The daily gazette., 1880-11-16
THE COUNTY COURT.
WHAT WAS DONE AT NEW CASTLE
YESTERDAY AFTERNooN-oNLY
ONE JJTRY TRIAT

WHAT WAS DONE AT NEW CAsTLn q
YESTERDAY AFTERNooN-oNLY
ONE JURY TRIAL.
specially reported for the GAzrr K.
NEW CASTLE, Nov. 15.-Court reas.
ssmbled at three o'clock, this afternoon.
Chief Justice Comegys and Judges
Wootten and Houston on the bench.
In the cas Of Daniel Creedsn, OF
Hockessin, indicted in several cases for
selling liquor without license, the
State accepted plea OF guilty in three
cases, aud notte pros. was catered Ia the
balance on payment Of costs. Creedsn
vas sentenced TO pay 6ne of $50, with
costs, Tor each case 10 which he pleaded
guilty.
Wm. x. Branhan pleaded guilty to
Que charge OF selling liquor without a
license, for which he was fined $50 and
costs, aud In Two other charges against
him notte pros. was entered, on pay
ment OF costs.
Mary Jane Heck, q white woman, was
arraigaed on the charge Of the larceny
c2 a shawl, chain and pc, Gil from MARY
Duly, In Wilmington, OIL the 7th inst
She pleaded "not guilty." In low, al
most iDaudible tone, aud held her head
down, with green veil drawn almost
entirely over her face. Harry Sharpley,
ESQ, who possesses . tender heart, to
which poor, down-troddsn humanity
never appealed in vain, volunteered for
the defense, and K. II. Davis, Esq, rep
resented the State.
Mrs. Duffy testified that Mary Jane
came To her house on Sunday night
week for the purpose Of sta ing all
night (she having been boarding there
for week. but left before bed time
Mrs. Duffy said she missed the shaw
chain and pencil from her bureau draw
or, which had been broken open, and
Afterwards recovered them at the City
Hail.
Mary FreslIan, eel, testified tina,
Mary Jaae Heck left the shawl, chain
aud pencil with her for l. an Of ntty
cents, and that the articles we're recov.
cred from her by the police. Officer
Thomas testified to arrestins Mrs. Hsck
and recovering the stolen articles from
Mary Freeman.
The case WAS argued, and for the de-
fense Mr.. Sharpley alluded TO u lack ol
particularly in the indictment, part oil
the articles being described as a "psncil'
which might have been common
lead pencil or slate pencll-aHd q
"chain," which might have been an OF
chain, log chain or gold chain. Mr..
Sharpley then reviewed the evidence,
showing where one witness said the pen-
| Gil and chain were gold, and another sill
yer, and claimed that ID was insufiieie Mt
TO positively prove the prisoners gulli
or warrant q verdict Of "guilty."
The court, Chief Justice Comegys,' o d
the jury that the law does not require
any great minuteness in the description
Of stolen articles In an Indictment, fur
ther than q statement Of the terms by
which they are generally and commonly
known. If they were satisfied by the
testimony, beyond a reasonably doubt,
that the prisoner stole the articles, they
should return verdict Of guilty"
At ASS o'clock the jury retired.
Meanwhile at 4:l0 o'clock the Grand
Jury had reported several true bills to
tho court, and were dscharR ID until 10
O'Clock tomorrow morning.
Frank McGarney was arraigned on the
charge Of tho larceny of two lanterns
from the r., W. & B. X. Il. Go. On
being asked ifhe was guilty or not gull
~ he said he had the lamps, but was so
drunk at the time that he did not know
how he came by them. The court or
dered plea at "noI guilty" to be EN-
tered for him.
At 5:25 o'clock, after half hours ab-
sence, the jury in Mary Jane Hsck's
case came into court with verdict Of
guilty OF stealing the shawl, aud not
guilty of stealing the pencil and chain"
They also recommended her 10 the mer-
cy 9f the court. Sue was sentenced 10
pay 81 restitution money aud costs OF
prosecution, and 10 be imprisoned one
month.
Court then adjourned until IL O'Clock
TO- morrow morning.