National Republican., 1877-07-09
WAS IT CONSPIRACYf
A Man Convicted Of q Serious Charge Claims
to lie the Victim Of a Matchmaking Job.

to he the victim OF MATCHMAKING JOb.
Francis Simkins was tried in the Criminal
Court, before Justice Macarthur, on Saturday,
on the charge of ravishing a little colored girl
named Alice Wilson. The testimony was very
conflicting, and the jury surprised nearly every
one who attended the trial by bringing In a
verdict Of guilty. The testimony Of the girl
was to the effect that she went TO the house of
Simkins to get his clothing to wash, when he
seized her and committed tho onensc, sitting
her cries by putting handkerchief into her
mouth The mother of the girl testified to her
daughters condition when she came home and
that she then told what Simkins had done.
DR.. Draper was witness, and testified to
treating Alice for n disease alleged to have
been contracted from Simkins.
The main witness for the defense was col
orcd woman employed at Simkins house, who
testified It's cint all that transpi. cd at the
tirie the little girl came to the house, April 3,
when II was alleged that the crime was COM
mitted. According TO her testimony Alice
came into the house and talked with Mr.. Sim
kins IN the hall aud asked him for work, and
then went away. The witness wns in the
kitchen at the time, pounding a bcef-stcak,
aud all the doors were open so that she plainly
saw all that occurred. Deputy Comptroller of
the Currency Longworthy, Detective Nc
Dewitt, and two gentlemen connected with the
office Of the Comptroller Of the Currency, tcs-
tilted that Simkins bore good reputation as
d moral and correct man.
Mr., II. II. Wells, jr. for the Government,
and General IIcnkle for the def, i,nsc, both adj
dressed the jury ut considerable length, and
Justice MacArthur's charge was not unlayor-
able to the prisoner. The jury tunk the case
about o'clock, and returned in au hour with
a verdict Of guilty.
A motion for new trial was entered, and
will be argued to-day.
Mr.. Simkins has been employed Ia the
Treasury Department for several years, aud
was stcnographer TO the Comptroller Of the
Currency. He bore such an excellent charlc.
ter that when the grave charge was preferred
against him his associates in office made no
change In their conduct towards him, believ-
ing that he would be acquitted. Simkins him.
self made great efforts to secure speedy trial
in order, he said, to have the disgrace removed
from him, and he confidently expected ac-
quittal up to the time that the verdict Of tho
jury was rendered.
lie claimed that the charge against him was
the result Of conspiracy to injurc or blackmail
him, and that he could silence his accuses by
the payment of a small sum of money. His
explanation is not inconsistent and as he had
no opportunity Of bringing il out on the trial,
it Is just to him that the public should know
II. lie says that the aunt Of the little girl
was formerly employed as a servant at his
house, but was so insolent that he wins obliged
10 ulstnArpc nCr. ne WOinan was very angry,
and made threats when she left, and he be-
licves that she is at the bottom of the charge
against him. When the little girl came to the
house she asked il she could do the sweeping
and work about the house, and upon receiving
an answer, hurried away, saying that her
father was waiting for her outside.
The charge was not preferred for nearly a
month after that. The cook in the house hav-
ing seen what took place, came forward and
offered to he q witness for Simkins. The rea-
son that the time and circumstances were i'm
pressed on her mind was that she was afraid
that the little girl would he employed in her
place, and she made mental calculation at the
time that just three days wages would be due
her If she was discharged. After the charge
was preferred she recalled this, and as she was
paid promptly at the end Of March, the three
days for which wages would have been due
| fixed the time Of the occurrence on tho 81 o
April, and that was the day on which II wa,
| alleged the crime was committed.
1t was q general opinion In the courtroom
before the verdict was announced that the jury
would disagree. The verdict that was rendered
furnished another example Of the uncertainty
| of iuries,