Delaware gazette and state journal. (Wilmington, Del.) 1883-1902, 1896-12-03
DINEEN ACQUITTED OF ARSON.
Held on Another Charge : The Court
ouashes the Indictment Against ). A.
Clayton.

mandamuB case ie still under con-
sideTation in Dover and majority OF
the judges of the New Castle court is
engaged there. Judge Marvel was
alone ON the bench in New Castle
county court Friday morning. After
Crier Smith had opened court, Clerk
of the Peace Foard called the rolls of
grand and petit jurors Judge Marvel
announced to the jurors that the special
session of the superior court of Kent
county necessarily caused tho absence
of majority of the members of this
court and for that reason he was COM
PEELED to discharge the jurors until
tho following Monday morning at 10
o'clock. Court was also adjourned
until that time.
Court convened at 10 o clock Monday
morning. After the roll call Of the
grand anil petit jurors the case OF the
State vs. Dennis Dinneen. charged with
arson, was called. Several witnesses for
the defence were called. but failed to
answer and attachments returnable
forthwith we're issued for the absent
ones. Later Patrick Sullivan appeared,
and at the request of Mr.. Hayes, coun-
sci for the Defence the attachment for
Sullivan was dism issed.
While waiting for the return OF wit
nesses in the arson case, the case of
Tobias johnson, colored, charged with
larceny of brass from the Diamond
State Iron Co., was called, in general
sessions, but on request of Joshua
Marvel, it was continued until 2
O'clock.
The next case was thar of William
Dickson, colored. charged with keep
ing gaming table. The first witness
was Andrew Young, colored. who testi-
fled that he had played draw poker at
Dickson's place, No. 13 Jones street,
and that Dickson took two cents ont
of the "pot" every other pass. John
Joyce. Edward Pierce, Joseph Dance
and William Finley, ranging in age
from l3 to 16 years. were called and
testified that they bad played at Dick
sons house for money, but the prisoner
never received any revenue from that
source. The State rested with the testi-
mony of Finley and the prisoner took
the stand and made statement to the
effect that this arrest was the result of
spite work on the part Of Andrew
Young, who had baen elected from his
tDickson'sl house. Several witnesses
for the defence were called, who testi-
The Encouragement submitted the
case without argument and at IL. % the
jury retired, returning at u o'clock,
with verdict of guilty.
Chief Justice Lore, in sentencing
Dickson, dwelt upon the fact of the ex-
treme youth of those who we're allowed
to gamble at his place, and after se-
verely scoring the Sprisoner, sentenced
him to pay fiue Of $1,000 and the
costs of prosecution, or be imprisoned
for six months.
At II. As o'clock the grand jury came
into court and Foreman Charles E..
Dubell announced that all the business
before that body had been cleared up.
After examining the pills Chief Justice
Lore announced that their findings in
| two cases were unsatisfactory, and
| ordered the jury to retire for conference
with Attorney General White. In
about 10 minutes they returned, with
their findings, as follows:
Harry Ahrens, charged with falsify-
ing the election returns OF the Third
district of the First ward, bill ignored.
William A. Jennys, making false
returns for the Fifth district Of the
Fourth ward, bill ignorad.
James L. Farley, making false re-
turns from Third district Of Twelfth
ward, true bill on two counts.
Edward CLARK, falsifying returns of
Fifth district of Second ward, true bill
| on two counts.
Richard Blaney, carrying concealed
deadly weapons, true bill; Martin F.
| Montgomery, carrying concealed a
| deadly weapon, true bill.
Henry g. Conrad appeared for Richard
Blaney, charged with carrying a con-
cealed deadly weapon, but the court
| decided to postpone trial in order to
take up the case of State vs. Donnis
Dinneen, on the charge Of arson.
The business of the grand jury hav-
ing been finished at ~ o'clock that
body was discharged from further
attendance, with the thanks of the
court.
At 12. Is o'clock Dennis Dinpeen was
| marched into court between Tipstaves
Thomas McVay and Joseph Morsland,
and placed in the dock to be tried foi
his life on the charge of arson. The
prisoner, who wore a light gray suit,
| appeared rather pale from his coufine-
ment. The work of drawing jury was
begun Immediately and resulted In
the selection of the following: James
Cheney, Cyrus Tstman, Esler W. Man.
love, Cleaver Bryan, William P. Soal,
Michael j. Corbett, Thomas A. Cam,
Richard Fl. Williams, William III.
Kelley, James X. Roberts, Russell Eaton,
Thomas LeFevre.
The State challenged the following
Sewell d. Scott, Michael Kelleher,
Alfred P. Stevenson, John &. Cook,
James e. McGillighan.
The defence challenged George w.
Hurd, William Rankin, Newton Cham.
bers, George W. Reed, William T..
Bramble, James Harkins, Daniel
Wells, Gustave Konitzer, Newton j.
Derrickson, George I. Brown, Alfred
Banks, Benjamin d. Armstrong and
Pierson Talley.
j. L. I. Fuelsel, John D. Maier, Sr.,
John l.. Willis and John Hellar had
conscientious scruples against render
ing verdict of guilty in case where
the penalty was death.
After discharging the special oyer
and terminer jurors not impanelled in
the Dinneen case from any further
attendance court adjourned until 2. &c
o'clock.
1t was 9. 35 o'clock when the court
OF oyer and terminer reaonvened Mon
day afternoon. Deputy Attorney Gen
eral Cooper opened the case of the
State vs. Dennis Dineen in an address
to the jury. He outlined the course
the State would pursue in prosecuting
the case. He displayed an old dress,
badly charred, which had been found
on the premises saturated with Pc