Shelby  County  Indiana
Newspaper  Articles

Howell

The  Shelbyville  Democrat
Saturday, August 24, 1907
Page 1
----------
CORTEZ  HOWELL  ON
TRIAL  THIS  MORNING
----------
Found Not Guilty on Charge
of Assault With Intent to
Commit Rape -- Fine $33.60
on Assault and Battery
Charge.
----------

          Cortez Howell,  twenty years of age, a son of  Mrs. Julia Howell,  of Hendricks township, was tried this morning in Justice Moberly's court on the charge of assault and batter with intent to rape  Mertie B. Creek.
          Attorneys Alonzo Blair and D. L. Wilson appeared for young Howell.  Prosecutor Hack looked after the state's interests.  The defense offered no evidence, so the finding was based solely on the facts brought out by the examination and cross-examination of the state's witnesses.
          Three witnesses only were introduced, these being  Mertie Creek,  fourteen years old, against whom the alleged assault was charged to have been directed; her half-sister,  Gertie B. Bennett,  and her mother,  Mrs. Lillie McLaughlin,  Their stories were to the effect that young Howell had telephoned to Mrs. McLaughlin, telling her that her turkeys were in a wheat field on the Howell farm.  She said she would attend to the matter immediately.  She sent her daughters to the place to drive the turkeys home.  The girls stated that when they reached the wheat field Howell told them that the turkeys had gone into the corn field.  They went into the corn field, Howell following them.  While they were in the field, He[sic] asked Mertie to walk with him and she refused.  He asked her if she was afraid of him and she answered in the affirmative.  Then he took her by the arm and started to walk with her.  She struggled and later he seized her around the waist.  All this time he was laughing and also jeering at nine year old Gertie, who was throwing clods at him in the effort to help her sister free herself from Howell's embrace.  The girls testified that he made no improper proposals to Mertie, and their evidence as to unwarranted liberties he took were very meagre as tending to support a charge of attempted rape.
          One of the features of the trial was the attempt of the defense to get Mrs. McLaughlin to explain a "warning" she said she experienced.  This she failed to do satisfactorily.  She had started to hunt the girls in response to the promptings of this warning, which was one similar to those she says she has whenever any of her relatives are sick or in trouble or danger.
          The arguments were very brief.  Justice Moberly promptly rendered a verdict of not guilty as charged, but ordered an affidavit made and warrant issued for the arrest of the young man on a plain assault and battery charge.
          The defense this afternoon submitted the assault and battery case on the same evidence brought out in the former trial.  Justice Moberly found Howell guilty and assessed against him a fine of twenty-five dollars and costs, the total amounting to $33.60.  The fine was paid.
Contributed by Phyllis Miller Fleming

The  Shelbyville  Democrat
Thursday, August 15. 1907
Page 1   Column 3
----------
GRACE  CHARGE  FILED
AGAINST  YOUNG  MAN
----------
Cortez Howell, of Hen-
dricks Township, Arrest-
ed For Criminal Assault
On Fourteen Year Old
Mertie Creek.
----------

          Cortez Howell,  twenty years of age, residing a short distance north of Maretta[sic], was arrested this morning by  Special Constable Ritchey  on the charge of assault and battery with intent to commit rape on  Mertie B. Creek,  the fourteen year old daughter of  Mrs. Lillie B. McLaughlin,  who resides northeast of Marietta.
          The affidavit was made by the mother of the girl.  According to the affiddavit the offense was committed on August 3.  The version of the girl is that the alleged assault occurred in a cornfield, and was witnessed by her young half-sister,  Gertie B. Bennett,  aged nine.  Howell gave bond for his appearance in the courth of Justice Moberly on Saturday morning, August 24, at nine o'clock.  He is represented by Attorney D. L. Wilson.  The bond was furnished by  Mrs. Julia Howell,  the mother of Cortez.
          Mrs. McLaughlin, the mother of the girl, is a daughter of the late  M. McFerran,  of Hendricks township, and resides on her own farm, a piece of land comprising over a hundred acres.  She has been married three times, her first husband being a Creek, her second a Bennett and her third a McLaughlin.
Contributed by Phyllis Miller Fleming

The  Shelbyville  Daily  Democrat
Saturday March 31, 1906
----------

          In the case of  Sarah H. Howell  VS  Charles D. Howell, a complaint for divorce, the defendant failed to appear and the case proceeded in his absence.  A judgment was rendered granting the divorce upon payment of costs.  The plaintiff is also given permission to change her name to  Sarah H. Shock.
Contributed by Barb Huff

The  Shelbyville  Daily  Democrat
Tuesday, August 4, 1896
Page 4   column 2
----------

          The condition of  Mrs. James Howell,  of Hendricks township, was greatly improved this morning.  Mrs. Howell, it will be remembered, stepped upon a nail about two weeks ago, and Sunday evening it was thought death would result.
Contributed by Barb Huff and Phyllis Miller Fleming

The  Daily  Democrat
Thursday, September 4, 1893
Page 4
-------o-------

          The cheap sale still continues at the World's Fair Novelty store.  Mort Howell.

-------o-------

          Money I want, money I must have, so I will continue selling goods at cost until I get the desired amount.  World's Fair Novelty store, Mort Howell.
Copied by Phyllis Miller Fleming

Newspaper Index       Main Page

For current email addresses of researchers listed above, use the Surname Index