Enroute to Leon where he was to preside over the April term of the Decatur County District Court, Judge P. C. Winter was present at a lively session of the Clarke County District Court. The object of the session was to hear the case of Mike Grimes accused of bootlegging and of a 16 year old wayward boy who was arrested in the city last week on the charge of attempting to force open the back door of Ettinger’s store.
Through his attorney, M. R. Stansell, Grimes pleaded guilty to the charge of bootlegging. It will be remembered that Grimes was arrested six miles southeast of Osceola some ten days prior for selling homemade booze and that he and his still-an old wash boiler with a coil attachment on top-and a quantity of peach brandy were brought to the city by local officers. After being in jail several days he decided to plead guilty. His attorney explained that Mike had been in bad health and that his doctor advised him to drink whiskey, and that the booze found in his possession was for medical purposes.
Just how seriously the judge took this evidence may never be known. However, he announced, with few remarks, that Mike be required to pay a fine of $300 and costs and that he be committed to the county jail at hard labor until the penalty is satisfied. Unless Mike produces the $300 and costs he will be a guest of Clarke County for ninety or a hundred days.
Local authorities have been advised that Mike was wanted at Adel, Iowa, on a similar charge. If he should be taken from here to Dallas County, and then when he gets through there be invited to spend some time with his Uncle Sam, the penalty in his case would seem to be a sufficient lesson to him and other offenders of the anti-liquor laws.
After hearing the case of the 16 year old boy who was arrested by Marshal Arthur, the Judge continued his case with the condition that M. R. Stansell, the boy’s attorney, find his client a place to work on a farm in which event the boy would probably be paroled. fI not he may be sent to the Boy’s Industrial School at Eldora. He is ready to go to work on a farm or do most anything else rather than go to the reform school. The officers hope to locate his parents or other relatives. He isn’t talking much these days.
He made a very effective effort to break jail one day. He succeeded in getting hold of a piece of gas pipe about five feet long which was used to prop a door. With this as a lever he bent the top of his cell door. Had the bar been a little stronger and not quite so long his attempted effort to get away might have been successful.
-1921