The Appeal., 1891-10-31

caee Win Lawyer MC0nee, In the case
Of the state VS. Ida Shenk, c. P. Wat.
son and Wm. Demars, charged with the
abduction of Grace May Ellis, a pretty,
fourte en- year old girl from Minneapolis
and OBTAINING her for an immoral pur
pose. The case was opened last week
and attracted a vast deal Of attention
the daily papers being full of it every
day. The case was tried in Judge O,is'
court and was only made the more not.
iceable because Of an order of the court
preventing any but the parties to the
suit and their witnesses from being pres
ent at the trial. On last Monday, law
yer McGhee, attorney for the defense,
as soon as court was declared open,
moved the dismissal of the case on the
grounds that the state had not made out
case:against the defendants. He ar
gued at con~iderable lei 9Th that n thing
had been introduced by the state to
prove that the girl had been assaulted or
IN any wav lrjul ed, or that the intention
OF the d. PENDANTS was wrong or unlaw-
full. The attorney waxed eloquent as
he progressed, and sat down at the
close of an hours argument only to hear
THE MOTION DENIED.
The examination of witnesses was
then resumed with attorney McGhee
contesting every inch of the way. After
the testi nony was concluded County At
torney O'Brien addressed the jury,
making an able presentation of the case.
He spoke of the enormity of the attempt
to detile girl of tender years. and asser.
ted that the stories of the defendt nts
were enough to establish their guilt be-
yond question without considering the
states testimony. He then reviewed
the evidence and especially that of the
defendants, and called attention to the
contradictory statements of the defend.
ants. Tthe address lasted an hour, and
was stated to be convincing and able.
AT 2P. NJ. F. L. McGhee arose to pre-
sent the argument for the defendants to
to the jury. 1t was apparent then that
he had difficult task before him, as it
seemed that not only the sentiment of
those in the court room but of the Jury
as we'll was against him. But nothing
daun1ed, he soon warmed up to hi4
cause. notwithstanding his d. claration
to only speak an hour, he poured out his
illustrations and Phillippics of oratory
for two hours, and grew more eloquent
as be progressed. 1t was the sentiment
OF the county att 'rney, as we'll as several
attorneys and spectators who heard the
! address,, that it was decidedly able
| one. He soon had the undivided atten
ton of the entire jury, aud held it close
ly to the end. His comments on the
evidence were ingenious. His pathos
broke forth into well.rounded periods,
and his logic in apply ing illustrations
| would do credit to the ablest criminal at
torneys at the bar. In fact, it was the
effort of his life and most admirably was
| his work done.
At the close of the argument Judge
O:is consumed half hour in his charge
TO the Jury giving an able exp )sltion Of
the law and a review of the main fea-
lures Of the testimony. The jury re-
turned late in the afternoon with ver-
dict of not guilty. The winning OF this
case is signal triumph for our able at
torney, and entities him to much credit
and St. Paul Afro-Ame ricans have good
cause to be proud of their sole repreta-
tive at the st. Paul bar. Lawyer Nc.
Ghee has been overwhelmed With con-
gratulations from his many friends and
professinal associates.
All the parties in the case were of the
Anglo-Saxon race which makes the vic.
tory of Lawyer McGhee the more strik.
ing.