The Providence news. (Providence [R.I.]) 1891-1906, 1893-09-06
A SENSATIONAL TRIAL.
People Of Darlington Stirred Up Over
an Idols Downfall.
JOHN |. DRAPER THE CULPRIT.
The Jury Acquitted Him, but the Judge
Set Aside the Verdict and Sentenced
Him 10 the Full Extent OF tho Law
ia the Case.
srEcIAL TO THE NEWS.

sIEcIAL TO THE NEWS.
| HARRINGTON. Sept. Ct most sensa-
| tionai trial ever held in this town took
place last evening.
| After the TACT had become known that
John l. Draper had been arrested for
stealin,. the town was In peri ct up
roar. The o.al Pinker,ons had been
on the track OF the thief ever since
last Christmas. a d when they announced
that John L. Draper was the guilty man
nearly every person In towa thought the
Pinkertons were Graz but the
Pinkertous knew whereof they
affirmed. and the chaia OF evil
dence that they had forged did not seem
tn have flaw In it. Ano her idol had
fallen, and "Honest" John l. Draper was
sta ped as q thief-and hen thisf at
tbati
II .alizing that public excitement WAS
running high, the court officials decided
to try the accused town hall, and last
evening was fix d upon as the ii ne Of the
trial. The hall was crowded to the doors
when 'court" was ann n,unced at 7;45.
The Court Tho Courti
Judge Olney Arnold presided and Fred
erick p. Church act d as clerk OF court.
| The accused was brought into court,
handcufed. by Officer George l..
Smith. IL had been rumored that
| the friends OF Draper intended
to attempt a rescue. and Officer Smith
did not feel safe until he had placed his
| prisoner in the dock.
| The prosecuting lawyer was G. b. Perry
| of Worcester, and Capt A V. Newton Of
the same city appe red for the defendant.
Il <tnts IID.s ID
Metcalf, who had lost pet Plymouth
| Rock rooster.
The work OF securing jury was soon
over. aud the judge said he never saw SO
much manly beauty among jury as he
then looked upon. "B rrington can
| justly pride itself on this jury" con-
cluded the jliga.
| The defendant was arraigned and
pleaded not guilty. The prosecuting
at orney hri, fl, but eloquently outlined
his case, painting the accused In very
dark colors-so dark, indeed, that
several Of the jurors desired
| TO then and there return
a verdict of guilty against Draper. A
western Try would probably have found
| him guilty and the audience would have
| proceeded 10 lylch nun. But this was
| New England trial. and the jury and
| the audience restrained their feelings
| The trial proceeded.
Sensation After Sensation.
Sensation after sensation WAS Sprung"
| by the pr secution. The witnesses were
| VIM. Il. Lewis. Irving W. Smith. Hon.
| Geo. Il. Baker. Rev. John w. Colwell,
Jos. u. Starkweather Jos. l. Stanton.
The most damaging testi nony was
| given by Lewis aud Stanton. The after
| nad known the accused in Jerico, VT,
| Ipsw ich Mass, and in Blddefori, Me. Ia
| the former place after the advent 1T
| Draper, no ones hen roost was safe. rob-
| berries occurred night after night, "and
such reign Of terror prevailed" said the
| witness THAT no one dared name his girl
baby Henrietta or his boy Henry. and no
| married man dared to call his wife
| Duekie. They would have been stolen by
| Draper" Finally Draper was "run out
| OF town." and not hen nor rooster has
| been missed sine then.
| Lewis had met Draper on the night
| that Mr.. Metcalf los his Plymouth r ck
rooster. Draper was just sneaking out OF
| the Metcalf yard at tie time. and had "A
bag over his shoulder; Draper struck i'm
| (the witness) with the bag and tie roos-
| ter made a noise.
| do you recognize that bird as the one
| that Draper had in his bag 2" asked the
attorney. pointing 10 "a small bantam
| rooster that had been btouzht into court,
81 do" was the solemn reply.
The defence did not cross-question this
witness.
In opening for tho defence, Attorney
Newton claimed that the case against his
client was the result OF wicked con-
spiracy aud that the claim ant, lie ry
| brewery" Mefcalf was ~ IA bottom
| IL. 81 can aptly apply to this man Met.
calf the remark that was once mad
about DR.. MIN ". He'd be 20 ID man il
he'd only let rum alone"
| An Uniuoky Jury.
| lie then called attention 10 the fact
| that there were i3 men on the Jury No
| one had before noticed this fact. no. even
| The sharp clerk OF coart, aud jude
| Arnold was surprised but he could not
| hnd II in his neart To lei one of the jurors
20 because they ere all 80 good look
| ing"
| After the close of the testimony.
| elo quent addresses were made by the
lawyers: and the charge OF the judge,
while one-sided, was strong and able.
ora lug tears from the eyes OF the fore
| man oil thc jury ana ~ crow from tue
bantam rooster. The Jud dropped into
poetry. and even the prosecuting attorney
wept bitterly.
The jury returned a verde Of not
guilty. but the judge promptly set aside
the verdict.
"If :" said the judge, "that the ac-
cused is in the habit OF being lat
at to traia whenever he desires
to leave town and that is n thing
cannot wink at. Prisoner. 1 sentence
you TO the full extent Of" the law, and
would make the sentences longer IL l
could. For two weeks you must be at
the railroad station every day when the
train Is ready to leave. Officer, remove
the prisoner"