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Circuit Court Cases Heard

Circuit Court Cases Heard image
Parent Issue
Day
9
Month
May
Year
1902
Copyright
Public Domain
OCR Text

The May term of the circuit court for Washtenaw county opened Monday morning and as usual with opening day, little was done.

The first three cases on the criminal docket, the people vs Charles Wedrig, charged with false pretenses; the people vs. John Reddaway, charged with receiving stolen property, and the people vs. Edward Mason and Nellie Lewis, charged with unlawful cohabitation, were not taken up at once, but will be allowed to go from day to day, and may be left over until next term.

In the case of the people vs. Gottlieb Hanselmann, who is charged with violating the liquor law, the defendant pleaded not guilty, and on his motion the case was adjourned until the next term of court.

Philip O'Hara was also charged with twice violating the liquor law. He pleaded guilty to both charges and was fined $5 for the first and $10 for the second offense.

In the case of the people vs. James McKinstry, of Ypsilanti, charged with violating the liquor law, the defendant pleaded guilty and was fined $5.

Rudolph Suchotz got off lightly in the circuit Tuesday morning. He changed his plea of not guilty of violating the liquor law to a plea of guilty of simple assault and was let go on suspended sentence.

The next case taken up was that of Anna James, of York township vs. John Shafer, of Saline; the complainant charging the defendant with selling liquor to her husband after she had forbidden his doing so.

In her testimony this morning, Mrs. James said that her husband is a laboring man, and that he is a moderate drinker. His earnings are not sufficient to support the family and Mrs. James herself has been obliged to work for the neighbors to provide herself and their children with clothing.

About 18 years ago Mrs. James forbade Mr. Shafer selling her husband any more liquor, but he did not heed what she said. On April 23, 1900, while under the influence of liquor purchased of Shafer, James fell from a buggy into the road, with the result that he was confined to his bed for seven weeks by a stroke of paralysis. Mrs. James commenced action against the saloon keeper, and the case has been pending since.