The Portland daily press. [volume] (Portland, Me.) 1862-1921, 1894-09-21
THE DoNNockER CASE.
Jury Stands Seven for Conviction and Five
for Acquittal-Scenes and Incidents of an
Important Trial.

In the Superior court. before Judge Bon
ney, yesterday, was tried the now famous
case against Rev. Delbert G. Donnocker,
which has alreadyfattrao ted the attention
of the people of this county. The charge
against Mr.. Donnocker is that on June Sth,
1892, he committed adultery with Miss. Ella
G. Gilman of Scarboro.
Mr.. Donnocker is a Free Will Baptist
minister of about forty years Of age. He
is not native of Maine, having come here
from one of the Middle States. He attended
the divinity schuol at Lewiston for some
time, paying his way by teaching, preach
ing and by the aid of his wife, who had
some boarders II is also said that he dealt
some in horses.
Three OF four years ago he began to
preach in the Free Will Baptist church at
Scarboro. and later he was engaged to teach
the school there. He did not move his
family from Lewiston. and boarded with
the Gilman family, one of the members of
which was lame daughter, aged at that
time about nineteen years. He has more
recently been superintendent of schools at
Sandwich Mass.
About year ago last March this daug other
gave birth to child. She alleged that Mr..
had accomplished her ruin by means of
assault.
The affair was presented to the grand
Jury: but Dor nocker was broug hit to trial for
adultery and not for assault. This trial
resulted in the conviction of Don
nocker. In the course of this sstrial
certain evidence as to the defendants
character for chastity was excluded
by the court: and on the ground
that this exclusion should not have been
made, the case was carried to the Law
court.
The Law court ordered a new trial,
which took place Yesterday. Mayor Frank
L. Noble of Lewiston. appearing for Dom
nocker, and County ATTORNEY True for the
state.
The circumstances of the trial Yesterday
were rather pitiful, Donnocker's wife, with
a nursing baby in her arms, was present to
give support to her husband. and to hear
all the testimony. On the other side the
Gilman girl. was highly excited. and gave
way to tears frequently. especially during
tne teslimohy anu arguments.
MRS. huernua uiiinah' Inc inother' MISS
lana oiiliah' INC ooinpiss'nan'' mss
anne ulinah Aer t"in SISTER, anu MISS
taaoei uiinan' younger sis'er' were 'ne
hrse Witnesses ss' LUZ inc government. "
oourse uiss l1iia uiiinah was .ne iinporlan'
Witness .eispoiseu win ifequene sops
ne uon'e9s
aiies :, assault az. using DonAooAe, u De-
, lug. 'ne au1nor " nef uissfaoe on June .,
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WINE iesis.ns ene assault sue ina'o ~
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The DEFENCE
then began, the first move being to show
that the character Of the defendant was
good.
Rev. Leroy S. Bean of the West Congre-
gatlOnal CnufCn OF t1lS CITY, was called
first, and testified that Mr.. DoLnocker's
reputation was good. He was followed in
the same line of testimony by Rev. John S.
Harrington of Harrington Of New Hamp-
shire: Mr.. Eli Hodgkins of Greene,
farmer; Mr.. George W. Parker CT Greene, a
farmer; and DR.. William II. Thomas of
Lewiston, dentist.
Mr.. George W. johnson of Stroudwa ter,
a farmer, and clerk of the Free Will Baptist
church at Scarboro. testified that Dom
nocker's reputation was good; but that Miss
Gilman's reputation for chastity was bad.
On cross-examination by Mr.. True, the wit
ness admitted that he Lad voted to receive
hel into the church.
Mr.. Henry X. Libby. farmer of
Scarboro. and a member of the church,
testified that Mr.. Donnocker's reputation
was good and that Miss Gilman's was bad.
He had heard of Mr.. Donnocker riding with
her but admitted that he had never felt
called on TO warn him. he also admitted
that he had invited Miss Gilman to his
house to church sociables, and also asked
her to sing in the choir.
Melvin L. hunneweu OF Scsrboro, far
mer, testified to substantially the same as
witness haa f