The times., 1897-08-12
Judge Mills Gives Him the Ex-
treme Penalty of the Law.
HE SCORES THE PRISONER
Swift Punishment Melted Out to the
Assailant ofLittIe Bessie CLAD
mon-Tne Cou IT Intimates That
Had the Father Shot Lucas He
Would Have Been Justified.

with assault upon little eight yearold Bes-
sic Gladmon, in a summary manner yes
terday, and sentenced him to eleven months
and twenty-nine days in Jail, the extreme
penalty for the offenee.
The handling of the Lucas case presents
the Carr Robinson assault was worked
On Monday the deed was Committed;
Tuesday the guilty man was apprehended; :;
Wednesday the trial and conviction took
place. There seems TO be but one regret
In connection with the matter, and that
rs that no heavier penalty could be in
flicted.
The prisoner was brought into court
at IL O'Clock. lie had retained no at
tOrneys and chose trial by the judge
IL preference TO one by jury.
Lucas is a rough, uncouth fellow. His
face is tronzed and scanned with wrinkles.
These are yerypronounced about the mouth
and give mm an habitual sinister smile.
lie his gray hair and an uneven mustache.
Lucas is reputed To be fifty years old, but
is evidently much more advanced in years
than that.
ne orc Biut CdlltO kHlTU
Without tie, heavy rawhide boots and
dirty gray trousers covered with patches.
He bad no coat.
lie appeared to be but little concerned
as to the outcome of the case and dis
played no nervousness the whole time he
was on trial.
The victim and her parents were the only
persons who took the stand. Bessie is a
decidcdly pretty little tot, rather under
sized for eight years. She has large, in
quisitive blue eyes, and silky brown hair,
which she wore in a braid. Her dress
consisted OF a pink silk blouse and blue
skirt. The mother carried her straw hat
When the Gladmons made their way
through the room TO the dock it was neces-
sary for them 10 pass the pen where the
prisoner was leaning on the rail 1t was
expected by some that the father might
endeav0r TO get at Lucas a second time.
Mr.. GIadmon had evidently controlled him
self since the night of the assault, and
neither ne nor his wife took the slightest
notice OF the prisoner.
Mrs. Gladmon took the stand. She vas
still Iaboring under the excitement IF
the affair, but Kept her indignation well
controlled While testifying her voice
trembled a little, but on the whole her
condact was one of ellsuppressed emotion
Her descr iption Of the assault was
glaphic and vivid There was a regu-
lar.ty of incident that left but little
chance for the prisoner. Not a detail of
the affair was omitted Not once while
sha was speaking did she glance in tlie
prisoners direction, and only when de
scniing the scene between herself and
TIE prisoner lid she lose her self possession.
On the night of the assault, she said, her
husband had gone for her or an errand up
Seventh street. Bessie was out on the
street with her baby brother. From time
TO time the witness went [ the door TO see
If tie children were safe. There was no
one TO lie seen either on the street or at
the windows of any of the houses in tie
nei ghb0rhood. Lucas, who lives next
door, was sitting On his doorsill. He and
his wife had been drinking and quaIreling
all day sunday and Monday, annoying the
neghborhCod with their fuss When Bes-
sic came by he entIced her from her care OF
the baty and sent her TO the store for him
when she returned he coaXed her into the
yard and afterward up to his door.
When the witness next saw the two
Lucas was attempting liberties with the
child. Mrs. Gladmon st once rushed out
and called: Bessie, come here, at once;
I'm going TO whip you, and as for you,
yon dirty brute, what are you doing with
my child?"
Il meant no HARM" was the reply
WYATT till tomorrow; Wen see about
that 4"
When she got Bessie home she found the
chlld's clothing disaranged. Bessie told
her that Lucas had done It, When Mr.
GladRlon returned she told him what had
occurred.
Tie father himself next took the stand
While his wife was testifying he held the
little ones hand. Bessie all the while
was looking about the room, smiling inno-
Gently at the different people.
Mr. GlGdmon stated that when he re-
turned homo Monday night his wife re-
lated Co him what Lucas had attempted.
He Immediately Went out to the prisoner
and struck him n the mouth, knocking him
down. he then wrenched paling from
tie fence and was in the act of further as
saultins the brute, when he was inter-
fered with. Word was at once sent for an
officer, but before his arrival Lucas man.
aged to get away.
She is small. even for eight years of age
She is. q decidedly pretty little tot, with
rosy cheeks, large, inquisitive blue eyes
and brown hair shot with gold As she
appeared in the box her head hardl y reached
the top Of the rail
While Icing questioned she kept smiling
on tie judge and prosecuting attorney. But
few questions were put to her, and she
answered them In a straight forward man
ner, with all the innocence of babyhood. She
appeared to realize nothing of the gravity
OF her situation In replyto Mr.. Mullo why's
questioning she told of Lucas actions as
her mother had described them. Bessie
Was then taken from the dock and led away
by her father
Lucas came shamblng up to take the
stand in his own behalf A collision seem
! ed almost inevitable, but none of the par
Ties concerned seemed to notice the exist
ence of the other. After being sworn the
| prisoner denied the charge. He was not
rCpreSented by counsel and endeavored to
| plead his own case.
Bessie, he said, was sent by him to the
grocery store to get 10 cents worth of
apples When she returned with them she
came up to the doorsill and ate them with
him. He denied that he in any way
treated her otherwise than man of his
years should. He was only patting her
on the leg when the mother came out
II reply TO question by Mr. Mullowny,
| be stated that he did not notice that her
clothes had become disarranged. If that
| happened it was probably caused by his