Delaware state journal. [volume] (Wilmington, Del.) 1870-1883, 1872-10-05

ohild-ROth bills ignored by the Grand
Jury-Two Lawyers and two Preachers
in search NJ truth-Ta'e Of indicting
the alleged father for adultery.
From tho cocii whg % saturday.
The sensation caused by The reported
seduction Of the cOlOrcd girl Marin Sails
bury, by Rev. Henry Matthews, still con-
Times TO he the principal topic Of conver-
sation among all classes Of people. the
main facts Of which were published iu
ihe Win two weeks ago. On the follow
ing Monday evening. after the article ap-
peared giving the most correct account of
he affair that has been published, Mr..
Matthews. in rcsnOnee to letters from his
friends. came to Elkton fram his home In
Baltimore county, to "clear the matter
up," or AZ least to see what could he done.
lie was met at the depot nv Rev. Mr..
Johns, of Zion Presbyterian Church, who
was warm friend Of the unfortunate
accused. and in company with some other
friends he went to the Howard House.
The next day. accompanied bv two law
veis Of the Ellion bar. and his friend Rev.
Mr. Johns, the party proceeded TO the
house OfClayton Manley. situated in the
alley near the Gas House, where Maria had
removed after heing released from Jail.
The company entered the room where
they proposed to examine the girl, and re-
qucsted Manley to retire, which he did, hut
Immediately returned and protested against
heing turned out of his own house, and
persisted in being present while the exam
nation was conducted. When the party
was seen approaching the house. divining
the object OF their visit. messenger was
hastily dispatched for Maria's mother so
that she too might be present. ut the extra
judicial trial of her DAUGHTER Clayton
Manley pleads in eXtenuati0n Of his srem-
mgly yuncourteous'rofusal to withdraw from
the chamber while the examination was
going on, that he wished to make diver
sion, and thereby dclav proceedings till
the girls mother could be summoned.
What occurred on this examination is re.
lated by the HsrdlFs special correspond
ent, who says:
"When he (Mathews) went in she met
him calmly, and when he asked why she
had told that terrible story about him,
she said, 'Ah had to, ! had to- and you
know, Mr. Mathews, it is true and dur
ing all the talk he and the attorneys had
with her she did not finch from her first
declaration" That this is substantially
what occurred at this examination, we
were assured by Rev. Mr.. Johns shortly
after it took place; though we believe the
questioning YVES conducted by one Of the
attorneys and not by Mr.. Matthews In
person, as reported by the HeralGs cor
respondent.
This interview or examination took place
early on Tuesday of last week. The next
steps taken for relief, having failed in the
first attempt, appears to have been to the
room Of the Grand Jury. Now the most
singular part Of the judicial proceedings
which were about To follow in the attempt
to saddle part of this load upon tho shOul-
ders of the editor of this paper, who re-
poatcd without adding one iota, or
expressing shadow of opinion, in the
J premises, as to the guilt or innocence Of
the accused, the story that had been told
by the girl and which had been in the
mouth of every person in the county for
nearly a week, was that the principal
whose innocence was to be vindicatcd by
procuring an Indictment for SANDER against
lis, did not enter the Grand jury room, but
two friends Of his, Doctor 4. G. Maokall
and Rev John Squicr acted as complain
ants, both OF whom had heard all the
particulars Of the story days before It was
published, and one of them had not read
the publication tin it was shown TO him
after coming 10 ElhtJn. Why, when Mr..
| Mathews was here in Elkton, did he not
20 to the Clerks desk, be sworn in the
customary manner TO true answers make
to such questions as might be prQpoundcd
to him by tine Grand Jury, touching tho
truth of the charge which ho intended to
pIeler This course would nave gone far
toward cxoneratlng him in the eyes of
many whose minds were In doubt.
1t was clearly the duty Of the Grand
Jury to have summoned Mr.. Mathews be-
fore them, or to have refused to entertain
70 complaints preferred in ~ roundabout
manner. We have never under the cir
cunstanccs, heard of a similar proceeding,
where the friends Of party appeared Ia
present a case they knew nothing more
about than did any menihur of the urand
Jury, while the principal remained out
side within call, and who could at least
sworn 10 the truth of the statement. We
challenge the records Of Cecil County
Courts to produce II similar instance. The
Grand Jury appear to have viewed the
matter in its true light NJ last and dis
posed of the case On Thursday by ignoring
the bill. The accused was present on the
ground, so was the mother and child, and
the court in session if the minister was
innocent and an investigation that would
thoroughly silt the matter, wa desired,
why was the case not taken directly into
Court In place of this everything like
judicial investigation was carefully avoid
ca. Answer these questions, ye Who are
interested in convincing tho public OF the
innocence of a beloved pastor.
TIE facts necessarily came to the notice
of The Grand Jury that the mother had
made several attempts to desert the child,
aud an indictment was found against her
but the bill was also ignored. Had true
bill been found 1t was the intention to
push it to trial Immediately, and this
would have brought the matter before the
court where il could have been thoroughly
sited.
There was also a movement on f.ot to
indict Mr.. Mathews for .,lult6ty, and al
together there wac fair prospect Of hay-
ing series of law suits, had the Grand
Jury found a true hill in any Of the eases.
MIR. Mathews visited Elkton on Saturday
last to ascertain what chance there was of
procuring some evidence that would h9-
peach Maria's yeracity, but was compelled
to leave disappointed and utterly crushed
in spirit. Poor man We sincerely pity
him, and can freely forgive the desperate
anempt OF his friends TO make Il diversion
IN his favor, by bill for slander by the
Grand Jury. II was the DR.. Huston case
of sueing the Baltimore AmcricaR forlibel,
over again, and with similar object in
The two Jealous friends og Mr.. Mathews
who were so extremely anxious TO have
the Grand Jury mdIct us for libel, pro-
Iessed 10 believe that We showed MAJ
lioious intent in the simple narrative of
facts published in The Wig the Saturday
before; but nothing except an excited i'm
agination could possibly cOnstrue IL state
ment SO entirely void Of prejudice or bias
into Il malicious intent, The most disin-
tcrested people in the town, as we'll as the
most caudd and charitable bLlieye the
story of the girl. Tho5e whose knowledge
of hOr charas ter gave weight to tho opin.
lona credited every word she told. With
this cloud Of witnesses before us we had
no apprehension that any would have the
unilirness to accuse us Of publishing u
statement containing malace.
Before Mr.. Mathews removed lr0m Elkton
last Spring, Naria's mo;Aer suspected that
all was not right witL her daughter, and
had ply, ician to examine her. Tho eX-
q animation took place al Nj. Mathews
house, and the physician pronounced the
girl eNceiitte. With his suspicious thus
aroused why did he take her away with
his family to Baltimore county Why
persist in not believing what Othprs could
see so plainly and finally when disbcli #
, was no longer possible, why did Mr..
MathcW5 tako The girl to Baltimore, and
I turn her loose, as it were, in the street,
|. wheu his most obvious duty was to accom-.
many hpr n the HnuRf aud ea.t that h.