The herald., 1896-03-01
Is Clifton E. Mayne Guilty
of Rape
OR IS 1T A CONSPIRACY
To Rob q Man of Life and
Liberty?
IT IS AN INTERESTING STORY
Descent from q City Hotel to County
Jail
Done in Day and Before the Degraded One
Can Speak
A Man Now Behind Iron Bars Upon Whom
Many Intelligent Peopls Look as the
lnnocsnt Victim OF Boss Hate.
First Installment

First InstaIiment
Clifton E. Mayne has been sentenced to
serve the state for twenty-five years. This
10 the measure that has been meted out to
this man as punishment upon him for hav'
ing committed the crime of rape upon the
two girls, Elsie and Della Shipton. he has
been duly tried in the courts of the state OF
California and full quarter OF century
Of his life is he destined to devote to the
involuntary servitude of the people of the
commonwealth.
It looks as though no power on earth
could save him from his fate. The bars OF
the penitentiary stare him in the face. He
has no freedom to look forward to, save
that of the grave.
Yet, with this awful fate in front of him.
there are today many people in Southern
California who believe that Clifton +.
Aayne is a bounded, a prosecuted and an
innocent man-innocent of the horrible
crime of which he stands in the superior
court of this county the convicted victim.
This fact no one will dispute. Let it be
distinctly understood that there is no one
In this section of the country who either
desires to or does stand sponsor for the
character of Clifton e. Mayne.
The simple statement is made by some
people whom God has blessed with the in
telligence, the brain and the intellect pos
sessed of ordinary individuals that after
investigation of the facts as reported they
do not believe that Clifton E. Mayne ever
raped the Shipton girls, one or either of
them.
If he did not do so-no matter what
other crime no may have communicating
twenty-five years of penal servitude placed
against him for the offense or offenses he
did not commit, bnt which were sworn
upon him by perjured testimony should
not stand.
This is government of law. If there
ore other crimes for which Clifton E. Mayne
should be called to the bar of justice let
them be charged. There doubtless are
others and they should be alleged.
The history of Clifton E. Mayne is long
one, but it is not tresome. II is full OF in
terest.
He was first married about the year 1875
in Omaha. By his first wife he had two
children-both girls. He lived with his
wife and family in peace until 1888, when
for causes known he separated and the
wife assumed the custody of the children.
In 1890 Mayne married again in the
city of San Francisco tt,a woman who is
now Mrs. Dumouriez. But it seems that
Mayne did not live happily with her. and
in 1894, because of their incompatibility,
they determined to separate.
Mayne had always been very much at
tached to one child by his first wife. After
he had determined to separate from his
second wife he had in his mind to find a
girl as near like his youngest child as pos
sible. This girl it was his idea to take and
adopt.
Mayne in November, 1894, advertised
for such girl to adopt, giving descrip-
ton as near like his youngest daughter as
he could.
The result of the appearance of that ad.
vertisement in San Francisco paper was
that it was answered by Mrs. Shipton and
Della. They came to the hotel at which
Mayne was stopping. Mayne explained to
Mrs. Shipton then why he desired to adopt
q young girl like Della. He did not at that
time tell her his true name. and informed
her Of this fact, but made an arrangement
with her whereby he was to pay Della's
board and leave her with her mother to go
to school. The following month he was to
take out papers of adoption.
In December, 1894, Mayne went from
San Diego to San Francisco and there saw
Della and her mother. At this time Della
first told about her sister Elsie. Della
wanted Elsie to go with her wherever she
went.
In February Mayne sent to San Fran
cisco and had both Elsie and Della brought
to Los Angeles.
At this time Mayne intended tc put both
girls into the Glendale seminary, and he
opened up correspondence with Miss Darl-
ing with that end in view.
But upon arrival in Los Angeles it was
found that Elsie was al ogether too far be-
hind in her studies for an adrnittance
there. To have put her in the same public
seminary with Elsie, Mayne thought would
have been cruel in the humiliation that
would have TO be endured.
SO Mayne inserted an advertisement in
the Los Angeles papers asking for lady
to take charge of two girls and educate
them.
In answer to this advertisement Mrs. j.
II. Wright appeared on this particular
field for the first time in February of 1895.
Mayne met her and she agreed to keep
the girls for six months. She was told all
about them. Mayne related to her that
they were childishly wild and that he
wanted her with them constantly--neyer
down town without her. He told her that
he was not their guardian, but added that
he would be later on. AT this time Mrs.
Wright was living OH Seventh street, near
the cable power house.
In the meantime Elsie and Della Shipton
were living i'll a boarding house at Fifth
and Broadway and Mayne was living at
the Nadeau hotel in this city.
Mayne suggested that Mrs. Wright pro.
cure better house. and she did SO, select.
ing 1927 Flower street on March 5th, and
to this house she moved the girls.
Mayne frequently visited the Flower
vtreet house, for ne liked the company of
che girls. Every time that he was in their
company. though, Mrs. Wright, and fire.
quentIy Mr.. Wright, was with them.
Shortly after this, the girls began to COAX
Mayne to take one of the spare rooms in
the Wright house. The girls urged him te
come and room at the house. They said
that they thought that it would be so mict
nicer. But Mayne was firm and refused le
give up his room at tho hotel.
Finally, about March 20, 1898, Maynt
was taken down with an attack of la grippe
That same morning the girls hearc
OF 1t through some unknown source
and came bounding down to Mayne's
rooms at the hotel. He asked
them why they came and they replied
that they had to come. as he was sick
Mayne tried to persuade them that it was
wrong for them to have come, but they
would nos see it in that light.
Finally he promised them that If the,
would 70 down in the parior of the Nadeai
hotel and wait for him he would come fo
them. This arrangement was carried out
It happening on the 21st of March, YEA
ago. He then went with them to the Wrigh
house, and when he got there he had hipi
fever. His pulse was at 13O. Mrs. Wrigh
insisted that he should not leave the house