Evening journal., 1890-11-24
sTARksY ON TklAL.
Little Garcie Clark Tells the Stery of
His Brutal Crime.

Little Garcie Clark Tells the Story of
His Brutal Crime.
The attendance at court this morning
was not so large as marked the sessions
of last week, despite the fact that o-day
the trial of Shakespeare Reeves alias
Jacob Starkey, for outrageously assault
ing Grace Clark, small white girl, who
lives in New Castle, was to be opened.
When court convened Chief Justice
Comegys and Associate justices Houston,
Grub ami Cullen were upon the bench
William Michael Byrne was admitted
to New Cestle county bar as spracticlng
lawyer upon motion of E. &. Bradford.
A Capital Crime.
At 1890 o'clock Jacob Stsrkey was
marched in bet ween the two tipstaves
and took his place in the box He had an
uneasy look upon his villainous yellow
face. and his eyes glanced to and fro
when the Jurors we're being sworn.
Messrs Conrad and Byrne represented
the prisoner, and Attorney General
Biggs and Deputy Attorney General
Davis appeared for the sta 9.
CaliIrg Jnrr.
1t took three quarters 81 an hour to
secure the jury. Thirty three names
were drawn from the panel before twelve
men could be secured t. try the prisoner
The following men were challenged ~ the
state: Dennis Buckley, Amos Sharpley;
challenged by the defence: ~, A Mu'ligan,
William Il Bennett, Cherries e. Wise,
George g. Carr, Frank B. Watkins,
Cornelius Wnitnack, Sa nuel Dick nson,
Charles @ Dempsey William A. Scott,
Joseph w Nicholson, James +. Webster,
James McMullin, Joseph Butts;
Everett Won Culin, Edwin Morgan was
NOS present when called. Henry w.
Frazier, had formed an unalterable
opinion; Thomas 0'Niel Richard Clayton
had conscientious scruplss; John e.
Lyman, who is related to the prosecuting
witness, was excused; as was also
Walter F. Southgate, who expressed
himself rather forcibly az being in favor
of hanging for rape, but not for murder.
The following jury was secured:
Willism B. Currinder, George w Gray,
Daniel s. Richardson, James Meaney,
Edwin Clepdenin, Frank B. Mote, Erwin
w. Pierce. Robert w. Birney, Hubert
H. Records, Thomas l. Talley, Stirling
fearsl,p Thomas A. Lynch
AS soon as the jury was sworn Deputy
General Davis stat the manner of the
indictment presented by the state. and
then the little child, Grscs Clark, who
was outraged by the burly negro, was
led TO the stand by her father from the
ladies' waiting room. the little child was
weeping bitterly and her father was al
lowed TO stand in the witness box with
her until she regained her composnre
The child is very slight, has light hair
blue eyes and fair complexion. She
wore dark dress and plaid coat and
looked very winning as she stood in the
witness box, the rail of which came
up to her shoulders. Her answers TO the
questions Attorney General Biggs put to
her showed that she is an unusually
intelligent girl. A mnrmur of disgust
came from every mouth in the room as
the victim and the brute who assaulted
her stood face to face, and she said he
was the man.
The attorney-gf neral was very con
siderate in his questions and several
times he was overcome by his emotion,
when he had to LOOK into her face and
ask her questions against which her
innocence revolted.
She told how she and her younger
brother had gone into the hay NOW to
look for eggs. She did not know that
Starkey was in the hay NOW. Her
brother went down and Starkey called
her to him He then committed the as
sault, telling her not to tell until she
was 10 years old She would not promise.
he released her when she said hel
mother was calling her. She said that
she struggled to free herself but could
not succeed. Finally the negro heard her
mother calling her and released her. The
child concealed tho fact that an outrage
had been committed until her physical
condition compelled her 90 disclose the
fact to her mother, which she did OF
Wednesday.
The cross examination was begun bJ
81. @. Conrad at exactly ~ o'clock H'
showed great consideration for the fai
little prisoner, and was as delicate in al
of his queries as it was possible TO
him to be Grace did no
contradict herself in any particular upol
the cross examination Mr. Conrai
drew out many particulars concerniu,
the actions of the child during the day
but her testimony remained unchanged
DIR. j. J. Black of New Castle testifel
that he had examined the child and fouu'
that an outrage had been committed an
that the child was very Ill from tbs effec
of the attack made upon her. He con
tradicted the general idea that Starke
was suffering from venereai diseas
when the outrage was committed.
Court adjourned until 2. 80 s'clock thi
afternoon.