The news & observer. [volume] (Raleigh, N.C.) 1894-current, 1896-05-29
"HAPPY PATTY" FREE
The Jury Finds the Noted Dur
ham Character Not Guilty"
CLOUD OF WITNESSES
Patterson Shook Hands With
All the Jurors,

All the Male Members of a Durham
County Family Plead Guilty to Work
ing in Illicit DistiIeries--Minor Cases
Disposed Of.
Happy Patty" he is known to all
Durham, and he was certainly happy
when the jury brought in it's verdict
of not guilty yesterday afternoon. The
| ease had taken up most of the day III
the Federal court, and had been hot
Nv contested. And when the jury de
clared John Patterson, of Durham,
mot guilty" of the charge for which
he had been tried, he walked over to
the jury box and shook hands with
each of the twelve, thanking them in
dividually and collectively. Court had
adjourned when the jury brought in
| its verdict, and the Judge was not
present. Clerk Register received the
| verdict
Patterson is one of the well-known
| characters of Durham, and on the
| front of his establishment is nailed
the sign: Happy Patty's City Bar"
Patterson got into the tolls of the
| law one night when Thomas Turner,
a distiller who resides in both Orange
| and Durham counties, sold him ten
| gallon key of whiskey. Turner wanted
| to buy some casks, and when he came
| later to get the empty kegs, the cask
in which he had just brought the ten
gallons of ''red eye" was in the num-
| Der.
The revenue agents got on Turner's
| trail. and pulled him. This cask was
found in his buggy. The revenue of
| fcerS testify that Turner scratched
the stamp just before they caught
| him, and that the stamp on the bar
| rel was only slightly defaced. Turner
| swore that he defaced the stamp him
self after he saw the revenue officers
after him.
A large delegation of Durham peo-
pie came down to testify in the case.
| The witnesses for the defense, most
of them character witnesses, We're: j.
| A. Woodall, chief of police; Allen
ThomaE,ss w. NJ. Yearly, alderman;
| Ex-Sheriff Markham. Hicks, X. G..
| Peasants, u. G. Gunter, c. b. Green,
| Belvin, NJ. c. Herndon, j. T. Watts and
George NJ. Harden.
| Deputy Collector John III. Shelburn,
| 7. ID. Scruggs, George Walker, Deputy
| Collector Nanderford and Maj. G. III.
| Clarke were the witnesses for the pro-
secution.
The defendant testified in his own
| behalf, and made an extended eXpla-
nation of the whole occurrence.
The jury believed his story, and
Happy Patty" is free.
WHOLE FAMILY IN IT.
| The Goss family from Durham coun-
| ty, are very much of the same turn
| of mind. The entire male portion of
| the family was ARA; yned for violating
| the revenue laws by working in an ILL
icit distillcry. There was one case
each against NJ. II. Goss, Charles NJ.
| Goss, II. w. Goss and John Goss. They
all plead guilty, and Judgment was
| suspended upon payment of costs.
Among the other cases tried We're:
| Rufus Lassiter, from Chatham; re-
failing; guilty; sentenced TO thirty
| DAYS imprisonment and 800 fine.
| Horace Day, of Person county;
| found guilty of working at an Illicit
distillery; sentenced to thirty days
/ Imprisonment.
/ j. W. Smith, of Franklin, plead gull
! fv to working in an illicit distillery;
| judgment suspended on payment OF
| costs.
| Il. II. Marlborough, Of Person; plead
guilty of working in an illicit distill-
| cry; prayer for judgment continued.
Charles Webb, convicted of work
ing in an illicit distillery, was SEN
| r~f,ed to thirty days imprisonment.
! He is from Granville county.
4 = n
equity docllets would be called yester-
| day morning, but the entire day was
| taken up with the criminal calendar.