Bridgeton pioneer., 1892-01-21

| lhdhy Vic ooohs duOUuci SiiI III ATo.
Summers employ, began thorough
search and finally it was found in a
deep hole in the plastering In the rear
OF the cupboard. The pocket book
was put back, and the girl again ques.
toned without her knowing that il
had been found and she finally ad.
mitted knowing where it was. ..and GO
ing to this same aperature, pulled it
ont. @e - &
The fun reigned fast and furious
during the cross examination. Mrs.
Summers seemed to be we'll acquainted
with Mr.. VanSyckle and they oft.
times had interesting arguments The
Court warned Mrs. Summers several
times that patience might cease to be
virtue, but the lady failed 70 realize it.
On cross exam nation Mr.. VanSyokle
endeavored to show that Mrs. Sum
mers had habit of laying away her
pocket book carefully and forgetting
entirely where it was. This the lady
admitted as happening once or twice.
He also attempted 10 show that
the confession of the girl was wrought
by threats upon the part of the coo!s
to cut her throat and Mrs. Summers
in threatening to brain her with a
cherry seeder.
| Tcejury in the case of the State
against Sadie Collins, charged with at
tempting to burn the Vineland school
house, came in at this time and rem
dered verdict of not guilty. The
verdict, evidently, was pleasant to
some of the auditors, for somebody
gavo prolonged whistle and there
was some hard clapping and stamping.
The court raped sharply for order,
and if any of the perpetrators could
have been discovered, the penalty
would haYe been meted out.
During the continuance Of the cross
Examination of Mrs. Summers, there
was considerable merriment, which
caused the Judge to say that several
times he had ordered tho audience to
preserve order, and he did not propose
to do SO again, and warned them that
any future outbreaks would cause him
to order the room cleared of every
body not seated.
Miss Belle Thomas, a very intelligent
colored young lady, told of the miss
ing pocket book, aud that Matte
owned to taking it, and told of almost
countless number of places where she
had thrown ii, but investigations
showed that her stories were not true
Miss Thomas then told of her finding
the pocket book in this cupboard.
She put it back and told Matte that
If she did not find the pocket book she
would cut her head off, or do some.
thing dreadful. Matte then put her
hand in the cupboard, and took the
pocket book from the aperture.
These two witnesses were the only
ones furnished upon the part of the
State, and the defense began its work.
First the little twelve-year-old de-
fendant went upon the stand. She
pathetically said that her mother was
dead, and she was in the care of her
grandmother. The little witness said
she was born In Wilmington, Del,
and she came to this part of the coun-
try recently, and went to work fol
Mrs. Somers. She said she remem-
bered the morning the pocket book
was missed. She was charged with
taking the book, but denied 1t. Then
she was threatened with death in all
sorts of forms II she did not find the
pocket book, and finally, 40 terribly
frightened was she, that she owned to
taking 1t, and told numerous lies con-
cerning where she put it. Finally she
was arrested and looked up. Then
she was sent back again to the Sum
mers' house, and told to go to the
closet and find the pocket book. This
she did, and that was the first she had
known anything of the pocket book.
The entire story was told without
coaching, and was listened to atten-
lively by everyone.
Mrs. Debbie Conner, grandmother
of the girl, testified that Matte was a
very good little girl. and that she did
not own to her that she had stolen the
money, as stated by witnesses for the
State. She said that both Mrs. Sum-
mers and Belle Thomas said they
scared a confession out of the little
girl.
Mrs. Annie Hill said to the jury that
she knew Matte, and that her reputa-
tion for honesty was very good.
Both sides rested and the case was
given to the twelve good men and true.
While Mr.. vanSyckel was making
his argument, the audience made an
other outbreak, and the court imme
diately ordered the aisles cleared, and
the crowd moved sullenly out.
| just before five O'Clock Constable