Daily press. [volume] (Newport News, Va.) 1896-current, 1898-06-14
THREATENS TO TALK
Mrs. Lancer Promises a
Breezy Story. "
THEY SAY SHE is AFRAID
She and Several Others Were Yesterday In
dicted for Keeping Dtsorderiy
Houses. Mira. Cunningham Next.
Takes Paris Green.

of war"
The local historian of the future may
have to record the fact that June 13,
1898, was a red-letter day in the an
nails of Elizabeth City county. Events
of a character altogether unusual
transpired-events which made some
people bea1ningly glad. others pitiably
sad and a few furiousiy mad.
Yesterday morning special grand
jury, consisting of H. c. Marrow. Chas.
E. Hewins. c. F. Holtzclaw, J. w. Boy
enton, Fred Cunningham and c. w.
hickman. was summoned by Judge Lee
| to Investigate alleged violations of the
law in the county. Mr.. Marrow was
made foreman. The jurors, being In
dustrious business men. got to work
early and before noon they had exam
ined a number Of prominent citizens
from Phoebus. Their inquiries related
mainly to the transgressions of the liu-
! uor laws and the maintenance Of dis
orderly houses in the town. The testj-
mony of the witnesses has not been
! made public, and 1t Is well, perhaps.
that the jurors decided to withhold 1t,
for the stories that were told in the
little chamber in which they sat would
furnish material for the yellowest Of
yellow literature.
Mrs. Julia A. Lancer, whose last no
table appearance in the legal arena
was caused by her fondness for boiled
I1llly BOaA, WIS 1CNOiucO lllC pace "a
! honor in the deliberations of the six
judicial Hankshans whose names are
written above. Things rare and racy
We're said about Mrs. Lancer, and as
they came from the lips of men who
We're not likely to be mistaken. and men
of the highest standing for truth and
veracity. they were promptly accepted
as facts. The result was that Mrs.
Lancer was unanimously indicted, the
charge against her being that she kept
a disorderly house. which. translated
into palmer English, means that her
house is a place of Ill fame.
But Mrs. Lancer is not without COM
pany. There are others. Mrs. Steine-
man. who holds forth in building on
Mallory street; Mrs. Julia Hoagland.
and one Thomas Doughty. who former
ly dwelt in Newport News, the only
man upon whom the jurors turned
their moral mortars, are fellow suffer-
ers. Next month this interesting quar-
| tette. according to a positive statement
made by commemorative Attorney
Collier late yesterday afternoon. will be
called before Judge Lee to answer the
indictments found against them. Mr..
Collier says he does not doubt that
there is sufficient evidence to easily
convict them. Such was his declara-
ton when the grand jurors presented
to Judge Lee q paper In which they adj
vised that the licenses Of the parties
mentioned be taken from them, and
added that the time had come when the
outrageous disregard for morality and
decency in Phoebus should end.
So far as heard from Mrs Lancer Is
the only one OF the four unfortunates
who has INDUCED in a vocal and wish
BILE demonstration of disapproval OF the
course pursued by this meddiesome
moral panel. Her sentiments, however.
are doubtless those Of her more dis
But be that as it may. Mrs. Lancer Is
not the woman to permit such things
to pass without freeing her mind bit
concerning them. Yesterday after
hearing the news from the little oven
in which the jurors steamed and stew
ed all day, she declared that she intend
ed to tell something which will wake
the natives. Her story, she says Will
make more than one person SQuirm. If
the public must have the truth the
public shall have it ungarnished and
unadorned-in frigid chunks that will
send cold chills up the spinal columns
OF some of those who hear, and then, in
pyrotechnic flashes. illuminate q series
Of scenes upon which heretofore only
the feeble rays of the dark lantern
have been permitted to shine.
But there are people who say that
Mrs Lancer Is talking now. and that Is
all; that when the time comes to testi
~ SI6 VIII pe " iishNC ACA WV ~
good Those who take this view say
that her utterances are simply those Of
an angry woman. and that like women
usually do. she will back down. Next
month will tell. however But one thing
seems certain. she and her three COM
panions will find it extremely difficult
to convince jury that the charges
filed against them are not true. To do
| this they will have to disprove the
statements Of officers who have done
duty in Phoebus for months and of cit
liens who make no mistake when they
raise their hands and affirm that their
words are true.