St. Paul daily globe. [volume] (Saint Paul, Minn.) 1884-1896, 1888-10-20
GUILTY OF ABDUCTION.
Sequel to a West Side EIopement
Sensation.

The case of the state against John
Stuart. the negro charged with the alb
ducton of Eloide De Plae, was resumed
in the district court yesterday. The
usual crowd of curious spectators was
on hand and craned their neckS and
bent their ears in their endeavor TO
gather i'm everything that might have a
tinge of SalaciOusneSS about it. The
victim of this most unhappy cpl
sode, Miss DE Plae, occupied the
same seat she did the day before
and of course came in for a share of
public attention. Her father, mother
and sisters got near her, butlgnored her
presence. The girl did not appear to
mind their OStraciSm and kept her eyes
riveted on the defendant. She was the
first witness called and took the stand
without apparent trepidation. She had
known Stuart year, and had met him
frequently OH the street and at her Sis
ter-s house. Two weeks after meeting
him he asked her to marry him and she
said she would. The day they left st.
Paul she met Stuart by appointment on
Indiana avenue and he proposed that
they should go TO Prescott and be mar
ried. This she agreed to. They took
a skiff and went down the river. the
Journey occupying a day and half
During the trip, Stuart had criminal in
tercourSe with her, and at Prescott they
occupied the same room.
The sheriff of Prescott was called and
testified to finding Stuart and the girl
occupying the same bed at l O'Clock in
the morning.
The next witness called was the de-
PENDANT. His testimony was as follows:
Nv name is John Stuart. | was born at
Hamilton, Mo. My father and mother
were slaves. | left Nebraska eight
years ago and went to Sioux City, thence
to Bismarck and Billings. | came to
St. Paul seven years ago. Met the DE
| Plae girl last January at Mr.. Jones'
| house.
THE OLD MAN WAS THERE.
About two weeks afterwards 1 went
! to the DE Plea house and remained an
| hour. Three or four days afterwards
| went there again. Everybody seemed
| pleased with my presence and nothing
| was ever said to me about keeping
away from the house. They were all
! as sweet as pie with me. | met the girl
| fifteen or twenty times at Jones.
kissed her as often as | felt like it and
| she kissed me. She said she was past
sixteen years. In conversation she
said something about our getting
| married. / objected. | met her once
| on Robert street bridge and she pro
posed that we should run away. We
| met again at the corner Of Fairfield and
! Eaton avenues. She said her parents
| treated her meanly. At another meet
ing she insisted that we should run
| away, so l finally consented. L had
| Improper relations with the girl before
! going away.
Mr.. Jones, a colored man, who is mar
ried to a sister of Eloide De Plea. next
took the stand. His testimony threw
no new light on the case. When asked
by Mr.. Warner, Defendants counsel, il
Stuart and the girl were not in the
habit of meeting at his residence the
witness conVulSed the court with
laughter by answering: My house is
no halfway house, sab" The cast
went to the Jury about $50 p. H., anC
at exactly s o'clock the twelve gOOt
man and true returned to their seat:
again. having agreed on verdict. Th6
verdict announced was that of guilty
and the prisoner accepted 1t With the
same unconcern that has characterized
his demeanOr all through the trial. Inc
Jury was then dismissed, and the spec
tatOrS who were present at the tlih(
filed out of the court.
| According 10 tlic ptidi COuC a pOiSoi
guilty of the crime of abduction is pun
ishable by Imprisonment III the state:
! prison for not mere than five years, o.
hy I fine of not more than sl,UGO, o.
both.
Somebody asked Jones, the coloreC
witness IN tie case. how he thought thu
matter would result. We'll, said he
scratching his. head. and with an air o
| il;y,f4Iil4 wisdom ''litV otter let dat mig
eah go. Dey begun dat amaigamatlon.