OUT OF THE PAST: A New HNN Feature

by Tony Rutherford
Huntington News Network Writer

Huntington (HNN) -- Verdicts in Verse: Damsel convicted, judge wishes he could imprison jury -
(From the Herald Dispatch, July 12, 1904)

Of the vagaries of juries there would appear to be no end and not the least of their enormities, is the preparation of villainous verse of which in evil moments they are sometimes guilty.

The beauty of a youthful culprit of the feminine persuasion awoke the muse of the jury impaneled to try her. This was a Gallipolis, which town the comely delinquent had made the scene of her unlawful pursuits.

After hearing all there was to be said against and for the prisoner, the jury put their heads together and a few minutes afterward startled the court with this deliverance through the foreman:

We mark with grief and sorrow keen,
That woman, fair as ever seen,
Should to such evil course take,
And show she is at heart a fake.
But maiden, whether fair or frail,
Must never over right prevail,
We therefore find her guilt full proved
So now to jail she can be moved.


After listening to this extraordinary effusion, the occupant of the bench remarked that his only regret on hearing the verdict was that he cold not send each of the jurymen to prison as well as the subject of their atrocious. He added that, after such an infliction , his would be the lightest punishment that he was at liberty to inflict on the girl for her offense:

For one more example of eccentric rhyming , we go to Parkersburg where, not long since, a faithless lover was brought into court for breach of promise. The defense was that the damsel was a flirt:

The plaintiff is a flirt, ‘tis said,
And thus broke her engagement;
But tender missives we have read
Disprove such disagreements.
For trifling with the plaintiff’s heart,
And blighting her affection,
Defendants must with dollars part
Two thousand our direction.

Broken engagement leads to $2,000 judgment


Theatre Owners File Complaint over Free Movies -
(From Oklahoma City, Okla., May 5, 1928)

Lew Wentz, millionaire oil operator, who has taken up pictures as a hobby and is giving free shows to the public in Ponca City, Okla., has two theatre operators in Ponca City worried because of the unbeatable opposition offered through these free shows.

They have filed pleas for help with the Oklahoma M.P.T.O. No action has yet been taken, but Wentz may be called on to close his picture show to save the two exhibitors.


Tony Rutherford can be reached at trutherford@huntingtonnews.net.