The herald., 1893-09-07
She Charges ID. A. Ross of San
Pedro with Rape. 4
The Court Refuses to Admit the Baby
in Evidence.
a San Pedro Pillar of tho Presby yterIan
Church In Serious Trouble.
VS. The Girl Sticks to
Her Story.

A. Ross. charged by her with rape.
The defendant is respectable grocery
proprietor, with an interesting family.
and If he has been cursed with such a
ohxrge wrongly, it should be an easy
matter to ascertain from the ignorant
child who tells the story. He is man
sger of the Cooperative Grocery store
In San Pedro.
The case has caused more widespread
interest in San Pedro than any OF the
Sensational cases that have come from
that section, owing to the prominence OF
the hedefendant, and the doubt that fol-
lows the astonishing statements OF the
girl.
she is only 15 years old and there Is
no doubt that she has been wronged for
there is living witness to that fact In
the shape of little months old child,
which was in court yesterday. The girl
is not big enough to rise much above
the tables In the court room. She has
diminutive hands and coarse features
and is dark with the characteristic black
hair and eyes of her race.
1t took all the forenoon to get jury
in the case. The prosecution is being
conducted by Mr.. Davis, deputy district
attorney, and Mr.. Savage Of San Pedro
is associated with him. The defense 10
represented by Col. G. Wiley Wells.-
The jury empaneled is as follows:
Ruben A. Burk, John F. Branch. Charles
Elton. D. B. Fisher, Geo. Gephard, F.
A. Hollenbeck, Stephen r. Ibbotson,
Henry D. Mcdonald, John d. McComb,
Geo. Robbins, Louis j.. Stengel, F. r.
Slaughter.
The first witness examined was San
Pedro photographer, +. II. Rogers, who
had taken photographs OF the premises
where the crime Is alleged to have taken
place. He explained the pictures and
they were admitted as evidence.
The defendant observed the proceed
ings with the liveliest interest. His
wife, refinsd looking and really pretty
little woman, came with him to the
court room, but did not remain long,
taking out with her little haxen-haired
boy who was too young to understand
the nature OF the case.
The prosecuting witness, Eloida Wig
ness, was not a good witness. It WAS a
witness stand until court adjourned.
and uoge Pierce, who presided, took
band in the pumping process himself
with varying degrees OF success.
The girl was curious witness. She
seemed half idiotic at times, staring at
counsel In q meaningless way at their
repeated questions until, just ss their
patience was worn out, she would clearly
and concisely answer, and retire into
her shell again.
Her story was that few days after
Columbus day, in October last fall, che
came home from school at 2 O'Clock.
Her mother told her to go. to Mr..
Ross's store and get some coal
oil. She took q beer bottle to
put it in, and went. When she reached
the store no one seemed tpg betbsse
She stood by the counter and rapped..
Suddenly she was seized from shehiad,
by Mr.. Rose, who lifted hersin his arms:
like baby. She struggled o-rsteaee-
herself and cried out, but hs had his
arm over her mouth. Kicking and
struggling he carried her back to the
rear of the store, out the back door,
across the back yard about rs or 100
feet to store room, and entering put
her down, shut the door and iockedit.
Then he told her that she must submit
to him. She refused and tried to get
away from him. He still held her,
however. and threw her down on come
sacks OF barley. She slipped off, but
he placed her there again, and outraged
her. Afterwards she said she could
hardly walk, and when che reached
home crying her mother asked her what
was the matter. She told her that Mr..
Ross tore her dress sleeve, but told her
nothing more at that time. She did tell
q schoolgirl. however, all about it.
The witness then said her mother sent
her to the store about week afterward,
and Mr.. Ross again attempted to force
her to submit to him. She gave the
details of vulgar and indecent actions on
his part, and said he pulled revolver
and threatened her with 1t.
All this was elected after repeated
questions by counsel and attorneys,
and as the incidents were one by one
obtained the sandy-haired defendant
would shake his head and assume a
look as If saying to himself, 20, what an
awful liar!"
clash between counsel occurred
when the prosecution tried to introduce
the baby in the case. The poor little
girl on the witness stand, after saying
she is 15 years old, waH asked if abe had
hou y Shiioy nAA aunWOfCo III tHo hhTul-
ative. She was then asked who was its
iather. She promptly replied that it
was s.Mr. Ross's."
Mr.. Davis then asked to have the
child brought in and exhibited to the
Jury. The little one Ia o real fiaxen-
haired baby and totally different from
the dark child-mother. There was a
snappy argument by counsel, and Judge
Pierce sustained an objection made by
Colonel Wells. The walls of the baby
were heard in the distance, but it was
not produced in the court room.
On croHs-examination the whole story
told by the girl was gone over piece
meal. and it was astonishing how faith
fIlly she stuck to her story, although
theresewere 80 many improbabilities
about some portions of it. She was still
undergoing examination when court
adjourned for the day.
CLAIMS 1T is BLACKMAM.
San Pedro has been torn up about
;his scandal for long time. Mr.. Ross
Is leading church member in the
Presbyterian church in that city. Heiss
about 81. years of age, and there arei
rumors that be has been mixed upfin
lgly scrapes about women before, which
% denies. He claims that when he
1rst heard OF the charge made BY
Eloida Vignes, through her stepfather, a,
man named Clementson, that individual
ptered to compromise with him for
blOOU. He at frat ind;opartlx ~ef,,ao5