The morning news. [volume] (Savannah, Ga.) 1887-1900, 1892-03-25
LANDSBERG ON TRIAL.
TIE ASsAILANT OF LEILA WHITE
FACES THE CHARGE.

With Spectators and witnesses.
Miss White on the Stand-Laura Hop
kins Tells Her Story-Lsndsberg's
Visit to Her House With Miss White
and What Transpired There-Miss
White Says Her Photographs We're
Tempered With.
The trial OF James Landsberg for an
attempted criminal assault upon Miss Leila
White Of Apphng county, last May week.
was commenced In the superior court yes
terday. 1t occupied the attention Of the
court until o'clock last night, and would
have been continued TO a conclusion had
the prosecution been able TO stand the strain
of an all-night session. As she could not
do so the case was continued until this
morning.
An hour was consumed In getting the
Jury The state struck ten, the defense
nineteen, aud one went off for cause The
twelve men secured to sit in Judgment upon
Laadsberg's liberty are;
Robert Balfour, Frank L. Andrew,
Lewis Bliss, Jr.. walter Is. Fulton,
Randolph Paff, Clanch 5. Goodwin,
Robert Gray, Morris B. Ketchum,
Thomas Gilhooly, Johnston ii. Byers,
Robert T. Barbour, w. A. Wallace, COLI.
THE COURT ROOM THRONGED.
The trial being OF such a highly sensa-
tional character attracted an immense
crowd of spectators to the court room.
When the case was called at 10 O'clock there
wasn't a foot Of standing room in the court,
except behind the jury box. Inside the bar
there was a number Of lawyers beside those
engaged in the case. The windows were
even crowded, and outside in the corridor
people jostled and pushed each other IN
their endeavors TO get in. The gallery was
packed with negroes.
Landsberg sat in the prisoners chair sur
rounded by his counsel William Clifton,
ESQ.,, Eness Way, ESQ.,, T. s. Morgan, Jr.
Esq, and W. f. Morrison, Esq. He was
the cynosure of all eyes, but stood the
critical gaia well, the only signs Of nervous
ness displayed by him being the furious
movement of his jaws as he chewed gum.
LAURA HOPKINS STORY.
The first witness for the state was Laura
Hopkins.
Laura, at the time of the affair, kept a
house on Taylor street, near Jefferson, and
it was there that the attempt was made by
Landsberg TO commit the crime with which
he is charged. Laura is an attractive
woman, and her testimony interested the
spectators greatly. She testified that
Landsberg drove up TO her place with
white girl In a carriage. She admitted
Landsberg and the girl and they
went into the front parlor. Lands
berg handed her letter of
introduction, written by friend Of Lsura's.
and then Landsberg asked IL he could gst
any beer. She told him yes" and the beer
was served. Miss White refused to drink
the beer, however and LandsberR called for
whisky. This she refused to drink also.
Landsberg drank the liquor, and the witness
stated that he was under the influence Of
-. Ia kAa IL
berg then asked Laura if she could make a
glass of lemonade The lemons were pro-
cured and Landsberg walked into
another room 70 prepare the lemonade. In
the meantime Laura went out to the hydrant
TO get some water. When the lemonade
was ready Landsberg offered it to Miss
White, but whether she refused to drink it
or not the witness could not swear.
REFUSED THE LEMONADE.
At any rate, the lemonade was not drank
by the girl, who left it on a mantle in the
room. AT this juncture the door bell rang
and Laura answered the call. She let in
another party aud left Landsberg and the
girl together. In a short while Laura heard
a noise in the parlor and started TO see
what was the matter. She heard smothered
cries and thought something was wrong.
She tried to get in the room, but the door
would not yield. Laura thought Lands
berg was pressing against it and asked him
to open the door, but he made no answer.
The struggle continued and she heard the
girl pleading. Finally she gained an en-
trance into the room and saw the girl lay
ing on the floor crying. Her dress was
in a disordered condition.
Laura told Landsberg "that the window
was open and everybody could hear and
see what was going ON The girl jumped
up at this and leaped from the window to
the ground.
On further questioning by the solicitor
Laura said she heard Landsberg cursing the
girl in the room. ~ have seen Landsberg
Sc veral times since the affair, said the witt
ness. ",Some of his friends approached me
TO make statement in order to COM
promise the case, bat l wouldn't. They
came in an open carriage"
MISS WHITES STORY.
"Call in Leila White" said the solicitor
general Immediately everybody was eager
TO get glimpse Of the girl. 1t was with the
utmost difficulty that q passage could be
cleared in the big crowd for her. She came
into the court room with Constable Coll
man. Nothing more than plain, modest
looking, red-haired country girl, dressed in
q simple manner, she won the sympathy Of
the spectators at once.
She told her story in a calm aud collected
manner. She was positive OF everything
she said, and the questions put to her by the
defendants counsel did not seem TO affect
her until picture Of herself with an al
most naked bust was shown her.
''Is that your picture" asked Attorney
Morrison.
at is my face" answered the girl. "but
not my body. never sat for a picture
like that in my life." Then she broke down
and cried for several minutes.
THE VISIT TO SAVANNAH.
Miss White said she has lived at Halle
hurst all her life and knew Mrs. Grubb,
the other woman in the case. She left her
home last April in company with Mrs.
Grub to come to Savannah to attend the
May week festivities. Mrs. Grub told
her that she was to pay all expenses. They
game to the city and went to the Screven
house where she and Mrs. Grub were given
a room. The morning after their arrival
they met Landsberg, who took them over
20 the Southern Travellers Association
rooms. and staid there a short while. Miss
White denied that she drank any beer while
there. Landsberg was TO take her for q
drive to Laurel Grove cemetery that after
noon, so she understood, and she and Lands
berg got into a carriage for that purpose.
The girl then detailed the circumstances
which followed, Of driving up to Laura
Hopkins house, where Landsberg said he
wanted to introduce her to a lady friend of
his. and OF their going into the parlor.
SAW SOMETHING IN THE LEMONADE.
Landsberg, she said. tried to induce her