Staunton spectator. [volume] (Staunton, Va.) 1849-1896, 1895-05-08
Alleged Attempted Rape on a Child.

Alleged Attempted Rape on Child
PROMPT AND SPEEDY TRIAL-FoUND GUILTY AN
GIVEN IL YEARS IN THE PENITENTIARY
Mr. T. F. Rhodes, with his wife and httl
child Amy. and his niece, Kate Spotts live
or the farm of L. D. Myerley, about thre
miles south of Staunton. He has had sine
February in his employ John Morgan,
colored boy Is years of age whom he go
from the poorhouse of the county to work Oh
the farm for him On Friday last, in tn
absence of Mr.. Rhodes, he was employed il
| digging up burdock weeds in the yard whel
the children were with him. About 2 o'clocl
| Mrs. Rhodes told him to put up the hoes ant
go to the woods, and chop wood. He thel
took up the hoes and went to the shop will
| them, when little Amy, not quite years o
| age, followed him to the shop. In a shor
time Mrs. Rhodes heard her child scream
| when she ran to the shop, and as she wa
about entering it, Morgan handed the child t.
her, saying she had fallen and hurt herself. :
Morgan then got his axe and went to thu
woods as directed. Mrs Rhodes, on examin
that an attempted violence had been com
mitted. The child was not injured.
Mr.. Rhodes returned to his home about
o'clock P M, and. on being informed of the
circumstances and the whereabouts of Nor
gan, he went at once to find him, and tt
punish if not kill him. He met with his
neighbor, F. A. Talley, whom he asked
whether or not he should kill Morgan, when
Talley advised him not to do so, but to turn
him over to the officers of the law.
He then went to the woods and called
Morgan, who came and accompanied him and
Mr.. Talley to the barn-Rhodes in front
Morgan following him, with Talley behind
Morgan. In the barn, when Morgan was
first asked whether he had committed VIC
seized by Rhodes who threatened to kill him
if he did not confess it, he is reported to have
confessed.
Morgan was brought to Staunton Saturday
morning by Rhodes and Talley and was put
in jail.
The officers of the law acted promptly, and
by 10 o'clock grand jury was summoned
ana Oy IL o d NculIc HUN WllCh "
select a jury to try the case.
At 4:45 P NJ, Saturday the grand jury in
dicted Morgan of the crime Of attempted rape
on the child, Amy Rhodes.
At 8 O'Clock the prisoner was brought into
the courtroom and placed in the centre of the
bar enclosure.
By assignment, Hon. Ed. Echols and W. H.
Landes represented the prisoner. The Com
monwealth is represented by Meade F. White.
As soon as the case was called Mr.. Echols
asked that the case be postponed to give the
prisoners counsel time to prepare for trial
The court declined, saying that if an i'm
proper verdict was rendered he would set it
aside. The jury was then empanalled and
consisted of A. H. McCue, G. ]. Conner,
Charles L. Shumate, H. B. Sproul, B. P.
Cav, James w. Grove, Samuel II. Tutwiler,
James W. Houseman, John A. Hupman,
John J. Shuey, John H. Morris and R. q.
Hulyey.
The prisoner was ordered to stand up and
listen to the indictment. He pleaded Mot
Guilty"
The examination of witnesses was then
commenced. The following were examined
in the order mentioned: Mrs. Julia E.
Rhodes, mother of the child; Kate Spots
the niece Thos. F. Rhodes, the father of the
child, and Mr.. Talley, the purport of whose
testimony is given above.
Deputy-sheriff Thos. A. Dawson and police
man W. M. Simpson testified as to what he
said to them in the Jail. Mr.. Dawson under
stood him to say that she did it, but did rot
hurt her." and Mr.. Simpson understood him
to say that che didn't do it, and did not hurt
her. That he was merely playing with her,"
At this hour, 6 P M, the Commonwealth
Attorney stated that he had several other
witnesses, but was not prepared to put them
on the stand till Monday, whereupon the
court was adjourned till 10 o'clock Monday
morning.
After the re-assembling of the court on
Monday morning, Mrs Rhodes was again
called to the witness-stand to testify as to
some facts not mentioned ON Saturday, after
which DR.. Lacey Gibson was put on the stand
to testify as to the character of the fluid or
the drawers of the child. The defence did not
introduce any witnesses The argument was
opened and closed in the prosecution by M.
f. White, Commonwealth Attorney, and
speeches in defence were made by W. H.
Landes and Hon. Ed. Echols who faithfully
performed the duty assigned to them by the
court. Between and o'clock the case was
given to the jury. On that evening they
failed to agree, and were kept in session till
Tuesday morning, when they found him
guilty and fixed his term in the penitentiary
at IL years, and the court sentenced him ac-