Daily Republican. [volume] ([Wilmington, Del.]) 1874-1890, 1884-11-18
COURT PROCEEDINGS
WILLIAM NORRIS FOUND GULL
TY OF KEEPING A GAMBLING
HOUSE.

Court re. assembled at O'Clock ON
Monday afternoon af ter the noon recess
and after the names of the GrandJ urore
were called, they retired to their room.
Mr.. Sbarpley, counsel for VIM. Norris
oolored, charged with keeping . gam
bling house, submitted q number OF
points to the Court, on which he asked
that the jury should be instructed. Mr.
Sharpley spoke about thirty minutes,
and urged that the indictment was de-
fective, as 1t charged the defendant
with keeping and maintaining gaming
table, whereas it had been shown BY
the witnesses for the Slate that tho
table on which the ALLEGED game was
played was nothing more than an ordt-
nary table, such as can be found In any
house.
He was followed by Thomas Davis.
ESQ. for the State, who cited several
authorities to show that any table that
is used for the purpose OF bling
becomes gaming table, anu Ia sucn
according to law. This point Was aus.
tanned by the Court, who dec ded thas
the indictment should stand.
Mr.. Davis then addressed the jury
briefly, and Mr.. Sharpley followed In
his closing argument. After the jury
lhad again been addressed by Mr. Davis
they were charged by the Chief Justice
that any table, no matter whether II 20
10 ade for the purpose or not, II 1t 10
used for the purpose of gam bling, 1t
becomes q gaming table within tho
! meaning Of the law, and ii the jury be-
lieved that the defendant kept this
, table for the purpose of having cards
+ or any other game Of chance on II they
lwould have to find him guilty as ind1c-
, ted. But If on the other hand they be-
lieved that these parties merely mee
there accidently, and had game, and
that this table was not kept for tho
purpose, they must render verdict OF
t not guilty. The Chief Justice, con-
, cluded his charge at O'Clock, and the
Ijury retired.
} The Attorney General said that ho
Q had concluded to enter nolle prosquo
in the case of Ferdinand Barntco. who
was indicted at the last court for An
. assault with intent to kill an Italian
Z one Sunday evening last summer anu
who has been in jail ever since.
ri John Thompson, boy, was arraigned
on an indictment cha ging him the
n larency Of s pound of tobacco, the
J. property CT William Coke. When as
8 ked if he was guilty or not guilty, ho
answered he did not know. Clerk
= . Cochran said did you take the tobao-
!. co or not?" when the prisoner replied
that he took 1t. " Well, then, you plead
lguilty," said the clerk, but the prisoner
decided otherwise. and the Attorney
General suggested that it was possible
that he, the prisoner, wanted to hear
the evidence, to be certain that he was
lguilty.
Chris ophar Riley, one armed man,
Q was alraigned on an indictments, charg-
60 ing him with the larceny Of eleven
t. airs of pants the property OF Nathan
Auer. The prisoner plead guilty, but
said + at he was 80 much under the in
fluence of liquor at the time that he
did not know what he was doing, or
what had happened until he found him-
self in q cell at the police station next
Id morning. The Court ordered that .
ut plea of not guilty should be entered, /,
pit and the case continued until next
1g February.
A jury was then drawn, and the casa
m of John Thompson, indicted for the
III larceny Of pound Of tobacco, was taken
Is up for trial, with Thomas Davis, Esq,
n for the State, and Walter Hayes, Esq.
for the defense.
vi William Coke was sworn, and testl-
rt fed that he keeps q tobacco and cigar
or store at Eighth and Locust streets, and
1d on the 18th of last month the prisoner
n came in and took the tobacco, carrying
ur it out under his coat. lie also left q
to pair of old shoes in the place. After
is he was arrested the witness received
ry some of the tobacco, which was found
on him, and identified it as his property.
p. Catharipe Coke testified that she ie
or the wife of William Coke, and corrobo-
ne rated his testimony.
Dir Andrew Moore testified that he is Z
to police officer, and arrested the de-
fendant at Water and Market street
!" found some tobacco on him which Mr.
To- Coke identified as his property. Tht
cd prisoner admitted taking the tobacco
ny and said that he had sold the remain
re der.
N just as this witness concluded hii
Testimony, the jury III the case o.
ey William Morris returned with verdict
Ill of guilty.]
After brief argument by counsel
re the jury were charged by the Court anG
ne retired at 05 o'clock, but came IL
lis after an absence of ten minutes with Z
verdict of guilty, and the Court, after
ul stating that on account OF his tendel
ut years, and the fact that 1t was his frs
Offense the lashes would be remitted
'er sentenced him to pay the costs of prose
le, Icution, 80 cents restitution money, ant
ne be imprisoned three months.
all William Morris, who was convicted
ns of keeping gambling house, was sen
he ten ced to pay the costs of prosecution
ry and fine of 5000, or in default be i'm
in prisoned six months.
Ter Henry johnson, colored, plead guilty
no to charge of carrying concealed
he deadly weapon, and WAS sentenced Il
nd undergo an imprisonment OF 10 days
gh James Jones, colored. plead guilt.
to an assau on a white boy namet
at Willard Austin, at colored cam
rse meeting last summer, and the Court
raj after hearing the statement Of wit
Do- nesses, imposed fine of IS an,
costs.
in At 4 so O'Clock the Grand Jury cam
lis in and were discharged until 10 'clocl
this morning, and an hour later, Cour