The Jersey City news. (Jersey City [N.J.]) 1889-1906, 1894-02-03
A BUNGLING TRIAL
No Positive Evidence of the
Cause of Leslie Parkln-
sons Death.
DIR. VREELAND'S TESTIMONY
Citizens Interesting Themselves In
Jesse Warren's Behalf-Their
Investigations.

the boy Jesse Warren, the more convinced
become that he should not pass twelve long
and weary years In the Reform School. This
boy, who was eight years old last September,
committed an offense which, venture to
say, every other boy in this town has COM
mitted. He threw a stone at another boy.
Unfortunately for Jesse, the stone struck
the other boy-Leslie Parkinson-near the
corner of the left eye, and inflicted an injury.
How serious this injury was opinions differ.
Jesse was arrested for the act and was con-
victed in the Court of General Sessions Of
having committed an atrocious assault and
battery. 1t was alleged on the trial of the
boy that the blow given by the stone caused
the death of Leslie Parkinson. If this had
been the case cannot understand why
Jesse Warren was not indicted for man
slaughter If death resulted from blow
given by the boy under the circumstances
testified to- nothing less than an Indictment
for manslaughter should have been found.
In brief, the evidence produced on the part
of the State was to the effect that while
Leslie was clinging to gate post, Jesse ap-
preached and cursed him. Leslie made some
reply, and Jesse, with an oath, declared he
would kill him, and then threw the stone
evidence was correct and death resulted
from the act, no Indictment for a lesser
degree of crime than manslaughter should
have been found In my opinion, and 1t Is
matter of record that tie Prosecutor in
opening his case said that tine boy was fortu-
nate in being indicted for only atrocious
assault and battery. The Prosecutor, sup
pose, came to this opinion because of the
evidence he had been given for the State.
During the trial there was no positive evi-
dence given that death was caused by the
blow.
DIR. vREELAND'S EVIDENCE.
saw DIR. Hamilton Vreeland last night
and asked him to repeat his evidence deliver
ed on the trial. He said:-
~ saw the child, Leslie Parkinson, on Au-
gust 6 and Z. received no history from the
parents of the injury inflicted by the stone,
and, from the history of his ailment given
me, supposed his sickness was caused by
indigestion. He had congestion of the
brain"
stWhat do you think caused the death of
boy" ~
determine that, and that was by post NOR
TEN examination
'sDid you make such an examinations"
''No, the boy died at Asbury Park"
sW hen you called on the boy on August +,
what was his condition"
as have before stated, which, from the
facts given me, believed was caused by in
digestion"
ssWhat was his condition when you saw
him on August 7w
''He was bright and looked so we'll that |
told his parents they might take him to AS
bury Park, if they wanted to. When l
treated Leslie saw no indications that his
illness was the result of the blow from the
stone alleged to have been thrown by Jesse
Warren"
SPEAK BITTERLY OF JESSE.
The next visit l made was to the house of
Charles Parkinson at No. 8 Boyd avenue.
He was the father of the dead child. When
he and Mrs. Parkinson greeted me they said
that their other children were i'll with scar
let fever Both Mr.. and Mrs. Parkinson ap-
peared to feel deeply the loss of their six
year-old boy, and they attributed his death
to Jesse Warren. 1t was plainly evident
that their sorrow had greatly embittered
them against Jesse, and while do not sup
pose they intended to be vindictiye or unjust,
their grief had SO preiudiced them that they
were decidedly so. They spoke bitterly of
Jesse. Mrs. Parkinson said as she tried to
repress her tears
'sWhen DR.. Vreeland was called in the boy
had suffered from convulsion. Leslie was
unconscious when the physician arrived, but
the next morning he was bright and cheer
full, and DR.. Vfeeland said we could take him
to Asbury Park. He had never had con-
vulsion before he was struck with the stone,
but after jesse Warren hit him he was con-
tinually sick and yomited much. The blow
from the stone blaeked his eye and cut his
face at the corner The eye itself was not
injured 1t was on July 3 when Young
Warren struck my boy, and it was ON
August 6 that DR.. Vreeland was called in.
ssWhen he was taken ill at Asbury Park,
DIR. Beckwith and two other physicians at
tended him The doctors wanted to know if
his head had ever been hurt. The doctors
said he had congestion OF the brain, and
when they were told that Jesse Warren had
hit Leslie with stone, they attributed his
illness to that, and said they feared a clot of
blood was on the brain. They said that if
he recovered he might be an imbecile
There was no autopsy made after the boy
died, but the doctors said the trouble all
came from the blow by the stone"
Mrs. Parkinson said her little girl was two
and one-half years old, and said that young
Warner had twice attempted to criminally
assault her.
ssDo YOU think the sentence of Judge
Hudspeth will standw Mr.. Parkinson in
quired of me.
l told him that only the Court of Errors
could determine that.
s'Well, hope so," he said, in decidedly
vindictive manner. ''I want that boy put
away"
s.But,n I said. 'sthe Court of Pardons
might interfere and prevent the sentence
from being carried out, even if the Court of
Errors sustains Judge Hudspeth."
''No, it WON'T" he yiciously exclaimed,
ssIll take care of that"
When left Mr.. Parkinson at his gate I
felt more than ever convinced that he had
not sought justice, but had endeavored to
have vengeance.
EXCITEMENT ON THE WEST SIDE.
The theme and chief topic of conversation
at most of West Bergen's firesides at present
is the Jesse Warren case. Everywhere the
action of Judge Hudspeth in sentencing that
young boy to the Reform School for twelve
years, is denounced as an outrage While
there have not been any public Indignation
meetings held to take action on the subject,
there have been numbers of private ones,
and there may yet be an open demonstration
made of the feelings of the people. The
people living on Boyd avenue are especially
indignant. A number of them have met to-
gether and have formed committee to in
vestigate the whole affair.
Mr.. Bloomer of No. Ill Boyd avenue, who
is among the most active in this investiga-
tion, said to met don't take the boys
part out of sympathy, nor do takeit be-
but take it because want to see that right
and justice are done. Judge Hudspeth, in
attacking the boys character and surround
ings, and painting them in the colors he has
in his statements to the newspapers, casts
reflection on tine character of the neighhor-
hood, and when he does that think n IS
time for the neighbors to step in and 90 q
little investigating for their own safetY. lf
they have neighbors such as the Judge pie
lures they want to know il 20 that they can
take measures to get rid OF them. As far as