The Trial of Bonaparte Ladies
The Nov 8, 1875 issue of the THE GATE CITY reports on the court proceeding resulting from the Ladies attack on town Saloons.
Preliminary Examination of the Ladies who participated in it.
The trial of the Bonaparte ladies for demolishing the saloons at that place came off last week. James Hagerman appeared for the State, and Judge Williams, of Ottumwa, for the defendants. The charge was malicious trespass. After a two days’ trial, during which the hall of justice was packed with people interested in the proceedings, the Court discharged all but Mrs. Joseph Meek, and ordered her held under bonds for her appearance at the next term of the District Court. Her friends offered to go upon her bond, but she declined to give bail at all, but announced her readiness to go to jail, and would not permit bail to be given for her. This was a phase of the case not anticipated by the Court. The lady, it is said, reported at the train next morning ready to go to jail, but nobody appeared to claim the right to take her there, and she is still at large.
The Court has the matter under consideration, but the conundrum, “what will he do with her,” is up to date, unsolved.