The Sedalia weekly bazoo. [volume] (Sedalia, Mo.) 187?-1904, 1885-04-28
COURTESANS IN COURT.
They Indulge in KnOek-dow
Argument.
& Most Disgraceful and Far
cical Scene.
A Queer Trial and a Queerer
Verdict.
How Justice is Dispensed Some
times.

side of bsckwoods Justices dominic. be-
fore. Remark bic not only as to the events
which transpir ed, but al as to the cause
tried, the rulings given and the verdict re
tarned, as ju1g d from the limi ed kIow!-
edge of law pJs'ssed by the reporter. The
case was that Of Ella Jefiriss charged with
the stealing of certain srticlss Of wearing
from trunk In The dwelling OF one Matte
Childs alias Matte Williams.
Both the women are notorious prosti-
tutss and the pros cutiCn necessitated the
appear: of Others of like ilk ppm the
witness stand. This, OF course, drew q
large concourse of the bum eleme.t to the
court room, and rendered it anything but a
comfort .ble place to be. The prosecution
was represented By Attorneys Bridges and
Lamm and the defense by attorneys Steele
and Longan.
Of the history and sntec ade nts of the de.
PENDANT il is unnecessary to speas, as she
has already figured TO a great extent in
print during the past few weeks in connec
ton with a certain hotel Ike per, of no good
repute. As TO the prosecuting witness, Mat
tie Cbilds, she is ga t. as well known. The
chief witness for the defense, Minnie Sleph-
tins, alias BABE Hunt, bears an even mere
un>avory reputation, while the prosecution
music red only damsels of sable hue 10 idrn.
,ify the property claimed by her to have
been stolen.
THE FIRST WITNESS
| was Matte Childs, who stated that Ella
Jefiries hs been residing with her at Que
time, but bad removed some time in De.
cember taking with he- a number of val
uablrs in the shape of clothing and other
appurtenaDces usually kept by females of
her ilk, which wss the individual property
of the afiant. She had secured the SER
vices of Deputy Constable Finch, and
armed with a search warrant they had
gone to the residence of Ella Jeffries aud
there found certain articles which were
then produced in court, and were the prop
erty Of the affiant, ard winch had been
taken from her trunk in her house, without
her knoSlsdge or consent. Two colOrpd
witnesses, who claimed TO be The washer
women of Matte Guilds, swOre to the
articles SIS berg to their knowl-
edge, her pr perty, and she was
corroborated in her statements by Deputy
Fitch. who also detailed a portion OF the
cOnversati' pas ed between the prisoner
and plsin,iff, in which the former denied
the articles belonged to the plaintiff.
This ended the evidence for the prosecu-
ton and
BABE HUNT
was called for the defense This brszen
strumpet came into court dragging with
her an eight or nine year-old daughter who
would be better in he poor house or any
where else than in the keeping of such a
mother. Babe ties flied that Matte Childs
4 Il L L.. l.,
Jeffries wa+ living, saying she had loaned
her some of her clothes which she disir, to
get b OK. This statement made Matte
Chi'ds open her eyes and tess her hea
with an incredulous sheer.
81 see you and I'll settle with you, you
- WIN N We get thrC ugh," said the wit
tss to Matte
This caused Matte to msk. another
sniff and Minnie to add, "mind your own
business or I'll do it now" and suiiipg the
action 10 the word she raised up and cross
il g TO Matte gave her a vicious VIII, OK on
the head 9TH her umbrellas, which badly
demoralizsd that courtesan's head gear.
Finding her We tpon light Minnie quickly
reversed il and made
ANOTHER VICIOUS BLOW
with the heavy handle end, but by this
time Captain Bridges had gallan ly rushed
to the defence of his client snd received the
force of the blow upon bis left hand, badly
iniuriug that uember and forcing him TO
step back. Another blow followed upOn
the head of Matte with such force as to
make her cry out with piin. and at this
junctnre Deputy Constable Wallace inter-
posed his portly form, seized the broken
weapon and forced Minuis 10 cease her
hosti e demons ratioDs. Order b ing re-
stored, Attorney Lamm dem nded a writ
for assault and had Minnie arrested on the
charse of ass ,ult and battery ard the trial
proceeded.
ELLA JEFFRIEs
was the last witness. She swore that Matte
ChilGs had loaned her the clothes, tn II she
got Jealous Of her and drove her of,
and hat she took them along and returned
them. The case was given to Tire Jury,
who retired, and the case of Minnie Hunt,
for assault aud battery was called, Steele
and Lonsan undertaking the defense.
Attorney Lamm wanted TO go to trial at
once, but the defense refused, and a regu-
lar lawyers wrangle ensued which was
confusion worse confGunded.
A change of venue however, was finally
taken to Justice Halstead, who said he
could not hear the case before Wednesday,
and an effort was made to again change the
case but the defense objected. The matter
was finally settled however, by the defense
agreeing to enter plea of guilty before
Judge Halstead, which was done and he
fined Minnie g and costs, in all amounting
to about SIS. Shortly after
THE JURY
returned with verdict in the case of Ella
Jefiries, assessing her fine q 81 and costs,
in all $50, and she left the court in
company with deputy to hunt up her no