The Scranton tribune. [volume] (Scranton, Pa.) 1891-1910, 1896-06-20
MRS. CONWAY WAS
FOUND GUILTY
Jury Said She Eaticed Young Girls for
Immoral Purposes.
CASES AGAINST LOrTA SMITH
Old Charges Against Constable Clark
Of Attempting to ExtOrt Money from
Her Revived. He Made an Unquali.
fled Denial Of Them..Aten False
Pretense Case Tried Before Judge
Archibald.

Archibald.
Mrs. Maggie Conway was yesterday
convicted of having enticed Gwennie
Thomas and Mamie Finley into her
house for immoral purposes. She was
found not guilty on the counts Of the
Indictment which charged her with en-
ticing them into bawdy house.
After court opened yesterday morn
ing the following witnesses We're called
by District Attorney Jones to rebut the
evidence of the defense as to the char
acter of Mrs. Conway: w. II. Derby,
Mrs. W. B. Duggan, ]. T. Reese, Tim
othy Jones, Alderman w. s. Mil!ar, Mrs.
Mary Shaw, Gordon Shoemaker and
Miss Mary f. Kiesel. They all testi-
fled that the reputation of Mrs. Con-
way for chastity and good behavior in
the various communities in which she
lived was not good. That ended the
testimony in the case.
EX-Judge w. II. Stanton made the
closing address for the defense and la
bored strenuously to prove that his
client was not guilty of the serious
charge made against her. He was fol-
lowed by District Attorney Jones, who
closed for the commonwealth. Mr..
Jones carefully went over the evidence
adduced and showed beyond the possi-
bility ota doubt that Mrs. Conway was
a destroyer of innocence and Virtue and
a dangerous member Of society. The
jury retired five minutes before ad-
journment at noon and at o'clock re-
turned its verdict to Judge Edwards,
finding Mrs. Conway guilty on the
fourth and sixth counts of the indict-
ment. which charged her with inveigl-
ing Cwennic Thomas tVd Mamie Fin
ley into her house for PURPOSES of pros
titution. Mrs. Conway NQs in court
when the verdict was rende.cd. but did
not appear in the least disturbed and
chewed her wad of pepsin gum as con-
tentedly as she has as any time 7uring
the proceedings. Judge Ed\ ards
thanked the jurors for their intelliaH mt
consideration of the case and said t.
verdict met with the approval of me
court. Mrs Conway was then tax to
the county Jail in charge of Warden
Jay.
I.OTTA SMITH CASES.
Miss Lotta Smith was tried before
Judge Edwards on a charge of keeping
bawdy house. Constable James a.
Clark, Cf the Eighteenth ward. was
prosecutor. Harry Wilson, Annie Evans,
Mary Richards, Hattie Carey and Tyler
Connolly were called by the common
wealth. but their testimony did not
prove that Miss Smith kept an immoral
resort. The young women alleged that
they were employed by the defendant
as servants. They We're very chic,
jaunty young women for servants.
Judge Edwards decided after the COM
monwealth had rested that a case had
not been made out and directed a ver-
diet OF not guilty, but sent the jury out
to dispose of the costs. AT the hour for
adjourning the jury had not reported a
verdict.
Another case against Miss Smith was
then called. This was selling liquor
| without license. Tyler Connolly was
| the only witness called who swore that
| he had purchased intoXicants at Miss
! Smiths and host of witnesses were
| called who swore they We're boarders al
| Miss Smiths and had never seen any
intoxicants of any kind handled or sold
| in the house. Special officer Henry
Rurns was called and introduced a new
| feature into the cAse. He said that
Constable Clark, the prosecutor. TOLD
the defendant that 1t would cost him
| $50 to prosecute the case and for that
amount he was willing to settle with
her and not proceed with the prosecu.
| tion. At the instance of Clark he went
to see Miss Smith and escorted her tC
| q Lackawanna avenue hotel where tn,
prosecutor and defendant had a confer
ence from which he was excluded. HI
denied having told Clark that he would
denied having acted as Miss Smith.
agent to secure settlement.
I.OTTA SMITHS STORY.
| The defendant then went on the stant
and corroborated Burns as to the de
mand made on her by Clark for $50 Il
| settle the case. Constable Clark wa.
next sworn and he was plainly angry
at the statements made by the preced
|
had several times urged him to settl,
the case against Miss Smith and tolt
| him if he did so there was $50 in it fol
him (Clarls). He rirtuously denied hav
| ing ever asked for a cent to settle a cas-,
and moreover said he would not scttl,
such an action under any consideration
The case went to the jury at p. m. ant
| n verdict will be ret,,rned tbic ,,,or,;, ~
The greater part of the day was con
sumed before Judge Archibald by tn
trial of Arthur c. Aten, of Newton Cen
ter, who was charged by Frank II
Scutt with obtaining two horses wort
$40 by false pretenses. The crimina
act. as was alleged. consisted Of
declaration on the part of Aten that h
owned property and was over q year
of age. On the strength of this state
ment he was given the horses and Scut
took his note. 1t afterwards appeare
that Aten was not Of age and had n
power to make note and the judgmen
obtained on them was set aside
The defense was that Aten made n
statement concerning his age and wa
not asked about 1t when he gave tn
note. Scutt deceived him in selling tn
horses, for few days after the sale on
of the animals died and Scutt refuse
to make an allowance to the defendan
therefor. A number of witnesses wer
called to prove the good character c
Aten, among them Rev. ]. G. Smit
and DR.. Cooper. of Newton. The cas-
went to the jury at adjournment.