St. Paul daily globe. [volume] (Saint Paul, Minn.) 1884-1896, 1894-10-07
ACCUSED BY A CHILD,
Small Girl Details in Court
the Alleged Assault
Upon Her
OF GROCERYMAN MOOaMAN.
Character of the Accused Is
Shown to Be Above
Reppoach.
COURT HOLDS ITS DECISION,
But Judge Twohy Intimates a
Tendency in Favor Of
the Defendant.

testify TO the good reputation possessed
by MIR. Norman. They So testified with
great unanimity. There was absolutely
no testimony against Norman but that
of the little girl herself.
Mrs. Gartner. the mother of Irene,
was the first witness called. Mrs. Cart
ner evidently labored under great eX-
element. After telling the court what
her child had related to her concerning
the actions of Mr.. Moorman. Mrs. Cart.
Der was excused, and Irene was told to
take the witness chair. She climbed
into it, and after some hesitation she
proceeded to tell her story. She related
1t clearly and coherently. and displayed
keen memory for details.
She Broke Down Once
under the cross-Questioning by Attorney
McCatferty, but soon recovered herself
and finished her story. Mr.. McCatferty
then moved that the case be dismissed
for lack of evidence to sustain the allie
cations in the complaint. inasmuch as
the testimony of the child was not nor
could not be corrobOrated. Judge
Twohy denied the motion. One pecu-
liar circumstance came out at the morn.
ing session. The complaint charged
that the OtfenSe was committed Aug. "a,
1884, but Irene surprised her mother
and Mr.. DOnneily. the assistant county
attorney, by testifying that it was on
Aug. Ii, her birthday, that Norman
took liberties with her. The prosecu-
ton was permitted to amend the COM
plant accordingly.
In the afternoon Judge McCafferty
opened the proceedings by calling Irene
10 the witness stand and resumlng his
croSs-eXamination. The little girl said
that she attended the jefferson school
with her fourteen-year.old sister.
QuestiU ed again about her visit to
M0orman's store OF her birthday, Irene
said that Mourlnan handed her an apple
and a muskmelon. She denied that she
had ever taken ALI apple of her own
accord. Further examination ELECTED
the fact that Irene had learned how to
dance ana play the tambourine.
Girl Had Taught Her.
Mr.. McCatferiy told Irene he had no
more questions 10 ash her. The child
slipped quickly out of the chair and
almost ran toward her mother, who sat
at the lawyers table. AS soon as she
came within reach of her mother, the
latter threw her arms about the little
girl, and lifting her into her lap, fairly
Smothered the little one with feryent
kisses. 1t was an affecting spectacle.
but one which Mr.. McCafferty, in sum-
ming up, denounced as a piece of act
ing.
The next two hours were spent in
examining the ladies and gentlemen
living in the neighboriiood of Moorman's
store, at $40 North Smith avenue, who
"a |,
utatlon. Among these witnesses were
Charles r. Croft. Josiah Fairchild, Mrs.
Carrie ID. Thompson. Mrs. Mary Morris,
Mrs. Mary Kneeland, Frank Seifert.
f. j. ROemer, Mrs. Louise ONeii, Mrs.
Susan Meade, Bernhard Moornian,
father of Benjamin., and Mrs. q. l..
SaylOr. Mrs. SaylOr's testimony was the
most Significant. She told of visit she
| paid to Mourman's store Oh Aug. IL.
She remembered the date because il
| was the day after the feast of the AS
SUMPTION" 1t was about noon. Mrs.
Saylor saw little Irene enter the store.
and heard her say to Norman, "This
is my birthday" Then witness saw
| Norman hand Irene box out of the
candy case. Mrs. Saylor then testified
as to M0orman's reputation. She said
that she had never heard young man
| spoken of more highly.
| He is not only considered a moral
and cnaste young man, but also Chris
tian." concluded Mrs. Saylor.
| The other witnesses bore testimony to
| Moorman's character. Some of the
ladies and gentlemen knew the young
man very well. He had associated with
their children and had the
Entree to Their Houses.
Not one of the dozen or more wit.
| neSseS but who expressed the highest
opinion of his character; and some,
notably Mrs. Thompson, lad known
Benny" since he was eighteen months
of age. Nobody had heard a thing
against him before.
Mrs. Mary Kneeland's testimony re-
celved the closest attention. She said
that Mrs. Gartner came to her and asked
| permission to talk with her Mrs. Knee
lands little girl privately last Saturday.
but witness refused to permit it. MRS.
Gartner then told me that her child had
told her that my little girl had got
| candy from Norman. l said l didn't
believe that. Then l asked her if her
| little girl had been assaulted, AND she
answered, Not exactly but that she
must guard her neighbors' children as
we'll as her own. Then advised her to
drop the matter"
Bernhard Moorman, ''Benny's" father,
testified that his boy had always been
good. and had never done anything
wrong. Mr.. Moorman then described
the interior OF the grocery store where
the otfense is alleged to have been com.
mitted. He said there was only one
room in the store, and that there was no
back room. The windows were very
large, and SO that anybody looking
through them or, the front door from
the street
Could See the Entire store.
Ralph Thomson and Mrs. Mary Smith
corroborated this testimony, and added
that the door and windows were wide
open in summer.
The defense rested here, and Messrs
Donnelly and McCafferty summed up.
Mr.. Donnelly made a brief speech, in
which he admitted that the states case
rested on the child's testimony alone
but insisted that evidence of Moorman's
previous good character or reputation
| cut no figure. Mr.. McCaferty followe d
with an eloquent plea for justice to his
cilent He commented upon the fact
that Mrs. Gartner waited nearly five
weeks before making complaint. He
criticised her for her demeanor in the
court room, and called little Irene a
'child actress taught by her mother"
Judge Twohy reserved his decision
until tomorrow at D. m. In comment
ing upon the case, the court said that il
was almost impossible to believe
Norman guilty under the circum-
stances, yet he thought that Mrs
Gartner was sincere in her belief thai
Norman was guilty, otherwise she
would never have Inundated herself to
come into court with such case.