San Antonio daily light. [volume] (San Antonio, Tex.) 1886-1907, 1886-09-22
HAMPSTEAD LETTER.
BUSINESS CONTEMPORARY GRIM
NAL CASE

| DSSA@NE4Soo Dunn Uni NV a NANANA-
NAL CASE.
Compliment for Judge Burlzhart-The
Diamond King Company and
Other Notes.
HENnSTEAD, Waller Co, Texas,
September 10, 1886. I
Editor san Antonio LIGHT.
Hampstead, which Is the county seat
of this (Waller) county, presents at this
time quite lively and a business APP
pearance. This may perhaps be ac-
counted for by two causes, viz: One is
that this being great cotton-producing
country, rs well rs corn, etc, the farm
ers are hucking into town with their
various products, which, at this time
find ready market. There is still an
other reason which accounts for the
| town having such an active and bust
ness-like appearance. and that is that
the district court Is In session and has
been for the past two weeks, with the
probabilities Of remaining so for an
other week. owing to the Importance
which surrounds certain cases that are
now pending, and which will be eX-
planned in subsequent paragraph.
There have been, since the court com
menced, great many cases of petty
nature disposed Of both on the civil and
| criminal dOCkets, but on last Thursday
evening, at 3 o'clock, commenced one of
the most important cases that has ever
come under the notice of the people of
this county.
Important, | say, from the fact that
one of the parties interested Is no less a
person than a son of the late Captain l..
| II. MONelly, formerly OF the ranger
hAa hn,
hold word throughout the whole state of
| Texas and terror TO the evil-doers and
border rufiians of the Rio Grande.
1t is this good mans son who to-day
stands In the courthouse of Hampstead
charged with the following serious
crimes and II is to be hoped that on
account of the good name OF his respect
ed father who has rendered this state
such valuable service, and his afflicted
mother who is here watching the pro
gress OF the trial as each day passes
over, that he will vindicate himself of
| such grave otlenses.
In order that your readers may form
some idea as to the seriousness and the
unfortunate position this young man is
| placed in, the following are copies of
the indictments found by the grand jury
in Washington county:
First, assault with intent to rape.
Second, assault with Intent to murder
G. Dearson, husband OF Mrs. Dearson.
Third, manning.
The party who figures in this case as
complainant is German woman living
with her husband. the mother of eight
children, and is also grandmother, and
residing near the pleasant little town Of
Burton, on the Austin branch OF the
Texas Central railroad. AS stated be-
- inh 10 oil
ly is charged with, WAS committed in
Washington county, and owing to the
| feeling and excitement which existed
| there, it was deemed advisable by his
| counsel to remove the case to another
county, which was done, and hence the
| trial here From the evidence thus far
| obtained, it appears that on the morn
| ing Of the 9TH OF March last, between the
| small hours of and 3 o'clock, three
young men named respectively Rebel
| McNelly. Mic Gentry and ID. Birchtield.
were on a drunken frolic the evening
before and wound up by arriving at the
house of Mrs. NJ. Pearson, entered the
| place, assaulted, dragged her from her
| bed and inflicted several Injuries, one of
which being that the nipple OF one OF
| her breasts was bitten completely off by
| the party making the assault.
In the struggle which occurred the
husband OF the woman who had come to
| her assistance also received some very
severe injuries, which had the effect of
| laying him up for about six weeks.
As great deal of the evidence given
| is not exactly tit for publication, your
correspondent will not dwell on that
| part Of the proceedings, but will simply
state that the line Of defense pursued by
| the able counsel is to prove that the
woman Mrs. Desrson was an improper
woman, and that the testimony of her
and her husband could not be relied
on.
A great many witnesses both for the
prosecution and defence were produced
| to testify as to their truth and veracity,
and the woman's Mrs. Dearson's) repu-
tRtiOn as to virtue, but there seemed to
be nothing definite proven on these
points.
The most interesting evidence given in
this respect was that of young
man who being asked II he ever
had any intercourse with Mrs. Dear
son replied in the affirmative, but
later on in the day when the complain
ant MRS. Dearson) was put on the stand
she swore that she had never before seen
or heard OF him, and at this point the
young man was led into court for her to
identify, but she failed TO do so, positive
ly swearing that she had never heard of,
seen, or spoken to him in her life before.
There is also aGother and terrible af-
fair connected with the occurrence
which took place on that morning
| March 18TH which was the finding of
the dead body of Mic. Gentry two days
later, one of the young men which COM
posed the trio on the morning 1t Is stat
| ed that thi crime was committed.
For some reason or other the cases
against Birchfield have been dis Used,
| but 1t is presumed that this action was
| taken by the district attorney In order
| to have him placed on the stand and
| thus the matter stands with Gentry
dead, Birchfield free, and Rebel Mcneil
| ly is left to bear this grave responsible
ty.
Some idea may be formed about the
| importance OF this ease when the fol-
| lowing able counsel have been engaged
| for the prisoner, viz:
Judge l.. w. Moore, from La Grange,
| who Is at present q candidate for con-
gress; c. II. Breedlove, of Brennan;
| Gen. Boone, from Navasota, with Messrs.
| Harvey and Brown as local attorneys.
| So that with this great array Of talent
and eloquencs against the district at
| torney, Mr.. Robert K. Hsnney, who Is
prosecuting the case single-handed.
The Hon. Judge w. Ii. Burkhart, OF
| Richmond, Fort Bend county, Is presid-
| ing in this case, and he Is highly COM
| plimented from both sides on his Just,
| fair and impartial rulings, and aside