Omaha daily bee., 1897-05-02
uEn EIRsT CASE.
Dcnycr woman Appears ms Attorney
in the Criminal Court.

~ Nh'
Miss Minnie Liebhardt, the first womar
to serve in the criminal courts Of Arapahot
county, recently conducted her FIRST case ID
the West Side court before Judge johnson
relates the Denver News. James Smith, a
youth OF II, was on trial for an attempt tc
liberate soma girls from the State Industrial
School for Girls. He was a long way from
being the center Of attraction in the court
room, however, as the fair attorney absorbed
more than the usual attention. Prominent
attorneys dropped in during the day in great
numbers merely to experience the novel
sight OF seeing a woman in the chair usually
occupied by a man. No one was disap-
pointed at the sight, however, but came
away we'll pleased. Miss Liebhardt is an
attractive young woman OF perhaps % years
of age, and although court room experience
is comparatively new to her she conducted
her case with all the complacency of an ex-
perlenced Blackstonian.
Most of the morning was spent In the selec-
tion OF a jury. and barring a few trifing
bitches where Miss Liebhardt got her turn
to challenge mixed up with that Of the prose-
cution there was not much trouble In get
ting a satisfactory list of talesmen.
1t was brought out in the testimony that
young Davis and two other young men,
after laying numerous schemes and hav-
ing a large amount of secret correspondence
with Theresa Sours and another girl in the
home. had decided to help them escape on
the night of February 81. when they were
to be taken to a deserted house called the
Toll Gate" several miles from Denver, on
Coal creek. Some of the correspondence
fell into the hands of Matron Hauser. and
she compelled the young women to go ahead
with their plans for escape. When the
time came to leave the boys were bagged
by officers Saunders and Kimmel, who had
been notified by the matron and had ar
rived on the scene to catch the would-be res
cuers.
Miss Liebhardt entered the court room
well prepared. for she had all the ques-
tons she wished to fire at each witness writ
ten out and read them off to the person
she examined in a loud. clear voice. Most
of the witnesses stood in awe Of the woman
attorney, and were very careful to give po-
lite and full answers Detective Saunders
did his best to appear gallant, but would in
sist on saying Yes. sir"
Only once during the day did the attorney
lose her patience, and that was when she
was examining l.. w. George, a colored
guard in the county Jail. 1t was from
Georges sister-in-law that one OF the re-
leasing trio, WILDER Dace, who gave his
name to the police as Verne Davis, Dor
rowed a screw driver belonging to George,
which was passed up to the girls as an in
trument to assist them in prying off the
wire screen on the window. from which they
had emerged. Miss Liebhardt had had a
conversation with George previous to the
trial, and 1t seems he was not able TO tell
her where his sister-in-law was then liv-
ing. On the stand he denied that
he had been asked such a question, or
at least he did not remember 1t. Miss Lieb-
hardt flushed and rose to her feet, saying:
"Do you realize that you are under oath,
Mr.. George"
Mr.. George thought he did.
us your memory always this short?" con-
tinued the young woman. George squirlned in
his chair and did not answer Selling the
screw driver, which lay on the table, the
attorney waved it in the air and Numbered
in as loud tones as she could command: is
that your screw driver, and if it is, who lent
it to Davis?" George FASTENED to assure
her that the implement was his and that his
sister-in-law gave it to Davis. He had for
gotten the ~latter's address and that was one
reason why she did not appear in the court
room. The fair defense was somewhat I'M
fortunate in having a number of her wit
nesseS on the absent list, and she requested
an adjournment until she could secure their
presence.