The Jersey City news. (Jersey City [N.J.]) 1889-1906, 1897-06-15
NELLIE DAVIS GUILTY.
The jury Convicts Her Of
SWindling in Spite of
Her Child and a
Timely Fit.
LOVE POWDERS OR FACE WASH
She Tells a Straight Story 10 Ac-
count for Her Possession Of
Other Women's Finery.

State was ready to proceed with the trial
of Nellie Davis and her husband. Clarence
Davis in the Special Sessions Court, for
grand larceny. Two big trunks filled with
dresses, silk shirt waists and other female
wearing apparel were placed in front Of
Clerk John r. Purtelrs desk and opened
when it became necessary in the course of
the trial to exhibit their contents. The
greater part Of the fnery was alleged to
be the property of Mrs. Libbie Bartlett. of
No. 236zs First street, one of Mrs. Davis
victims.
woman, rather good looking. Her eyes
are the most striking feature. They are
large, luminous and penetrating. She
was calm and Self possessed during the
proceedings and made frequent ugges-
lions to her counsel. Alexander Simpson
Her husband sat quietly by her side and
took no interest in the case beyond pay
ing close attention to the testimony
Their daughter, a remarkably pretty and
interesting child. happily unawar of
what it all meant, and not a bit
abashed by the presence of SO many peo-
pie, walked about occasionally, but spent
the greater part of the time in her
mothers arms.
Mrs. Davis retained her composure until
the close of Lawyer Simpsons summing
| up when she had a mild attack of
Mysteries. It was when Mr.. Simpson was
making a powerful appeal to the jury not
to separate the mother from the child.
Opinion was divided as to whether the
| attack was genuine or merely simulated
for effect on the jury. If it was
| simulated, it had all the appearance of
being real, and if it was intended to in
fuence the jury it failed of its purpose,
because the verdict was guilty. 1t was
| expected when the verdict was given that
Mrs. Davis would have several fits, but
| she listened to the words guilty as
| charged without betraying the slightest
| emotion.
Assistant Prosecutor Noonan opened
for the State. giving in some detail h
the State expected to prove against the
| defendants. Mrs. Davis had swindled
Mrs. Bartlett out of jewelry ana clothing
valued at $500 by pretending to possess
some mysterious power. h concocted
love powders and worked charms. She
pretended to recognize the photograph Of
a man in Mrs. Barlett's house, Who, for
some reason which Mrs. Bartlett refused
| to explain, Mrs. Bartlett wanted brought
back and offered TO bring him back for $lo
| by means of her occult powers Mrs
Davis got jewelry and clothing from Mrs.
Bartlett by pretending. that she must wear
them in order to get her occult powers IN
| proper working hape.
Mrs. Bartlett was the first witness. She
is a woman we'll advanced in years, but
her style of dressing and her manner
would lead to the impression that she Is
a giddy young thing of sixteen or there
abouts. She testified that Mrs. Davis
called at her house on April to see
about hiring furnished rooms. She said
she wanted rooms for light housekeeping
| and that her family consisted of herself,
her husband, her child and a colored
nurse. She also said that she was a for
tune teller and she would like to have
| the front door left open all night as she
had a large clientage Of colored people.
The witness told her that she did not
| care to rent furnished rooms to ladies';
| she preferred to rent them to gentlemen.
While they We're engaged in conversation
gentleman on an easel and said: Il
know that man. Mrs. Barlett's in
terest was excited at once and the
original of the photograph became
the absorbing subject of conversation
| at once. Mrs. Bartlett could not re-
] member all that was said, but Mrs. Davis
where the original of the photograph was
| located, and that she could bring him
! back. All she needed then was SIS. to
put her magic power into operation. Mrs.
gave her $40 more. Mrs. Bartlett called
frequently on Mrs. Davis to learn what
| progress she was making. Somehow the
money did not seem to have The potent
influence that was expected, and Mrs.
! Davis said it would be necessary for her
to wear some of Mrs. Barlett's jewelry
and clothing to stimulate her occult
power. Mrs. Bartlett CAV Mrs. Davis at
different times a pair of diamond ear
several dresses, four bonnets and a var
iety of other wearing apparel, and yet
the charm failed to work.
On one occasion Mrs. Bartlett was
DESTROYS of wearing a silk waist which
was among the clothing she had given to
Mrs. Davis. and asked Mrs. Davis to
says. that the waist was then mixed up
with a love powder she was connecting,
and If it was disturbed the charm would
be broken, and it would be necessary to
begin all over. again. On another occa-
sion. at Mrs. Davis's request, the witness
took a bottle of whiskey, a bottle of wine
said she wanted to get the blood of the
chicken and bury the flesh. When Mrs.
Bartlett called on Mrs. Davis one evening
basin containing some liquid substance.
Mrs. Davis made a cross over the basin
with a knife and mumbled some kind Of
Mrs. Barlett's faith in Mrs. Davis oc-
cult powers petered out at last, as she
was not making any progress toward
bringing the absent man back, and she
demanded the return of her jewelry and
clothing. That was on May IL. Mrs.
Davis told her she could have them on
May Is, which was Wednesday. The 18th
proved to be an unlucky number for.
when Mrs. Bartlett went to Mrs. Davis
rooms, at No. 113 Coles street. to get her
property, she learned that the Davis fam
lily had skipped to parts unknown. They
left the house very early in the morning
while the other people were sleeping.
On cross-examination Mr.. Simpson ask
ed Mrs. Bartlett If Stone was the name
of the man she wanted brought back.
She declined to answer. She insisted that
she merely loaned the jewelry and cloth
ing to. Mrs. Davis, to assist her in per
forming some mysterious operation.
Margaret Williams, a very black ne
testified that she saw Clarence Davis
take a bundle of clothing away from
Mrs Barlett's house. The State rested.
For the defence Clarence Davis testified
that he lived in Buffalo. and came here
because he obtained employment with
press. He admitted having taken the
trunks. away and said he was going back
to Buffalo to accept a better situation.
He started early in the morning, in order
to catch a train. The witness declared
that all the talk about his wife being a
rave her his entire salary, $50 a month.
andsshe prepared and cold a face powder.
out of which she made money. 1t was
not a Jove powder, and she never pre-
tended that 1T was.
Mrs. Davis next took the stand. She
speaks with a very slight accent, but
told her story very clearly and without
II met Mrs. Bartlett at her house. She
said. ~She advertised furnished rooms to
rent and ] went there to see about II.
wanted rooms for light. housekeeping.