Voice of The People
Osceola, Missouri
Wednesday, March 10, 1880

Local and Personal
Our ferrymen are happy.

T.J. Younger was in town last Monday.

Our farmers have fairly begun Spring work.

Call in while at Court and subscribe for the Voice.

There has been considerable sickness in country lately.

Stewart sells Sugar and Coffee at railroad prices.

Rev. Bahrenburg preached at the courthouse last Sunday.

Flour and Meal kept constantly on hand at Stewart's.

Peach trees are just ready to burst into bloom.

Spendid variety of Wall Paper at Shoemaker & Dorrell's.

Two Neosho editors had a regular "'set to"' last week.

A large number of subscriptions have been received during court.

A full line of Fresh and Choice Groceries will always be found at Stewart's.

The teachers township institute will commence where next Saturday.

Stewart is just in receipt of a large consignment of Queensware and Glassware.

Frank Hoffstrom lost $10 last week in the vicinity of Johnson City.

For "'Cute"', "'Pure Gold"', "'Smart Aleck"', and other popular brands of cigars, call at Stewart's.

We received a pleasant call last week from J.N. Chambers of Speedwell Township.

H. Martin Williams' name appeared in the last issue of the Springfield News as one of its writers.

Miss Cora M. Neil began teaching school at the Peerie School house about eight miles from town last Monday.

Capt. Sulivan of Henry County has rented J.B. Colt's large farm and will move to St. Clair County.

Mr. J.M. Colt of St. Clair County has secured a large contract on the Texas Central Railroad in Texas, and leaves for there on the 10th inst. He has advertised for two hundred men and teams to accompany him.

James Smith, the backwoods orator, will speak at Shady Nook next Saturday night. Although his discourses are not gilded with the elaborate polish of rhetorical elegance, yet they are replete with invincible argument, and it will pay everyone, who desires to hear a just presentation of facts of truth of the most vital importance to the people, to go out and hear him.

C.W. Laney of Collins township called on us last Monday and showed us a (?) of lead ore which he found about one foot below the surface of the ground. He is of the opinion that there are large quantities of the mineral in that vicinity and he will begin prospecting for them.

H.S. Cox, son of Wm. M. Cox, our county clerk, who went to Colorado three years ago for his health, has returned home with his health restored. He says the winter in that country hs been open and dry, with but little snow; the snow was about ten inches deep when he left Greeley, on the 3rd last. Stock of all kinds doing well. He says that he will stay in this county provided he can find some fair lady who wants to marry.

Old man Flanders, upon whom a cowardly assault was made last week, as detailed in the last issue of the Voice, is still lying in a very precarious situation. We understand that the people in the vicinity where the deed was committed are grately incensed at the outrage, and that threats deep and ominous have been made. While it is natural that the people want to see justice meted out to the transgressor in this case, it is also true, too that every good, law abiding citizen should discountenance any effort on the part of the people to take the law into their own hands. The offender is now within the grasp of the law and will undoubtedly be made to feel the full force of the penalty of his transgression.

Forty Years.
A verdict, in the famous France murder case that has been lingering in our courts for the past two years, was reached yesterday morning, which sentenced the defendant, F.J. France, to forty years imprisonment. The facts connected with the murder of William Dickey have been so often rehearsed in our courts and recounted by newspapers of our county until all our citizens are perfectly familiar with the story in all its details. Suffice it to say that the evidence as elicited in the present trial was sufficiently strong to establish the culpability of the defendant in the minds of the jury as implicated by the rigorous penalty asserted. It is not our province in the present article to pass upon the guilt or innocence of France; it is not for us to say that twelve good citizens of our county have unjustly deprived him of his liberty. We have endeavored to look at the matter fairly and impartially, and it seems to us that the verdict reached in this case is in perfect consonance with the law and the testimony; yet while this is true we must say that there are facts connected with this sad affair that must ever plead in extenuation for the act of a man who was prompted to the extreme crime of taking the life of his fellow man. There are none so prejudiced against France but that do him the justice to believe that he was actuated to the dreadful deed by the thought that his home had been disgraced, and the chastity of his wife had been sacrificed. His demeanor since his arrest for the deed has been manly and commendable to a degree that has excited a great measure of public sympathy in his behalf; in fact the great strength of the prosecution rested upon his own confession. At his preliminary examination, immediately after the transaction of the fatal event, he remarked to his friends that he was going to tell the truth if had to hang for it. France is now nearly fifty years of age and it is very probable that he will never live to see the expiration of his term of imprisonment. We hope this sad and painful exemplification of the result of one taking the law into his own hands to gratify motives of revenge will have a salutary effect in deterring men from the rash commission of crime. It will be remembered that the jury in this case at the session of court last September disagreed and failed to bring in a verdict, and a great many regarded that as a sure indication that France would be acquitted at the present term. He often expressed himself in the most confident terms that such would be the result, and for the accomplishment of this end, everything was done by his able and efficient council, Messrs Nesbit & Ferguson, that lay within the reach of human power. The prosecution was conducted in an able and masterly manner by J.B. Jennings, prosecuting attorney of this county, W.J. Stone of Nevada, and O.H. Travers of Springfield. The following are the jury.
J.T. Tucker, David Reed, J.W. Plumlee, J.R. Stiles, W.R. Fortune, W.P. Pace, Parks Hacon, T.F. Green, John V. Burgess, W.C. McConnell, John S. Harvey, and J.V. Miller.

Doyle Township Items
Weather warm and rainy.

James Smith will speak at Shady Nook on Saturday night, March 29th, 1880.

We fully indorse Mr. Van Winkle's"' nominations, and name A.J. Vincent for Sheriff; Doyle township will go for Mr. Vincent to a man. How would Mr. Mallory do for Attorney? We should hold our convention as soon as possible and put our men in the field. We don't select these men because we are tired of the present officers, but because we are opposed to second term. We believe that every man that was put in office in this county has done his duty with but one exception.
What will become of Osceola if she don't get rid of the trash around the place. It is almost a disgrace for a decent lady to pass through Happy Hollow. The good people should look after this matter as early as possible.
Calico.