Evening capital journal. (Salem, Or.) 1888-1893, 1891-01-05
AN AWFUL CRIME.
An Old Resident Of the Waldo Hills
Charged With a NameleSS
Crime.

NJ IDt IdNAlti VI ~ y
Q lives near Silver Greek falls, Is
! charged with both incest and rape, a
e crime perpetrated a little less than a
year ago. The girl is Minnie r..
Herrick and was fourteen years old
/ the 5th of last June. She gave birth
TO a female child on the 18th Of
? 2 November. The child was brought
! TO Salem and placed in the charge
of a lady in this city, who was told
/; that the mother Of the child was
dead and remained under the i'm
preston that such wasTthe truth
until the arrest was made last week.
The girl made written acknowedg-
ment this morning that her father
is the father Of her child. The case
came up this morning before Justice
James Bachelor, with district attor-
ney Geo, G. Bingham for the state
and Tilmon Ford for the defense.
The trial was held with closed
doors, only the witnesses and the
representatives Of the press being
present. Ford asked permission to
interview Minnie Herrick, the chief
prosecuting witness, before the trlaI
began, this was objected to by the
attorney for the state but was
granted by the court, provided the
sheriff be allowed to witness the IN
teryiew. This was complied with,
Mrs. Lang was the first witness
called TO the stand by the prosecu
ton. She testified that on the 10th
of November she was called to at
tend the unfortunate girl, and dur
ing her stay there that night the
father told the girl that such shoald
not happen again. She also stated
that Mr.. Herrlck told her that night
that his daughter was dragged away
last spring, while gathering flower
by the roadside by an unknown
man, who accomplished his evil
designs and then run off. Mrs. Lang,
who IS midwife, said that the child
was well developed, of natural birth
and must have been conceived in
the winter.
Mrs. Fraiser was next sworn and
said that the girl told her that the
accused was the father Of the child.
The girl had also told her that the
intimate relations had existed be-
tween her and her father ever since
she was thirteen years old. She
also described the sleeping apart
ment of the girl and her small sister
aad that of the father. She stated
that the girl told her that her father
had frequented her sleeping apart
ment at night.
Minnie Herrick was called to the
stand and gave testimony that CON
tradicted all that had been given.
She claimed that while gathering ,
little blue winter flowers in the last
of March she was accosted by All
unknown man who wore blue over {
alls and had his coat on wrong side
out, and who accomplished the
crime Of rape on her. She also testi-
fed that that was the only olense
against her character. When asked
il 1t was her fathers child she said
"no." When questioned as to why
she left home last Thursday and
went to Mrs. Frasers to stay, she
said they had promised to find her
good home where she could have
plenty Of clothes aud could go to
school.
The judge showed her the paper ,
containing her acknowledgment d
aud she said that it was her sigma.
ture.
l.. II. Hughes was AcXt called and q
sworn but his testimony did not |
bring out any new facts.
Mr.. c. II. Fletcher was then sworn ,
and his testimony corroborated that
Of Mrs. Lang and Mrs. Fraiser. He
also had heard the girl say that the
child was her fathers. Heprepared
the acknowledgment which the girl
signed, confirming the statement
that her father was the guilty man
aud had frequently visited her sleep
Ing apartment aud compelled her to
yield to his will,
MIR. Knight, OF knight postoflice,
testified that the public feeling was
very strong against the accused In
that neighborhood, and that some
had talked of taking the law into
their own hands, nut some of the
more conservative had urged them
10 let justice take its course.
Al two O'clock all the witnesses
ON the part OF the state had been
heard and the court adjourned until
Sl5, 10 give all an opportunity to
get their dinner.
Al the appointed time the court
was called and one witness
was heard for the defense
Mrs. Schell was the witness called
In behalt OF the defense, She gaveas
her testimony that the girl had told
her the father OF her child was an
unknown mas whom She had seen
while gathering flowers in the field,
The whole defense seemed to depend
on the girps testimony, which did
not agree with her written acknowl-
edgment.
The general impression was that
the accused would he held over 10
await the action of the grand Jury
This morning NArrauts Mpre nut