Daily Republican., 1879-11-18
THE COUNTY COURT.
Tho wheels Of Justice in Mo-
tiOn-A Confession OF Guilt
and . Pies fer Mercy From
Charles Le1ber- The Way Of
TransgrossOFs is Hard.

TransgressOrs is Hard.
Correspondence of the Republican.
il New CASTLE, Nov. II, 1879.
After closing Of to-day's report of the
mornings proceeding of the court at
New Castle, the Grand Jury reported a
number of bills after which the court
took q recess until 3 o'clock, p. IN.
At the hour named court convened
when the following prisoners were ar
raigned for the charges named: State
vs.. Edward Gallagher, charged with
the larceny Of ladies coat valued at
| $6, the property Of Ida Carpenter. Gal
lagher plead guilty but intoxicated at
the time. The Chief Justice directed a
plea Of not guilty to be entered.
| State vs.. John s. Webb, charged
with assaulting with iat,nt to kill
George W. Reeves. Ii. R. Pennington
was assigned as counsel for Webb and
the case laid over for bail.
State vs. Amanda Johnson charged
with the larceny of shawl, valued at
80 cents, the property of Sarah J. Reed.
State VS.. Edward Gallagher. A. b.
Cooper, deputy attorney General for
State. Charge, the larceny OF coat
from Ida Carpenter. Miss Carpenter
testified that she lives on Poplar street,
city Of Wilmington, that Oh the 9th of
November Gallagher entered into the
hall Of her residence and took from the
rack coat belonging to herself, that
he put 1t under his coat and went across
the street, that Mr.. Frank Fernan be-
ing called went after Gallagher when
the latter gave the coat back to her.
Did not notice that he was intoxicated.
Sarah L. Carpenter and Frank Fer
nan corroborated the first witness.
Gallagher being told hs could speak
in his own defence, addressed the jury.
He said he was tipsmith by trade,
that he got en- spree and whiskey
some how didn't agree with him; he
did not know until the next
morning that he had taken the coat, he
was SO drunk.
Mr.. Cooper, in addressing the jury,
stated that drunkenness was no excuse,
if it was, if anybody wanted to commit
crime, all he would have to do would
be to get drunk before the commission
of 1t.
Chief Justice Comegys in his charge
to the jury while admitting that drunk
enness was no excuse for the commits
sion of a crime, said it would be
a monstrous travesty on justice to con-
vict a man Of crime If he was so drunk
when he committed it that he knew
nothing about it, and he charged the
jury that lift thought the prisoner at the
bar was go drunk that he did not know
what he was doing, he should have the
benefit of the doubt. The jury then
retired.
At 4.25 the Grand Jury reported
number of bills, and were discharged
until Tuesday morning at 10 o'clock.
State VS.. Joseph Startling, James R.
Williams, William Jackson, Ezekiel
Davis, George Crossley and Rebecca
Startling, colored people OF New Castle,
were arraigned for exciting riot in
that city, in the month of August.
Some of the witnesses not having been
summoned, the case was postponed un-
til to. morrow.
State VS.. James Sweeney, postponed
until February term.
The following persons whom the
Grand Jury had returned true bills
were arraigned:
State VS.. Charlotte Short, larceny of
a child's cape, the property Of Mary
Woodington.
State VS.. John Dover, larceny offour
bushels of wheat from Montgomery
Gray, of New Castle Hundred.
State vs. James Darragh, larceny of
pair of shoes from Benjamin f.
Marsh.
State vs.. Charles Lsiber, burglary
and larceny of lot of store goods and
clothing from Catharine Fols, of Will
mington.
State VS.. Henry B. Brannol, rape on
Martha NJ. Morris, little girl eight
years of age, on the 26th day of July.
Branpon plead "not guilty." and being
without counsel, the Court assigned J.
L. Vallandigh Esq, to defend him.
State VS.. Charlotte Short, being call
ed for trial, "Lottie" said she was
ready, and jury was empaneled.-
"Lottie" said she was perfectly salts
fed with the jury.
Mary Woodington took the witness
stand and testified that on November
9th, "Lottis" cane to her house and
asked tor something to eat, which was
given her. She then asked for some
clothing, and her request being declin-
ed, she started as if to leave the house,
when she snatched child's cape and
carried it off with her. Mrs. Wooding
ton noticing the theft went after her,
when she gave it up.
"Lottie" said she had no questions
to ask the witness, when the case was
given to the jury and verdict of gull
ty was rendered without leaving the
box.
State VS.. Charles Leiber charged
with burglariously entering the premi-
ses Of Catharine Fols and committing
larceny. Upon being asked II he was
ready for trial he plead guilty to the
charge of larceny but not Of burgla-
riously entering the store, as he- had
been employed in the store as a sales
man. Attorney General Gray accepted
the plea of guilty Of larceny. Leave
being given Lsiber arose and addressed
the court in very effective manner.
He said he was guilty Of larceny but
he said Mrs. Fols had all her property
returned to her again and she had not
been the loser. He had Eot a relative
in this country, his parents being in
Germany, and they would be disgracsd
If they knew what he had done. He
ala a daaaruod runiahmanf hut ha