Hamilton County Court of Appeals Daybook, February 11, 1918-February 5, 1919

Quarto. 143 pages (unpublished manuscript). Oliver B. Jones was a prominent member of the Hamilton County Bar and served on the Ohio Court of Appeals from 1913-1919. While his day book appears as a ledger, it covers details relating to the case of Elizabeth Kuerze vs. the German Western Bank relative to the anti-German hysteria that led the school board to drop German as an elective in their language program. Nevertheless, the school board had deposited $800,000 in the Western German Bank [which now changed its legal name to the Western Bank]. Meanwhile, Robert M. Kuerze died with 2900 shares in Gerke Brewing which went to his widow, Elizabeth Kuerze. As the Corporation dissolved, the court appointed receiver ruled in her favor that she was to receive $120, 931. It was complicated since $60,000 from the bank was supposed to be paid to Gerke Brewing. Pages 136-142 show that the litigation now involved naming the Western Bank in the case which also extended to the Baltimore & Ohio Southwestern Railroad. The case is of interest since Oliver B. Jones was married to the former Louise F. Stone, the daughter of S.W. Stone, the consulting engineer of the Baltimore & Ohio. The case was complicated since Judge Gorman had not recused himself and then died as his home. Governor James M. Cox then appointed Gideon A. Wilson to fill the vacancy. An interesting insight authenticating that the law and anti-German sentiment were intertwined with the legal system.