The Wheeling daily intelligencer. [volume] (Wheeling, W. Va.) 1865-1903, 1890-01-24
NEUTRALITY-SUSPICIOUS.
,Put onin3Pait; $o z, HE II, Circuit /
] County este,day.
R0DNEYsDlCKERsON ON TRIAL
For a Criminal Assault on a Simple.
II Minded Girl, Aged 1O-Certnin5
'SS,l, Evidence Not Admissi ble-sIr.
sisf Howard III Cont cnlpi.

The case OF Rodney Dickerson, indict
ed for rape, was put on trial yesterday in
Part l Of tho Circuit Court, before Judge
PAUL.. There IRE q number Of circum.
stances connected with this case which
tend to make. 1t one OF the most inter;
estlng that has been tried In this
county for q long time. Under the
laws Of this State lin case a person
Ia convicted 81 the crime with
which Dlckerson stands indicted,
the penalty is death by the hang.
mans moose. This fact added special
interest 10 the case, and served to keep
the court room crowded all day with
spectators who listened eagerly for every
word that, was said. Some trouble
in obtaining a jury was occasioned
by tho death penalty y feature Of
the case, but shortly before
moon, however, the necessary twelve
men qualified to serve as jurors were
obtained their names are Harry Rum.
bic, William Lyle, Frank.Auber, George
Bowman, Fred Chorts, Ben jamin Leech,
w. II. Exley, George Rogers, John II.
Stamp, Robert Pekari, Edward Burt and
b. T. McNiechon. y! v i rs q:
ii The crime for which Dickerson is on
trial occurred last April, when he Undue.
ed a Supplemented girl named Florence
Wilson, aged 10 years, to accompany
him upon the hillside near the city res.
ervoir. & He was arrested shortly after
by Policeman Desmond and taken
before Justice Davis 4 who com
mitted him. to await the action
Of the next Grand Jury. While under
arrest and on his way to the office Of
Justice Davis, and afterwards when be-
fore the Justice, Dickerson admitted his
guilt, it ~ is said, N but cup Y 10
the time Of f the adjournment
OF tho y5t Court n last evening, Prose-
cutting Attorney Howard had been una
Bile to get tho testimony of Policeman
Desmond and Justice Davis before the
jury. a. a S. ,jaSi
Dickerson comes OF a respectable family.
His mother and sister both sat beside
HMM court yesterday. His attorneys are
Col, Robert White; Mr.. Guy. K. @. Allen
and Col. Arnett. Prosecutor Howard has
no one to assist him. The girl Wilson,
whom Dickerson is charged with having
outraged, was in court yesterday, but
could not be used as a witness. AS be.
fore stated, she is supplemented, and a
very brief examination byJudge PAUL.
demonstrated very completely to every:
ono in the court room that she could not
be used as q witness, not understanding
the nature of m oath, etc. y Ai Az &.
: Attempts on 7 the part OF Prosecutor
Howard to introduce the evidence of
Policeman Desmond and Justice Davis
above referred to, &as to SDickerson's
confession, met slwith a i strong c, re-
sistance from the ~ defense, III who
quoted authorities to show thatga con-
fession made under the circumstances
Dickesron's is said to have been made,
to officers OF the law, cannot be accepted
as evidence. Judge PAUL sustained
these objections. Quite an interchange
OF words was had all around during
which the Court found it necessary to
reprimand; Mr.. Howardand declare him
to be in contempt ofcourt from whichNlr.
Howard afterwards purged himself.
y Mr.. Howard experienced "a trouble
similar to- that ne had with Desmond
and Davis, in endeavoring to introduce
the testimony OF Mr.. viii S.lFaris, who
at the time Of Dickerson's arrest was
City Editor Of this paper and was'in'
Davis office at the time Dickerson was
taken there. Judge Paul. deferred pass.
ing on Mr.. Faris' testimony till this
morning in order to allow Mr.; Howard
time to produce authorities. !! ~
y Mr.. Howard said last night that being
unable to introduce the testimony OF
Desmond or Davis. he should feel tempt
cd in case Mr.. Faris' testimony, was
ruled out, to abandon the case, for he
had little else to rest on. 81 rs.