Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1889-08-09
ROMEO BIRCH ACQUITTED.
A Sympathetic Jury Hold That a Mid.
night Call Is Not Always Burglary.
From the Philadelphia Press.

From the Philadelphia Press
The story of a romantic love adventure was
developed in the old court house yesterday
when Conrad E. Birch, twenty-three years Of
age, was acquitted before Judge Biddle Of
the charge of burglary. Birch, who lives at
Harrowgate, was charged in two bills of in
dictment with burglary at the house of Thomas
Wilkins at Harrowgate. Birch had been pay
ing attention to Lenora, the daughter of Will
kins, girl Of seventeen years, but his atten-
tons had been objected to by the girls family
and he had been forbidden the house. Deter
mined to have an interview with his sweetheart
he climbed into the window of her bed room in
the second story, but was met with three vol
leys of gunshot and was arrested.
Thomas wilkins, father of the girl testified
that at IL o'clock on the night of July 81 he
heard noise Of somebody breaking in. The
family had not retired. He called his son Alon-
EOS attention to the noise. Alonzo got his gun,
ran around by the window and fired three shots
at the supposed burglar. The old man was sur
prised when Birch ran down the stairway and
begged him not to shoot. An officer was sent
Tor and the young man was arrested.
AREN'T there some relations existing be-
tween your daughter and this young MANI"
asked Lawyer Thomas P. Judge who repre-
scented the defendant ''No" replied the wit
ness, most emphatically.
Il don't mean kinship," explained Mr.. Judge,
'but wasn't he paying some attentions to your
daughter?'
lie can't marry no daughter Of mine" re-
piled the old man in most defiant manner.
If had had that ere gun instead Of my son,
he would have been in the hospital instead of
In that ere dock"
Alonzo, the son. corroborated his fathers
story. adding that he shot at him three times
but did not hit him.
The defendant was then called to the witness
stand to testify in his own behalf. He said that
so much of the story was told by the prose-
cutor was true. He had broken in at the hour
named. was shot at and arrested, but he was
very much enamored of the daughter of the
house, Lenora. The parents of the young girl
and her brother objected to his attentions. and
were so careful and successful in their efforts
to keep him away from her that he took this
opportunity of making a call. His intentions
were entirely proper, and he could only ac-
count for his meeting her at that unseemly
hour and in that burglarious manner by his
great desire to meet her and have a chat with
her. All his other efforts to see her had been
batfied by the family. He took nothing from
the house and made no attempt to take any,
thing.
Several witnesses were called to testify to his
good character. Then Lawyer Judge told the
jury in his address that the young fellow ought
to be commended for his nerve and for escap-
ing the shots, when he had to climb through a
netting in the window. at is a shame" said
he, Ito indict Romeo like him for burglary"
The jury acquitted Birch Immediately without
leaving the box on both indictments and he
walked out of the court room triumphantly
with his counsel