verdict of not guilty and the prisoner was discharged.Chas Kreig, of Elkport, indicted for selling liquor to minors, plead guilty and was fined $300 and costs of prosecution.
Henry Witchie, bound over from Volga township, on the charge of entering a school house during the night, was sentenced to two months at Anamosa.
Henry Noble and Geo. Painter, bound over by Justice Fitzpatrick, having plead guilty to the charge of vagrancy, were sentenced to jail for 90 days at hard labor. The Judge told the prisoners that it was his intention to discourage in every way the habit the tramps have of settling down in the Clayton county jail for the winter.
On complaint of Bailiff E. R. Munger, Wm. Wandell, of Edgewood, was fined $25 and costs and sentenced to one day in jail for contempt of court. His offense lay in telling one of the jurors to stand out for the acquittal of Lillian Ellsworth.
Geo. E. Schmidt, of Strawberry Point, was brought before the court on Monday, plead guilty to the charge of inebriacy and was sent to Independence for fifteen months.
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Elkader Register, Thur., 10 Sept. 1903. Local News column
Judge Fellows came here yesterday to hear the case of John Rogers, of Elk twp., charged with being an inebriate. The judge sentenced him to 18 months at Independence, but suspended the sentence on the promise of good behavior.
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Elkader Register, Thur., 29 Oct. 1903. District Court column.
The Criminal calendar was concluded with the case of Wm. Hart. He was brought before the court on the charge of stealing clam shells at North McGregor. Pleading guilty he was committed to the Industrial School at Eldora, as was his companion Leo D. Wells. Both boys are about 15 years old.
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