Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1878-03-08
The National Hotel Outrage
TRIAL OF RAY ALIAS CURTIS.
l,z.i al Court IlI1i1.a

day, the case OF Edward Ray alias Ell. Cur;i,
alias Edward Houghton alias edward Rich
aTdson, indicted i9r having on the 18Th of
son of Ella Tydings, of B9 ,.fmor ,s cue PEI,
ued on trial after our re- ,ort cposed % o'htih
ne II. st Jn of Miss Ella Tydings
H NE vas aste Irne length, and when a
, no nis,r;c. As s.I t.. HER CHARACTER
The cnnrr ~ .sarney raised an objection.
cbarscter said that they might show her
Simna TOW prlOr to this occurrence, but EOt
The res her conduct since may have been
that >tilt of that occurrence: and he directed
en-" .he proposition be made in writing and
" omitted TO him.
On the proposition being submitted the
court said that it was proposed TO show that
since the occurrence she had led an idle, dis
sOlute life. and he would never grant such a
Col Cook asked to be heard upon it.
The Court You may talk 10 a wall as long
as you have mind TO do so, but III never
elLknOwn principle OF law"
Col. Cook desired to note an exception to the
ruling. and also TO the refusal OF the Court to
hear him on the proposition.
The court put his ruling in writing in very
emphatic language.
Mrs. Sarah Miller was next sworn, and cor
r0borated the testimony OF her husband, and
identified Curtis.
Mr.. Tenney of the National Hotel. testified
to the entry +. II. Curtis and sister," under
date of March I'D, in the hotel register, bat
could nOtrecOgniZe the prisoner.
Marshal Frey testifiedto the circumstances
OF the arrest.
TESTIMONY FOR DEFENCE.
This closed the testimony for the govern
ment. and the defence recalled Mr.. Tenney.
hOtestifed To the location of the rooms. and
to Waterman frequently passing through the
hall.
II. Thompson, L. Lewis. and James Brandt,
servants at the National hotel, testified to
carrying the meals to Curtis and Miss Iydingss
and To removing the dishes after they finished
their meals. Their testimony showed that two
persons ate of the meals.
j. F. Joyce, clerk at the National hotel, de-
Scrlbed the rooms assigned to Curtis and Miss
TydingS, and testified that an ordinary con
versatiOn in the ro0ms could be heard in the
hallway. The inner door had a bolt on both
sides.
EXCITED FEELING AGAINST CURTIS.
This closed the testimony, and the crowd in
The court room began TO show signs of feeling
addressed the jury and advised them to avoid
conversation in regard to the case with per-
sons on the outside. The court then adjourned
and the crowd rushed To the sidewalk and
gathered around the door from which Curtis
was expected 10 be brought out. The officers
OF the court to prevent any danger of the
the building by way of the district attorneys
room where Jail carriage was waiting and
Curtis was hurriedly driven away.
THIRD DAY.
ON the opening of the court this morning
there was another Jam of spectators.
Mir: COrkhill called attention to the publica-
ton ton IN IN a morning paper headed, - Lynch
ing Crowd Ready to Work. and said that he
had made inquiries and was satisfied that the
croWd simply wanted 10 get in the rOom or to
see the prisoner, and he did not believe that
lhey mad any such object as lynching
The Court remarked that he did not think
the facts warranted the article, and he had
no idea that the gathering had any other OBJ
ltct than mere curiosity.
ARGUMENT OF THE DISTRICT ATTORNEY.
AT 1913 o'clock the District Attorney COM
menced his argument, referring 10 the deliber-
NfaI,
act omplish the running OF this girl as shown by
the very wording of the advertisement, An
Orphan Girl, Protestant Preferred" and asked
if he did not thus select his victim with a view
OF hndlng one without parents to pursue him.
why, 1t was one of the most deliberately
planned and executed crimes ever known.
Hastily referring to the Identification, he dwelt
on the prisoners interview with the girl at
Mis-. Nl!ierS. where he looks over her with the
eye OF cOnnOisseur and says, She will do
and. gives, directions for getting her ready,
having little use OF the clothes. He then pic
tured the girl. under the persuaSiOns of This
man. going To the depot in compliance with
lnS directions ana to her ruin. Far better
would il have been had she gone to her grave
He then described the journey to this city,
where the prisoner deliberately lied. and p r
suaded herto go to the hotel-leadng her as 4
victim to the block.
MR.. CORKHnL
followed saying that this was the most re-
mdrkable case of rape he had ever heard of.
and claimed that the man was not guilty. The
offence is the easiest to prove and the most
difficult to disprove. He alluded to the ease
III which woman may make this charge, and
curding TO the testimony, ii was the first case
OF rape on record. He referred TO the testi-
mony, and said the prosecuting witness was
allowed TO tell her story. and if the story was
true then this man should be punished, but he
deried that it was true, and called attention
to the actions OF the accused being so open as
shCwing that there was no intent to commit
rale. He proceeded to analyze her testimony,
and as the law says the victim must make out
cry, the handkerchief-whch appears i'm all
put up cases-is brought into play. He tacitly
&C mltted that the prisoner was the party. and
claimed that the whole thing was a business
af%lr- He referred incidentally to the recent
trial OF SimpkinS for rape, as put-up job, in
br! ught into play The prisoners character
prior to this affair was good: and being enc
am ed man, ii was impossible for him to com
nit this offence.
MIR. COOK FOLLOWED,
arg nlng at some length that the accused hav-
ing put one arm 1t was physical Impossible
further argued that if the crime was commit
ted she did not make any cutlery, for it was
Gle arly shown that even an ordinary CONVEX
argued from the evidence that there was no
alarm that after the commission OF the crime
she remained with him for more
I hiai hall DAY day and she went with
alarm. Why, then, did she not make an alarm
She reached the depot, crowds were there,
uniformed policemen were present, and no
complaint. There she meets a lady, cOnverSes
with her, and yet no complaint. On the train
she stu keeps her lips sealed, although the
alleged ravisher was on the train. The depot
III Baltimore is reached, and still no complaint.
and 1t was not until she reaches Mrs Miller's
house that she complains. Reading from an
authority, he claimed that the resistance must
be TO the extent of the power of the victim
Mr.. Cook was still speaking when our report
closed.
PURCHASE OF FINE HORsES.-At the sale of
the effects OF the late Mr.. Lancaster on the 9Th
INST, MIR. A. III. Lindsay Of Portsmouth, Va,
bought at high figure the two fast stations