The Chariton Leader, Chariton, Iowa Thursday, November 16, 1905 On Wednesday afternoon WM. MANEELEY of Whitebreast Township came to Chariton and filed an information before Justice Storie, charging a Des Moines fruit tree man with swindling him. A warrant was issued and the gentleman was soon ushered into the presence of the court, and on failure to give bond, was turned over to the Sheriff until he could do so. MR. MANEELEY had a copy of the contract which he had signed. At the top printed in fine print was this agreement; "All claims that misrepresentations were used to get the contract signed were waived, and in case the order is cancelled, the farmer must pay the nursery man sixty per cent of the face of the contract. On the back was an agreement by the salesman to plant, trim and replace for a period of three years, and he was to get one-half of the third year's crop, and to pay the farmer two dollars per bushel for his share. On the face of the contract written plainly MR. MANEELEY agrees to pay two hundred and seventeen dolla! rs for the pear orchard. F.O.B. Des Moines. He is now in jail awaiting trial, not being able to give required bond. ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ The Chariton Leader, Chariton, Iowa Thursday, November 23, 1905 'BIG GUNS IN COURT' - - - - - - - - And they Were Loaded With Lead as Well as the Law. - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - The trial of the transient gentleman, who was arraigned before Justice E.H. Storie and L. Manning Saturday, charged with an attempt to defraud WILLIAM MANEELEY, of Whitebreast Township, by way of a pear orchard contract, proved to be quite a sensational investigation. County Attorney Wells and W.B. Barger represented the State, J.A. Penick, and John Mulvaney, the latter being from Des Moines, appeared in behalf of the defendant. MR. MANEELEY had given his testimony and Mulvaney was cross questioning one of the State's witnesses when MANEELEY rushed forward and began to talk loudly and it seemed for a mement that he would make an assault on the prisoner in open court, at the same time reaching for his revolver. The officers caught him and he was immediately relieved of his weapon of offense and defense. But for a moment the limbs of the law quivered, the body of the court quaked, the leaves of the docket turned sear and the accused hardly knew whether he was a pear or a p! each. Soon another sensation was sprung. One of the attorneys for the State asked a witness if she knew "this woman to be the defendant's wife." The reply was that she did not, upon which the attorney laconically remarked, "No, neither does anyone else." This insinuation against the sanctity of his companion in life's conflicts aroused the ire of the fruit tree man and murder gleamed from his soul which shone through his eyes in livid flame as he attempted to seize a deadly weapon, spring like an infuriated tiger on the offending attorney and spill his life blood, but his friends seized him and held him until his reason returned. From thence forth the trial proceeded without further breach of decorum, but ere the quiet even the spectators were rooted to the spot. -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Copied by Nancee(McMurtrey)Seifert September 12, 2004 [email protected] *more to come....