The Wilmington daily Republican. (Wilmington, Del.) 1890-1902, 1896-09-25
CRIMINAL COURT.
Stats Indicted for Guys First
Degree Murder.
SEVERAL SEVERE SENTENCES

- UWuS uoI oUa bSN1sNssN
Tho NcNabb Case " ~ Come Up Thi. After
noon Despite .trong Efforts to Have 1t
Continued Unlil rnesda,.
In General Sessions Court yesterday
afternoon jury WINS drawn to try the
case against George Harris, oolorcd who
used his II years old daughter Marietta
for immoral purpose. The family lived
the girl was assaulted, Of which she testi .
fed too under OATH Constable S. w,
Cooch, who arrested the prisoner olinched
the States case by telling Of the confession
made to him by tho prisoner. Several
witnesses to establish previous good char
acter We're called and Harris spoke in his
own behalf but the jury found him guilty
OF the crime and gave him seven years i'm
prisonnent and II fine of 5000.
Another jury was drawn to try Charles
W. Brown and William Frazer for steal
Ing chickens from Robert w, Mcfarland,
on the night Of June l3
Detectives McVey and Witsil testified
to making the arrest. George Robinson,
cOlored, one of the men who was with
Frazer when the chicken house was rob-
bed, and who pleaded guilty, told how
the roost was robbed. On Wednesday
Robinson pleaded not guilty, but changed
his mind yesterday and gave the whole
case away.
Frazer went on the stand and denied
taking the chickens. The jury was out
but few minutes and returned verdict
of guilty.
Charles w. Brown, who helped Frazer
rob Netherlands chicken house. was tho
noxt man arraigned. The testimony was
about the same us in the preceding case,
d. j. Rcinhart conducted the prosccu.
tion. Josiah Marvel, the counsel for
Brown, asked for the dismissal Of the pri.
soner on the grounds that all the evidence
against him wns given by an accOInpllco
Inc court refused to do so, and Mr.. Mar
vel proceeded with his defence by calling
Brown to the stand. After he had testi.
1lcd to his innocence court adjourned.
Charles w. Brown who is indicted with
William Frazier and George Robinson in
General Sessions Court for the larceny of
chickens from tho hen roost of Robert Nc.
Farland, went on tho stand this morning
and denied thopart he Is alleged to have
taken in the theft. He said he was in
Pennsylvania ut tho time. Emory Trusty
lived with Blown and on the night Of
June 10 slept with tho prisoner. Joseph
Gould was also called by Mr.. Mnrvil and
gave the prisoner reputation for fair
and honest dealing since juno Ii. Both
sides then closed
Mr. White in his talk before the jury
said he had not tho slightest doubt of the
prisoners guilt. If ho had he would notask
for d conviction. EVERY coiured man will
steal chickens" declared the prosecuting
attorney. "fhey hypnotize the chickens.
Down in Sussex they say chickens will fly
into Il coored mans bag when he enters IL
henncry.
This language was considered stigma
upon the colored race by Mr.. Marvil and
he replied IN some more warm language.
Ho declared that the prosecution had gone
too far In declaring that all colorcd men
were chicken thieves. He himself
was proud of the race. Regarding Detcc-
tive Witsil and the arrest Of the prisoner
Mr.. Marvil branded the officer as II Sher-
lock Holmes in his effort TO obtain evil
dencc from Robinson by which to convict
the other prisoners.
The court charged the jury. dwelling
principally on the weight to bo given an
accomplice's testimony and when it was
aud was not to DO believed In this case tho
Jury was to draw its own conclusion.
Then the body retired and after being out
twenty minutes returned q verdict of
guilty.
o0LoRED BURGLAR ON TRIAL
William Rothwell, colored, was placed
on trial for breaking and entering the
house of Michael Hayes on the night of
February - and stealing therefrom sill.
yer watch and So In money. The prosecu-
ting attorney said he would prove that the
prisoner deposited with pawnbrOker OF
Philadelphia the watch. Michael Hayes
told OF tho loss Of his watch and money.
Detective Henry Whitcomb Of the Phila-
delphia force told of arrestine Rothwcll
on June 10 rs he boarded boat for this
city. This detective had been handed the
watch by Abraham Lindsay, a pawn brok.
or, who understood the watch had been
stolen. At the time of the arrest Rothwell
said he got the watch from Il Mr. Fisher,
who was with the prisoner but at tho
Station House Rothwell said he had got
ton the watch from man named
Schooner. Tho pawn ticket was found
on tho prisoner
Mr.. Lindsay. the pawn broker told of
buying the watch from Rotnwell for 81
and after learning that tho watch had
been stolen, notified the authorities.
To State Detective Witsil, Rothwcll said
Fisher or Schooner had nothing to do
with tho crime. The prisoner did not ad-
init to robbing the house. however.
At this joint Josiah Murvil asked that
the prisoner be discharged Us there had
not been sufficient evidence either by fact
or presumption to convict him. He had
not been connected with the robbery it
had been proven. The recent possession
of stolen goods Is u strong presumption Of
the guilt of man, but as tho robbery had
occurred on Feb, ID and the watch pawned
on Juno ~ this legal cause had been
bridgcd. Mr.. White held that tho con-
nicting statements were sufficient to con-
vict the prisoner The court refused Coun.
sells motion and Rothwell went on tho
stand.
TWAS PREACHER FISHER
He declared that Rev William Fisher,
who was in court a few days ago for bur. |
gary, had given him tho watch. Fisher
had asked him to go to PHILADELPHIA and |
while they were on tho boa the preacher |
gave him tho watch, saying he had two. |
Fisher told the prisoner to pawn tho |
watch. When he said Fisher had not |
given him the watch it was because the |
preacher had told him to say So 1t was
upon this testimony that Fisher was dis
charged, Then tho prisoner said "Schoon.
sr' gave him the watch out of fear
Hester Dut;on boarded Rothwell and
during the month of February hc was
hum' He had u finger off and tho injury
wt,5 50 severe that Dr. Samuel G. Elbcrt |
had ordered him to remain indoors. Both
sides submitted the case to the Jury and
tho body retlrcd without charge. The
ye. dict was guilty. Ho was sentenced to |
~ lashes, ono hour in tho pilory and one
years Imprisonment.
CHICKEN THIEVES.
Charles Brown who had been conyicted
Of stealing chicken WAS sentenced to Dny
s5l. rs restitution money to Robert McFnr.
land and to serve one months imprisor-
meDt. The light sentence was Occnsion,d
by the prisoner having proved previous
good character.
William Frazier who had been CONNECTS
ID in the crime did not get off so easily,
His bad reputation went against him.
He got three years Imprisonment and
will lie whipped saturday with % lashcs,
George Robinson who had pleaded
guilty to the same charge and who had
,urncd states evidence, got two years and
'ix months Imprisonment and will also be
whipped with twenty lashes.
MURDERER srAATs INDICTED,
The grand jury returned an Indictment
lgainst Richar! Stats for the murder of
Nm. Guy In st. Georges Hundred, on the
light Of May Is. lIo pleaded not guilty
~ the orimo and his case was fixed for
rinl Oh Monday Josiah Marvil 10 his |