Rock Island Argus., 1894-06-02
STEVENS ISGUILTY.
The Moline Colonel convictsd
Of Criminal Assault.
PENALTY FIXED AT ONE YEAR

The Jury. After Being Out - Hov,.,
bring" in Its verdIct-A Severe see.n.cH
fer the Erstwhiie Highly R..D.c..a c,.,
sen.
The jury in the criminal proceed.
ings against Col. W. r. Stevens. Of
Moline, charged with criminal as
sault upon the person Of Mrs. Marten
nerkens' OF that city, reached a YER
dict shortly after 8 O'Clock last even
ing. after % hours deliberation ON
the case, and at 9 O'Clock Judyc
Smith received the jury in the circnit
court. The finding was that the do.
icnd"nt was guilty as charged, and
mis- punishment was fixed bv the iury
at one year in the penitentiary. The
bond Of 5000, under which the de-
iendant has enjoyed his liberty dur
ing the trial, was continued, and he
was permitted to go to his home.
A Striking Similarity.
The striking similarity of the case
so far as the defendant is concerned.
to the late Breckinridge scandal. had
aroused considerable interest, To
the outside world. at least. Col
Stevens had, prior to the institution
OF these proceedings against him.
enjoyed the reputation of be;nc
one OF Moline's most upright.
moral citizens. A former minister
OF the gospel of the Methodist de-
nomination, but more recently affili-
ating with the Congregational
church. his family moving in the
best social circles, the announce
ment OF the nature of the CHARGE
against him naturally created some-
thing OF sensation here. though it
may not have in Moline. Stevens de-
clared the whole affair an attempted
blackmail at the time, but when he
went on the stand this week and
acknowledged the lewdness of his DUR
pose in going to the house of Mrs.
Berkens, the prosecuting witness.
confessing that he had made a fool of
himself, the evidence bringing out
these developments as it was pre-
sented from day to day being pub.
lished exclusively in THE ARGUS.
put phase on the case that aroused
renewed interest.
The Prosecuting Witness.
The parallel features of the Stevens
and Breckenridge cases cease with
the dismissal OF the defendant. The
plaintiff in the proceeding that has
just involved the attention of the
Rock Island county circuit court.
Mrs. Berkens, is Belgian woman
who cannot speak the English lang
uage fiuently, and her general ap-
pearance and conduct are. if fanything.
repulsive. rather than otherwise.
She has been in this country but a
few years. and her evidence was that
on the morning of August 90, last,
Stevens. after having given her hus-
band employment that would keep
him away from home. visited her
and made the assault. She scratched
his face and he leaped out a window
to escape. The next day he sent her
$40 in settlement of the case.
The Defendant.
Stevens acknowledged going to the
house with immoral intentions, but
denied the assault, maintaining that
her demeanor toward him had been
such rs he believed to warrant the
advances on his part. Stevens has
lived in Moline since 1868. and has
been engaged in late years in the in
surance and real estate business. He
is 81 years old. served throughout
the civil war. entering the service a
private and coming out colonel.
He is well-to-do financially. and has
always been identified with Grand
Army and other societies, as well as
with church work. His family is
among the best i'm Moline.
In the prosecution States Attorney
Searlc was ably assisted bv William
McEniry. while William jackson,
Maj. j. NJ. Beardsley and George w.