Switzerland County Police Court – Jul 1892

Switzerland County, Indiana, police report appeared in:
Vevay Reveille – 28 Jul 1892 – Page 4, Column 2

POLICE COURT.
Plain Sunday Drunks—A Night in Jail—Says He was Robbed While In Jail.

Wm. Furnish and George Moore (or Kirtley), of near Markland, were drunk Sunday, and placed in jail by night policeman Jess Cox. Monday morning they were brought before Mayor Manning, plead guilty, and fined $1 each and costs.

Moore stated that while in jail, intoxicated, Newton Short, Wm. Furnish and James Burke stole seven dollars from him. He filed with Mayor Manning the legal charge, in which he described the money: one $1 greenback, two $1 silver certificates, and two silver certificates, $2 each.

He swore out a search warrant, which was served by policeman Jess Cox, assisted by George Rayl, Sam. Lock, Andrew V. Brown and Sheriff Williamson, $5 was found in jail, which Moore identified as his.

In the meantime Furnish had paid fine and gone home. When brought before the Mayor he was told if he would pay the $1 fine the Mayor would throw out costs—the object being to get him out of town without cost of boarding him in jail. Furnish said he would go out and get the $1. He soon returned and handed the Mayor $1 and left town. The Mayor then suspicioned that Furnish had money before leaving his office. Following up this suspicion, he went to Grammar’s saloon and enquired of Lew Peelman if Furnish had been there offering money. Peelman replied that Furnish had been there, bought a glass of beer, and offered in payment a $2 bill, receiving his change. This bill Moore afterwards identified as part of his missing money. An officer was sent for Furnish, who found him at home and brought him before the Mayor. He waived a preliminary examination, and in default of $300 bail was sent to jail.

Tuesday morning Newton Short and James Burk, who are already serving sentences inflicted by Circuit Court, were brought out of jail and arraigned before the Mayor on the charge of stealing money from Moore. They too waived a preliminary trial, and failing to give bail of $300 each, were sent to jail.