The herald., 1897-10-10
Granted in the Notorious
C.E Mayne Case
THE A. E. DAVIS FORGERY CASE
ATTORNEY HALTHILL EXPLAINS
AWAY THAT BOGUS CHECK
A Car of Ginger Ale Raises Point of
Law - Complications in the
Freels-Avery Case

And so after considering the case for
nearly eight months the supreme court
has reversed the Judgment of the lower
court ard remanded the case of the Peo-
pie VS. Clifton f. Mayne for new trial.
There are some particulars in connec-
tion With this notorious case that make
it notable in the criminal annals of Los
Angeles county. That the most flagrant
perjury was committed, was kr,own to
every one that followed the devious
weddings Of the case. On which side,
the prosecution or the defense, may
perhaps be developed upon retriai of
the case. Never was there a case more
strongly pressed and a whisper of the
rame of Clifton E. Mayne almost suf-
feed to cause to spring from the ground
a posse of officers. While working up
evidence. N1 the case, during the trial and
during the prolonged fight for the guar
dianship of Elsie Shipton, of all the
law officers Harry Johnson, the con-
stable, has been most urgently officious
Ard his efforts were not without avail
for Mayne was convicted and sentessced
to twenty-five years imprisonment at
San Quentin for rape upon the person
of Elsie Shiptor.
The story of the adoption Of Elsie and
her little sister by Maybe; OF their boarC-
ir,g at the home Of Mrs. Wright; of
Maynes financial fall-down resulting in
his inability to pay Mrs. Wrights claim
against him; of the charge preferred
that Mayne had outraged the eldest
girl while she was living under the
Wright roof-tree; of Mrs. Wrights vir-
tuous indignation and urgent assistance
in prosecuting the charge against
Mayne; Of the appointment OF Mrs.
Wright as Elsie's guardian; OF Mrs.
Shiptonis continued protest against such
actiova,. eliminating in the transference
by order of court of the guardianship to
Miss Frances Wills, and of the final
railroading of Elsie Shipton from out the
Jurisdiction of the court to some my thi-
cal point in the east, all these are links
in, the chain that form most interesting
story.
After Mayne's convictiors several OF
the people-good. Christian folk some of
them, who's, zeal, according to their
own showing, outran their discretion
flee, affidavits retracting everything
they had testified to in behalf of the
prosecution during Mayne's trial. The
facts set forth in those affidavits were of
a somewhat sensa tiorsal character, ard
If true-and they bore the sem mblance of
truth-cast an entirely new light on the
case. But law is law, and Judge Smith
refused to consider these affidavits in
connection with the motion for a new
Ief 1it,e Mo-
however, made them part Of their ap-
peal to the supreme court The two
most important points raised in these
affidavits, there being quite number,
were, viz, that the testimony offered by
the prosecution during the trial regard
ing Elsie Symptoms age was absolutely
false, the girl really being over the
statutory age; and that Elsie bore on
her own body the indelible marks Of
having beer, about a year previous to
the time when the charge was made
against Mayne, unchaste.
And now all this kind OF thing is to be
exploited again-perhaps. Elsie Ship
ton is out of the state, nobody seems to
know where, although it is not unlikely
in consideration of the manner of her
disappearance from the state that there
is a tiny little string on her held. by some
one, and that she might be return ed if
the occasion demanded But what of
the witnesses in the case? They are so
scattered that it does not seem likely
that they could again be brought into
court. And yet dismissal of the ca ase
cannot be seriously thought of. If
Mayne committed the crime alleged the
sentence passed upon him was none. too
great; if he did not ii would be scan
dal to set him free with the shadow of
a crime charged but improved against
him.