The sun., 1896-10-17
NOVELIST CRANE RACKED.
DORA CLhRK'S WITNESS AT Po-
JICEMAN BECKER'S TRIAL.

necker's Lawyer Asked Mr.. Crane Un-
pleasant Questions which Had Nothing
to DO with the heCnse-Witnesses Assaulted
by n Woman at tho Close OF tho Triai.
Novelist Stephen Crane. who became Dora
Clark's defender when she was arrested on
broadway some time ago by Policeman Becker
of the West Thirtieth street station, has
earned that police trial is not the most pleas
ant thing in the world. Mr.. Crane went to
Police Headquarters on Thursday afternoon to
testify in tho girls behalf on the charges she
had brought against Becker, and he was
Obliged TO stay there until nearly O'Clock yes
icrday morning. Commissioner Grant conduct
ed tho trial, and he decided to end IL at one sit
ting. When he announced his purpose Mr..
'rane nodded arprovingy, and the room full OF
witnesses settled back in their chairs for a long
siege. To end the hearing in n fitting way, one
OF the women who WAS present made an as
sault on one of the witnesses Mt its conclusion.
THE Sun printed Yesterday Becker's testi.
mony. After the policeman had finished testi-
fying Mr.. Crane took the witness chair. 1t
was then :3S o'clock. He was examined by
Lawyer Newberger. and he told the story that
he rehearsed in Jefferson Market Police Court
the day after the womans arrest. During his
testimony no spoke of Dora Clark as Ruby
When Mr. Crane had finished his story,
Louis j. Grant the lawyer emt loyef by Becker,
endeavored to discrcdit MIR. Crane before Com
missioner Grant Mr.. Cranes testimony was
freauen,y BY objections and spats
answer number of questions. Ps they had no
bearing on the case. and several that he did
answer were stricken out by Commissioner
Grant.
Mr.. Crane gave his age, as "a years lie
lives at present at .sl Sixth ayenue; He gave
fled that he had lived at lii East Twenty sec
ond street about month. and before that on
avenues. Ear!y. in the spring he lived at l65
East Twenty-third street Mr.. Newbcrrer
asked him whether he had visited n house at
12l West Seventy second street. Mr.. Crane
refused to say how otter he went to this house.
or whether he knew Sadie and Amy Hunting,
smoked opium there. Mr. Crane denied this
em9haticallv.
Clark's arrest he was in the Broadway Garden
nth two women and u man. Dora Clark spoke
to one Of the women. Mr.. Crane was asked to
give the names of his companions, but Com
missioner Grant ruled the question out. The
man is the keeper of cigar shop. During the
hSnr &na sf the ar n in The Erdsn
drank short beers. and paid no attention To
what the others drank. Then MIR, Crane
little bearing on the case. how the party left
the garden. and he assisted one OF the women
he found Dora Clark under arrest. I Her '%iiN COM
panion was also under arrest. but Mr. Crane
told Becker she was his wife, and the police
man released her.
During the cross examination LAWYER Grant
asked Mr.. Crano II 1t was not true that he
lived on money given to him by women of the
street. This Mr.. Crane denied. Grant also
tried to get Mr.. Crane to admit that he had
smokedsopium.n the house on twenty y-Scventh
street. but Mr. Crane refus d to answer. 1t
was evident that Lawyer Grant had set out
to hurt Mr.. Cranes reputation in his cross
stantly on the watch to defend himself
The list of witnesses was exhausted when
Mr.. Crane left the stand. and the crowd pre-
pared to leave the trial room. But Capt.
Chapman had card up his sleeve, and lie asked
Comm issioner Grant to allow James O'Connor
to testify.
O'Connor said he was the Jnnitor at 121
West Seventy seventh street. He swore that
Mr.. Crane had lived in that house with a wo-
man as husband and wife for six weeks. Then
he said tnat some Of the woncl in the house
took men 10 their rooms aud robbed them. He
in particular Ellie Ward. who. he
said took men TO her fiat and robbed them.
Miss Ward-was one OF a row OF half a dozen
women who had listened 10 the trial. and the
reflection on her character evidently hurt her
feelings. She nursed her wrath and Joined
the party that filed down stairs.
AS the witnesses and their friends reached
the steps. O'Connor walked out on the top
step. Miss Ward had waited for him, and
she gave him vigorous punch on the end OF
his nose. He nearly lest his balance and ran
down the'stcps M'ssWard startcd.after him, but
some one grabbed her. Then the woman turned
On one of her own who had testified in
Becker's behalf. and made an energetic at
taliated by trying to scratch out Miss Wards
eyes They We're separated and led away.
Comissioner Grant reserved his decision In
the case.