The Indianapolis journal. [volume] (Indianapolis [Ind.]) 1867-1904, 1895-04-11
ANOTHER COURTS SCENE
THE PATToN-sPADEs CASE CONTIN-
les TO FURNISH INCIDENTS.
Plaintiff Refers to Attorney Rockers
yeracffy-An Incident I'm that
GentIeman's Life.

Ex-Judpe Cox. attorney for Grace Frances
Patton, began the opening argument in the
Spades damage suit at O'Clock yesterday
afternoon. The plaintiff has discarded her
scmber garb of deep black and came into
court yesterday attired in d neat-fitting
tailor-made suit of blue. She wore a
jaunty collar and four-in-hand tie, caught
with a scarf pin of gay design. The morn
ing was taken up by both sides with evil
dence in rebuttal. Attorney Span for the
defendant put attorney Rocker on the stand
to explain his connection with the case.
Rocker claims to have been the attorney
for the Patton girl when judgment was
taken against NJ. H. Spades in Lawrence
township. Since then he has veered around
and is now one of Spades attorneys. In
giving her testimony direct examination
Rockers former client dramatically referred
to him the only man she had seen inn
properly while sojourning at the resort
of Clara Morris. In his testimony yester-
day attorney Rocker branded this charge
as false. He the girl, he said, at the
house of Clara Norris but it was in the
afternoon and this woman was present dur
ing the whole of his interview On that
occasion the plaintiff wanted to compromise
with Spades and declared that she only
wanted twenty-five dollars. Clara Morris
objected to such settlement, as the
amount was too small.
Attorney Rocker testified that the plaintiff
came to his office to talk with him about
the wrong Spades had done her. She said
that the latter and another whom she
did not know took her and another girl
our to the State fair grounds in October,
1893, and while they were intoxicated,
wronged them. This statement was made
by the witness in reply to the question of
attorney Spaan The plaintiff grew very
indignant as he proceeded and at last sprang
up with the angry exclamation:
That's NOT true" Then the girl broke
into violent hit of weeping and was
comforted by her mother. Attorney Rocker
was subjected TO a critical cross-examina-
were brought over from Justice Johnson
court and introducesdd;. The he. record showed
had been the defendant in a paternity suit
brought by Ida b. Fegner and that judg-
witness was asked if the record was cor
rect, but attorney Spaan interposed an OBJ
asnc 10 nr he foows sdc e rye
conclusion of which Judge Harvey said that
he would admit the evidence temporarily.
The witness then admitted the truth of the
record. Afterward Judge Harvey ruled out
that part of the evidence which related to
the judgment taken against the witness in
the justice court.
Ex-Judge Cox, in opening his argument at
plaintiff iA and 18th the answers Of the defendant
in detail. He declared that his client at the
had had been 1 taken in the the Lawrenee town
ship court She had received 500, but did
not understand that it was a settlement in
full. The attorney charged that the pro-
ceedings taken at the instance of M.
H. Spades for the purpose of defrauding the
girl; that it was concealed from
the justice of the peace that the
plaintiff was an infant. He quoted the
law on the question of seduction. He held
that woman at one time immoral could
reform and then be subjected to a wrong.
In that case the crime of seduction would
be as grave as if she had never fallen.
The attorney contended that the money paid
his client by the defendant could not be
bar to this suit as contended by counsel,
unless it could be shown that the amount
received by her was sufficient compensation
for the betrayal During his argument the
attorney referred to the family, of the
plaintiff. the eare-burdened mother and
the little crippled sister. AT one point in
his narrative, Of the, woes of the Patton
family, the plaintiff broke down and wept
bitterly The argument of ex-Judge Cox
will be resumed this morning He will
be followed by attorney Henry Span.
Charles Cox. for the plaintiff will have the
closing speech Friday morning.