Partly cloudy skies. Low 51F. Winds NE at 5 to 10 mph..

Partly cloudy skies. Low 51F. Winds NE at 5 to 10 mph.

This vintage postcard shows a detailed view of downtown Fredericktown in the early years of the 20th century. Prominent is the sign for Johnson & Crowell, a farm implement dealer located on the west side of Main Street (the right side in this photo). Note also the water tower which used to stand at the center of the square.

This vintage postcard shows a detailed view of downtown Fredericktown in the early years of the 20th century. Prominent is the sign for Johnson & Crowell, a farm implement dealer located on the west side of Main Street (the right side in this photo). Note also the water tower which used to stand at the center of the square.

FREDERICKTOWN -- This vintage postcard captures a great view of downtown Fredericktown, around 1908.

Several local businesses are visible, including Johnson & Crowell Farm Implements and Vehicles. A search of period newspapers turns up a few references, including that store co-founder Fred Johnson left in 1911 to take up a job in Columbus working for a large farm equipment company.

But the real excitement is in 1912, when newspaper reports state that Johnson & Crowell sued one Elva Loney for $70, which they said the farmer owed them for a cream separating machine.

Loney, who lived west of Fredericktown, procured the services of former county prosecutor Lot Stillwell for his jury trial in November of 1912, but quite a scene was created in the courtroom when Loney was on the stand.

While Loney was being asked questions about his purchase and use of the cream separator, he apparently began spinning some very tall tales. Loney’s claims were so extreme, that Attorney Stillwell took the extraordinary action of resigning as Loney’s lawyer on the spot, claiming that he could not function as the man’s lawyer when the man was not telling the truth!

Not only did Loney lose the case, he was later arrested for perjury because of his lying on the witness stand. Plopped down in the Knox County Jail in February of 1913, Loney was informed that his bail was $1,000.

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He paid the percentage required, and got two friends to pledge as sureties. Seems like it would have been a lot easier to just pay the $70 he allegedly owed in the first place.

Loney’s financial problems continued, resulting in loss of the farm. He moved his family into Mount Vernon, where they sadly lost a son in 1918 to the influenza epidemic.

Meanwhile, Loney had been vigorously involved in more court cases, including one contesting his parents’ will.

This case he took all the way to the Ohio state supreme court, who declined to overturn the judgement against Loney in 1922. A few years later, Loney could be found working as a school custodian in Mansfield, and later as a contractor in both Mansfield and Cleveland. Late in life, he lived with another son in Ashtabula, and passed away in 1955 at the advanced age of 94.

Still no word on whether or not he paid off the $70 or returned the cream separator.

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