The Wichita daily eagle. [volume] (Wichita, Kan.) 1890-1906, 1895-10-18
WAS NOT A SHOP LITTER.
Woman Who had Trouble Incident on
Matching gibbons.

Mdtchfng HfDDOns.
Philadelphia, Pa, Oct. ITO be sus-
pected of and indicted and tried for
shop-lifting, when, as a matter of fact,
all she done was to replace in her pocket
ribbons which she was honestly trying
to match by purchase in a big dry goods
store, was the sorry predicament of Mrs
Hannah A r. Phillips, a public school
kindergarten teacher. Her trial before
Judge Biddle and a jury in quarter ses-
sions No. 2 ended yesterday, however,
in complete acQuittal.
The singular and exceedingly unfor-
tunate case was fun Of features of uni
versal interest. On behalf of the COM
monwealth Special Officer Wrenn Of
Sharpless Brothers, testified that on
May % last he was standing on the stair
way between the first and second floors,
when he saw the defendant standing up
against the ribbon counter. He said
she stood there for about ten minutes,
End then picked UP the pieces Of ribbon
in question, and, deliberately rolling
them into small bundle, laid them on
the corner of the counter with bundle
which she had in her hand on top of
them. In a few moments She picked
up the two bundles and walked down
the aisle toward the toilet room.
After leaving the toilet room he fol-
lowed the defendant, tapped her on the
shoulder and said:
Excuse me; would it not have been
better if you had paid for that ribbon
which you just took from the store?"
The defendant replied: Il have stolen
no ribbon"
The officer said he opened the bundle
which she had in her hand, and, point
ing TO the ribbon said: why. there it
is now in the bundle you had in your
hand You must come over TO the
store with me and explain to the super
intendent how it came in your possess
ion
Mrs. Phillips explained That she had
bought the ribbon at Sharpless Broth
ers few days previous; that she had
bought one piece on the 9th, and the
other one about ten days previous. Of
ficer Wrenn took her TO the superin-
tendent, and told her If she would ad-
init her guilt and give up the ribbon she
would be permitted to go free, where
upon the defendant replied:
Before / admit the guilt of something
that / am innocent of, will go to JAIL
Nellie Bailey, an employe of Sharp
less Brothers, at the ribbon counter,
cOrroborated the officers story, in part
and testified that she saw Mrs. Phillips
leaning against the counter and asked
her if she wanted anything, but the
latter replied that she was waiting for
friend. and left a few minutes later
Sallie Cairns, another employee of Sharp
less Brothers, also testified that she
saw Mrs Phillips leaning against the
counter.
confirmed the circumstances of Mrs
Phillips arrest and prosecution as al
ready told.
Then came the very complete and con-
vincing testimony of witnesses for the
defense. A Mrs. Moore, a dressmaker,
identified one Of the pieces of ribbon in
question as having been in her own po-
secession for week previous to the time
of Mrs. Phillips arrest. She also iden-
titied the other piece of ribbon, saying
she had seen it in Mrs. Phillips hand
about two hours previous to her arrest.
n Mrs Forester also had seen it on the
second occasion before the arrest. A
Mrs Tenderhome, who boarded in the
same house with Mrs. Phillips, admitted
that She was the friend Of whom Mrs.
Phillips had said she waiting at Sharp
less Brothers. but that she was unable
TO keep the engs cement. Mrs. Wilson
identified one of the pieces OF ribbon.
saying she had seen il in Mrs Moore's
dreSSmaking establishment three days
before the defendants arrest, and there
was other testimony in the same line
The defendant herself very straight
fcrwardly testified that on the dav in
ribbon out with her to have them match
ed with some other which she intended
buying, but had gone 10 Marks Broth
ers to do this. She said that at about
ten minutes after ( o'clock. in conse>
quence OF her agreement with Mrs Ten
derhome. she went to the ribbon counter
Al Sharpless Brothers and waited there
for her friend While standing stand
ing there her attention was attracted bv
a piece of ribbon which she thought
very closely resemhled both in width
and coloring one OF the pieces she had
In her bag and laid il close TO the outer
piece 10 see If they matched and finding
tfat they did not. she rolled her own
pieces and put them back in her bag.
The arrest. as alread described. follow
ed with alarming dispatch
a number Of witnesses testified 70 the
good character Of Mrs. Phillips. and af- |
ter short argument by. counsel on both
sides the case Was given 10 the jury. and
the latter promptly rendered q verdict
OF not guilty.