The Jeffersonian. [volume] (Stroudsburg, Pa.) 1853-1911, 1877-01-04
Court Proceedings,
FIRST WEEK.

10 a. m. Grand Jury was sworn and Geo.
q. Shafer, appointed foreman
The following true bills were found
Commonwealth VS.. DR.. Geo W. jackson,
Abortion.
Commonwealth VS.. John Miller-Larceny.
Commonwealth VS.. Paul Christman-Sell-
ing liquor without license.
Commonwealth vs. Charles Kehler-F
and B.
Ellen Heller VS.. Edmund Heller and
Catharine Zacharias vs Daniel Zacharias,
commenced proceedings in devorce
William Z. Engle was discharged from
custody under the insolvent law and Walter
Jackson (colored) was also given his liberty
from non appearance Of the prosecutrix.
John Dewitt was appointed Supervisor to
fill vacancy in Middle Smithfeld, township
! Deeds were acknowledged by the Sheriff to
Charles w. Decker, Milton Yetter, Julia
Ann Cress, and - Boyer, et al.
The most of the cases on the civil list we're
either contineud, settled, or discontinued One
only was tried, viz:
Simon Peter Miller vs Township of Price.
Storm for plaintiff, Davis for defendant
Simon Peters horses fell through bridge
IN Price township, one of which was injured,
he alleged so badly that he had to kill it.,
and SO he brought suit. He valued his horse
at S62. 80 and also claimed S25 for the skin
aud hair knocked of the other Defendant
claimed that the one horse was not hart and
that the one shot wasn't worth anything.
Verdict for plaintiff for s43 CO.
The next case taken up was in the ses
sions. Commonwealth vs.. George w. Jack
son, Abortion. Lee and Dinsmore for
Commonwealth. Davis and Burnett for
! Defendant. Much interest was and had been
manifested in this case, bearing as it did
many peculiar circumstances in its origination
aud prosecution. The charge was that Jack
son, practising physician in Stroudsburg,
had produced an abortion upon Lydia Drake,
a woman living in what is called "Shanty
Row, about mile above Dutotsburg, and
in consequence Of so doing the premature
birth Of the foetus and death of the mother.
| Lydia. There was considerable evidence
and many nice points were raised during the
against jackson were Dr. Simon Miller, OF
Stroudsburg and Catharine Drake, mother
of Lydia. Miller sworc that Jackson sent
| for him one Sunday, October lSt to come to
his house. He went and Jackson told him
he had been operating upon Lydia Drake for
or to produce an abortion that he wanted
Miller to go over to brakes and attend to
the case. Miller went over-found a child
had been born, woman was weak He also
said this Lydia Drake had been at his Office
the Friday before asking him to perform thi>
opera tion-he refused She went out and
about half an hour afterwards he SAW the
same woman in Jachson'S Office.
Catharine Drake swore she was the mother
of Lydia. Lydia had been delivered Of Il
foctus. Miller had been to see her and Lydia
growing worse she had sent for Miller to
n second time, he refused. She then sent
for Jackson. Jackson came two or three
times-he was there when Lydia died The
mother said as Lydia was dying, She is
dying" Yes" said the Doctor, ut will
nc State Prison job for all of US" The
bed tick was stained from the flow, Jackson
wanted them to get clean one. They
had Mt any He then sent to town and
bought one They told him they were poor
that he had all the dead girls money ani
asked him for some. He gave them So -.
l. Il i. :. Il, !.
taking. She said Findley Bush. He told
her to order coffin and send the bill in to
him. The next day Mrs. Drake received
$l6.75 dropped into the Post Office at
Experiment Mills. This was alleged to have
come from Jackson. The dying declarations
of the girl were excluded. Drs. Mutchler
and Shull were called. Had held a post
norton but only for the purpose of finding
whether or not the woman had maliormation
of the pelvis They could not swear posi-
lively as to the cause of her death. Samuel
Rces Esq, swore that jackson told him
that Lydia Drake came to his house, he was
an abortion, he refused turned over and
went to sleep, when he woke mp he found
so, 90 and his wife told him Lydia Drake
had left it there A few other witnesses
were called by the Commonwealth, not alter
ing the statement of the case as given. The
defendant called Geo. Hanna, who contradic-
ted Dr. Simon Miller Miller told him he
delivered the child Miller swore he didn't
Miller told him to drive like HI Miller
swore he did mt. VIM. Pugh and VIM A
Brooks, both contradicted Miller Other
witne ses were called who testified to certain
expressions made by Lydia Drake, support
ing theory of the defence. The defence
through mostly relied on the failure Of the
Commonwealth to prove their case as laid in
the indictment Dinsmore led on the side
of the Commonwealth and did exceedingly
well for young lawyer He was followed
b, Rurpatt op1 Davis For Jafaojon+