The action for claim and delivery may be instituted in the circuit or county court of a county, or the justice court of a county, in which the defendant, or one (1) of several of them, resides or where the property, or some of it, may be found. Proper process shall issue to other counties and shall be made returnable to the first term of the court held after the issuance of said writ unless it shall be issued more than ten (10) days before the said term of court, when it may be returnable to the judge of the court at the usual place of holding the court at a day to be named, not more than ten (10) days or less than five (5) days after the date of the issuance of the writ, or before the judge in vacation, and the cause will be triable, provided the defendant has been served with process at least five (5) days before the return day of the writ. The judge shall have jurisdiction to hear the cause, or any matter pertaining thereto, in termtime or vacation, at such time and place as he may direct, and to enter such orders and judgment thereon as to adjust the rights of the parties in the subject matter; and all such cases shall be tried by the judge without the intervention of a jury unless a jury is demanded in the complaint or answer.
