The Salt Lake herald. [volume] (Salt Lake City [Utah]) 1870-1909, 1880-03-10
THE MORRIS CASE.

The trial of Charles Morris Was con
lnued throughout yesterday. and al
the testimony bad not been submit
led when an adjournment wss taken
until 10 O'Clock this morning. II
vas not until afternoon that the prose
cntlon had finished the introduction
OF testimony On its part, Nnen the
defense began, without making any
Introductory remarks Henrietta
Salisbury, the girl indicted with Nor
IS for sssault on the child with intent
~ Kill, was the frat witness for the
defense. Her examination in chief
resulted IN . general and specific de-
NAL OF the allegations made ola series
OF abuses being praeiised upon tie
child By the defendant; and she stated
thai he evinced considerable affection
for the little Toy and used to play
with him. In her discrimination,
conducted by District Attorney Van
Zlle, she became somewhat muddled,
and made a number of conflicting
statements she admitted that the
boy had b:uise on his cheek bone;
caused, she claimed. by fall; also
that he had sores On his lips aud
ears. which were cold sores. She
afterwards sWore that both ears were
sore, but were made so By the
little one having fallen from Its
high chair. In the whole
course of her examination she
did rot once admit that Horris had
abused or beat the child in any way,
though she stated she had herself ad
ministered chastisement by a little
switch, which had made red marks
on the child's body. She was asked,
In her crOss-examination, If, before
living with Morris. she had not re-
sIdeo IN house Of prostitution. The
answer was finally obtained that she
had been an inmate of one for a
period Of eighteen months prior to
living with Morris. The attorney for
the defense then asked her how she
came to go there, when she recited
troubles she had undergone in her
home, brought about by her step
mothers abuse and her fathers ex-
cessive drinking. She was relating
the indecent acts of her father to her,
Just before she lett home, in which he
proposed to commit heinous ofense,
when the counsel for the defense ex-
cused her from details, and she
briefly stated that the treatment che
received was the cause of her going to
the house of iil-iame.
The records OF the Justices court
CT the Fifth Precinct of this city, in
which Morris and Salisbury were
tried, we're then about to be intro.
iuCed on the part of the defense to
show a prior acquittal, when Judge |
VanZlle objected, arguing that it did |
not appear from these records that
Morris had entered a plea OF not
guilty in the case, and that the
records could therefore have no
bearing, and cited authorities to this
effect. Mr.. Brown replied at some
length. holding that the records were
and quoted authorities in
support of his position. When the
on the question had been
concluded, Judge Hunter held the
subject under advisement, and an ad-
was taken until 10 o'clock
mis- morning.
There was a large crowd in the
court room during the day, and on
several occasions made a noise by
aughiDg at remarks of the attorneys,
which Judge Hunter checked. He
inally informed the crowd that this
vas not place for merriment; that
le had several times been called
lpon to check the laughter, and that
f It we're to continue he would order
he room cleared, as be could not
uffer the dignity of the court to be
nfriDged upon in such manner.