Los Angeles daily herald., 1889-07-25
LOCAL MELANGE.
EdgecOmb Held to Answer
with Heavy Bail.
BY ITS MOTHER.
A Six-Weeks'-Old Baby Found on
Fort Street by a
Police officer.


Justice Lockwood yesterday afternoon for
examination on the charge Of an assault
with intent to commit rape on Ella Gar
rett, who is eleven years of age. Owing
to the nature of the testimony to be in.
troduced, the courtroom was cleared of
all but members of the bar and press,
and the case was heard with closed doors.
The first witness called to the stand
was F. Nj. Garrett, the father of the girl
He testified that he had lived in this city
for three years past, during which time
he had officiated as chief deputy in the
Street superintendent office under the
Baldwin and Drown administrations
He lived ON the corner of Eighth
street and Maple avenue with his two
daughters, Malta and Ella. The latter
WAS IL years of age on the 10th of March
last. He had known the defendant since
January and regarded him as the accept
ed suitor of his elder daughter Malta.
Although the defendant was frequent
visitor at his house he never noticed any
familiarity between him and the child
Ella.
Ella Garrett, the alleged victim of the
defendant, was next called to the stand.
She seemed to be a remarkably preco.
cious child for her years and did not
seem to be much embarrassed by the
situation in which she was placed. She
stated that she knew the nature of an
oath and what would follow were she to
tell an untruth. She was IL years of age
on March 10th, at which date she was
living with her father and sister, on the
corner of Eighth street and Maple ave-
nue.. Two or three days after her birth
day the defendant came to the house
while she was playing with little girl
named Fannie Levy, who lived opposite,
the others having gone out to spend the
evening. He said he wanted to show
her something and at his request she
entered the house with him. On getting
into the bedroom he locked the door and
she climbed up on his lap. He then
hugged and kissed her, after which he
assaulted her. She resisted and tried
to scream, but he prevented her
by holding one hand over her
mouth. After accomplishing his
purpose, he told her not to tell her
papa, for if she did she would certainly
be sent to the Orphans Home, and he
would not be able to come and see
Malta any more. He then left the house
and she returned to her playmate, who
called her attention to the ruffied state of
her hair and the heightened color of her
face. She told Fanny all about it, and
Fanny subsequently told Malta, who
threatened to tell their father, but didn't
until some time after. When he heard
OF it he came to the Orphans Home,
where she had been sent, and after learn
ing the whole story, he told her she
would have to 60 into court and tell the
truth about it.
On cross examination, the witness said
that she told her father about the matter
on the Fourth of July, but that her sister
had told her some time before to keep it
secret. She admitted that she had been
too intimate with an eighteen-year.o .old
youth named Abe Jackson in San Fran
cisco two years ago, and that she had
contracted disease which lasted for a
year and broke out again four months
ago.
Fanny Levy, the fourteen-year-
playmate of Ella Garrett, was next ex-
amined. She stated that she saw the
defendant come to Garrett's house two
days after Elias birthday. He gave
Ella 25 cents, and told her to come into
the house and see something. He
then showed her blue plush box with
a ring in it, which he said was for Malta
After they had been in the house some
time the witness didn't think she was
treated right as a guest, and was just
going away when the defendant came
out and went away. Ella also came out
of the house, and her face was red and
her hair all mussed up. Ella did not tell
her that Edgecomb had insulted her
until two weeks ago.
DR.. E. R. Smith was called and stated
that he was called in to examine Ella at
her fathers request on Friday or Satur-
day last. Found no evidence of violence
having been used, nor any trace OF
disease.
This being the case for the prosecution,
the defendants attorney moved tn :
Court for dismissal upon the ground
that the evidence was insufficient to war
rant the Court in holding him to answer.
The Court, however, overruled this mo-
ton, and held the defendant to answer
to the charge before the Superior Court
under bonds in the sum of $4,000.
A motion to dismiss the seduction case
was then made on the ground that the
offense was committed before the passage
of the act by the last Legislature making
seduction felony, and that at the time
in question there was no such otfense
provided for under the statutes. The
Justice withheld his decision and took
the matter under advisement until to-