The Ottawa free trader. [volume] (Ottawa, Ill.) 1843-1916, 1888-12-08
ottawa, H.. December X, 1883.
" Fiat JustItIae Ruat COLUMBIA State
ment

"Fiat JustitIae Ruat COLUMBIA State
The effervesence generated by trial
had before me on Monday and Tuesday Of
last week having mostly resolved itself in
10 its original elements, | think 1t likely
that fair statement Of that examination
will TO all, at least, who are not given over
70 sensationalsm) be acceptable,
Ii does not benefit Ottawa for its news
papers to make us out worse than we are,
or even to expose all our weaknesses, II
would be far wiser for newspapers,at least,
and not less Christian, to follow the exam.
pie of the SONS Of Noah, AZ 1t Is recorded
The newspapers of neighborlng towns
having been put on false scent, are yelp-
Ing. was called from bed early Monday
morning to accept ball for James M. Cur.
tin, who, was Informed while drawing
the bond, was In Jail for assaul,ing some
girls the evening before. The police
brought him from Jail, he signed the bond
and retired TO bed. asked no questions
as TO particulars and heard no conversation
on the subject.
thought the prisoner guilty because he
had been omplained OF, arrested, and i'm
prisioned and so gave close attention to
testimony rs It was introduced, determined
that the penalty should be severe FOR night
assault.
On Monday afternoon the prisoner, with
Mr.. Conway AS counsel, and the complain
ants, Miss Katie and Miss Mollie Wolf,
and Mr. Stead, city attorney, were all
promptly before me.
The evening previous was cloudy ard
dark. There Is no gas light on the block
where the assault was committed, the near
est one being on the west side OF the stree,
at the Catholic church, or At DelhantJ q
corner On the east side OF the street
there is no light from the Episcopal church
corner to the canal
The two sisters we're sworn and testified.
The smaller ono positively identified the
prisoner by his garb ~ the one guilty of
the assault-(the garb he wore In court)
| took bond OF the prisoner at one
o'clock. He WIS tidlly Dressed In Sunday
suit. In court he had on worn working
suit. | do not think IL possible for him 80
have changed clothes In the short time
between the assault and his arrest, more
than half Of which time (nearly ALL be was
under Mr. Gondolf's surveillance, even II he
had carried the change under his arm. II
struck me that II this Witness was not mis-
taken and her belief was true, that some
other person than the one before me- was
the culprit, but knew the night was dark,
the parties too far from a gas light to JUS
tlfy any one testifyihg with such earnest
positiveness; so gave her the benefit of
the doubt, thought she was mistaken, and
that the person before me was likely the
culprit,
The other and larger of the sisters tess
tife2 more positively and aggressiveiy,
Justly perhaps, for she felt that che had
been agrieved, insulted, aud that PUNISH
ment for 1t should Follow. She did not no
tice the garb If the assaulter, but for
about minute" she saw the face Of the
prisoner toward her. II this vision were
In the sunlight, 1t would be strong testimo-
ny; in the dark, without moon, and lttle
gas light, with the garb identification of
her sister already given, not SO strong,
The testimony OF the sisters was that an
assault had been committed on them as
they believed by the prisoner, on east side
of Columbus st, between Superior and
Washington streets, at or neay ten o'clock
p, IN. of the previous Sunday evening,
did not, do not doubt il. The smaller sis
ter testified that the assailant held his
hand over her mouth TO prevent her giving
alarm, but the larger sister did cry murder
which brought quickly to their rescue Mr.
Gondolf and Mr. Hertzner, who thinkre
side next each other atthe place of assault
There was no testimony before me that
either of these gentlemen saw the assault
ter At their coming he had shrunk away
back 10 his comrades on the corner Of Su.
perior street, probably, and from the testi-
mony then before me, and that which
came afterward. do not at this writing,
believe that the sssailed or their friends
have even seen the assailant since. After
writing thus far my curiosity as well rs de-
sire 10 be correct has taken me 10 the 10.
cality of the complaint. called at the
residence into which the larger sister ran
making the alarm, and the place Of assault,
or very close was pointed out to me. The