Staunton vindicator. [volume] (Staunton, Va.) 1860-1896, 1878-12-27
A Case Under the Seduction Law.

Friday afternoon Mayor Balthis had an
unusual audience in his court room. Sit
ting in chair by the stove was Josie Nc
drawn closely around her and her face
yelled. The beauty of the face was height
ened by the, to her, fatal gift of approach
ing maternity. Near her. with his head
bowed on the back of his chair, sat her
father, Mr.. M. McLain, a tall, soldierly
looking man of sixty, with good face and
grizzled moustache, and standing by her
was good-L'oking young man, the BROTH
er-in-law Of the girl. who showed an anx-
ioas desire to befriend the friendless one.
At the other end of the room sat the young
man, Cicero Doom, charged by the girl
with her seduction.
The story of the young girl, told on oath,
was very positive. She became acquainted
with Doom, who drove furniture cart
while he was moving her fathers family
two years ago. The introduction was by
her father. In the short space OF three
days she had discarded another lover at
Doom's request, aid engaged herself to
him. Doom seduced her under promise of
speedy marriage if necessary. and this stall
it became necessary. She had been chaste
before that and. except with him, since
that. He had put off the intended mar
rage on the ground that he was not ready
to settle down. Her father not favoring
Doom, on account of his dissipated habits,
witness had met him at another house.
Had never been to that house with other
lovers 1t was nearly year after her
acquaintance with him that she was ruin
ed by him. Had kept up the guilty ac-
quaintance with him since. Witness
positively denied any intimacy With Briscoe
Dull, " hiie her fathers family was living
in Lexington. She also, after long scru-
tiny, positively denied having written
three letters, which were handed to her
by Meade F. White, counsel for the
prisoner. Acknowledged having written
two notes to Whltlock, with whom her
father objected to her associating, because
he was disreputable man.
Mr.. McLain, father of the girl, testified
to having invited Doom to his house and
to his visits there, and to the fact that he
afterwards .bjected t., Doom's visits. on
account of his dissipation, and forbade his
daughter receiving him. Doom came to
the house very drunk. Doom had told
him that he was engaged to his daughter.
Witness knew nothing of what was going
on, until his daughters condition was
made known to him. He was then So dis
tressed that he moved to Harrisonburg to
hide the disgrace. Had heard of his
daughter visiting house of bad repute.
aid tried to detect her, but she was too
fast for him.
Mr.. Fisher, brother-in-law of the girl,
testified to Doom having acknowledged
that he Was the author of her disgrace.
Messrs. Couch and Jno. Sherrdrd testi-
fed to the good character and gond stand
ing of Mr.. McLain's family while they
were in Lexington.
On the side of the defence Briscoe Dull
testified that before his marriage, and
while working in Lexington he was cog
infant of the gros est and most reckless
immortality on the part of the girl. who
was then Eighteen years of age. Other
witnesses testified to her bad reputation
here and her visiting dsreputable houses.
The Mayor. at the close of the evidence,
dismissed the case against Doom and he
was DISCHARGED.