Evening journal., 1891-01-17
sPogRL,s eeAve PosITIoN.
Details of tho Henious Offences with
Which Ho is Charged.

Which Ho is Charged.
The trial of Harry Spoerl at tht
Municipal Court last evening brought q
large number of people to the City Hall
but only limited number was admitted
/ to t"e court room. Spoerl Is charged
with Indecent conduct with criminal in,
tent towards Mary Wilcox, years old,
aud those who were admitted to the
court room heard from the accusing wit
ness a sickening and a brutal story.
| Spoerl Is married man, about % years
old, and lives on East Fourteenth street
with his wife aud child. He was given a
seat in the dock during the trial, and
although his face was partly hidden by
the railing. the three little children who
were examined readily identified him as
the guilty man.
He was defended by Henry G. Turner
and Frank d. Carpenter, who subjected
the witnesses to searching cross-exemi-
nation without altering their testimony
The testimony was that Mary Wilcox.
the accusing witness, her brother and
Mary Moss, left school about Ii 80 o'clock
on Wednesday, January 2, to 60 20 their
homes in South Wilmington for dinner.
On their way home they stopped In the
repair shops of the p, w. & B Railroad
Company at Third and Bridge streets to
get rulers. Spoerl was standing alone ia
the apartment near the door. Other men
were in the shop. but pile Of cushions
separated them from view Spoerl put the
boy and Mary Moss out, and said II
want only Dolly" When the other chill
dren had been put out. he took the little
girl In his arms, fondled her and com
mitted an immoral act Drs. Howard
Ogle and E G. Shortlidge found that
she had been badly treated by some one
older than herself. Spoerl was arrested
and held without bail on charge Of rape
until yesterday morning, when the charge
was withdrawn and he was held In 81 600
on the charge Of illicit toying with the
child
Her evidence last evening was full and
to the point. Matron White held the
child in her lap while she told the sick
ening details Of the atrocious crime.
Daniel Wilcox, 8 years old, corrobor-
ated the story. When he had been put
out Of the shops he said he looked
through me window and saw SDoerl
fondA his sister. He is a very bright,
intelligent boy for his years.
Mary Moss gave corroborative testi-
mony, differing only in few insIgnif-
cant details from the others.
Drs ogle and Shortlidge thought the
child might have received life long in
juries.
a great many witnesses wers exam
ined for the defence The testimony
was TO the effect that Spoerl was at work
in the shop at the time Of the occurrence /;
that others were there who would see IL
any act was committed: that he was q
man Of good reputation
w. A. KINNEY, civil engineer, had
made plan of the building. He thought
1t impossible for the boy 10 see Spoerl
through the window, as the view was
entirely cut off
William NJ Vernon, Harry (. Ennis
Charles e Meechen. Frank NJ Mullen.
Charles NJ, Barlow, George M. Horn.
Isaac F. wilkins. W. Il. Toppin, Frank
Steiber, r NJ Higgins. Roger Mcguire,
John ]. Carr and Patrick J.. Joyce, were
examined and gave the prisoner a good
character. This finished the examina-
tion Of witnesses and as it was o'clock
in the morning the argument Of the case
was continued until Monday. Spoerl was
held in LOCO. William Herger became
his bondsman.