Evening star., 1898-12-31
SIDDONE DIXONS TRUNK
Closing Act in DRAMA in Which It Has
Prominently Figured
1t is Brought OFF in the Police Court
and Results in Lawyer Miles,
Acquittal.

Lawyer Edward G. Niles was triumphant
| ly acquitted yesterday evening in the Police
Court of the charge of obstructing Con-
| stable Benjamin F. Edwards in the removal
| of Soubrette Siddone Dixon's trunk from
her room some weeks ago. After The Star's
| report closed yesterday, Robert Brocken-
berry, colored, driver of the express wagon
| which figured prominently in the fracas,
| was called by the defense. Robert is an
| elderly colored man. He proved to be one
| of the most interesting witnesses heard in
| the Police Court for many a day.
| Dat AFTERNOON wen de trunk was took
| en- said Robert "a gemman come down
| ter git my waggin ter moobe er trunk.
went wild him an he say wen We git to
| Miss Roseberry's house to come up stars
an git de trunk. l goes up an dare wuz
| lady settin' on de trunk She git UP an |
| Wen de lady done sot down hit ergin.
| cudn't moobe no trunk wild er lady settin'
| on 1t, SO l goes on down stars an waits
| dis wuz bout 3 erclock, an arter while
| L goes roun' on Sebenf street ter git sum
| feed fur my hoss. Wen 1 come back see
| de trunk whut de lady wuz a'settin' on In
| de Wagg1n, an er whole passel OBJ boys
! tryin ter git it out. l puts up de dashbode
| at the back, but de boys cumb ober de side
| OBJ de waggin and tilt de trunk ober de side
| an tote it back inter de house,
| ~ Sot SSS Ai- III tiiC Sio"o! dShtd
| Mr.. Niles.
| mo, sah," was the emphatic response
| Dare warn't no boy in de gang big ez
you Is. Dey was jess er passel oh boys"
Cross-eXamination did not shake Rob-
| ertS' evidence.
| Detective HartiGan's Evidence.
Detective Hartigan was called. He re-
cited being called to the house by hearing a
police whistle distress call, and to going up
| stairs with Sergt. Lombardy to Siddone
| DlXon's room, where she and Constable Ed
| wards We're alone together, Miss Dixon sit
| ting on that trunk. Mr. Niles came in af-
| terWard, and With the officers and Edwards
| and Gundlach, went into the hall, where
| Niles agreed to pay the 50 owing to Gund-
! lach, Tor the recovery of which he had
| sued out the attachment Constable Ed
| wards then said his bill against the prop
| erty would be $40 and thereupon Niles re-
| fused to pay $40.
| gested that Edwards had better be permit
| ted TO take the trunk. and he and Gundlach
| carried II down stairs followed by witness
! ana Sergeant Lombardy, when Mr. Niles
| demanded Edwards arrest by witness on
| charge of carrying concealed weapons. Wit
ness declined unless Mr. Niles should first
! go 10 headquarters and make a formal
charge. Niles went back in the house to
| secure witness who, he claimed, had seen
| Edwards with a gum" and while he was
| gone bicycle policeman arrested Edwards
|
duct and profanity Witness advised Ed
| wards to go quietly after Edwards had
| maze some resistance to the officer and he
| did SO.
| Edwards arrest was not caused by Niles
| Witness did not Niles after he went into
the house to get the person who saw Ed
! WARDS gun. The detective did not see the
| trunk taken back, nor did he know who
| look IT. Did not see Niles make any physi-
| cal resistance to the removal of the trunk
| from Miss Dixon's room. He courte-
Gus IN his conversation with Edwards
Miss Dixon on the stand.
Miss Dixon, please" said Lawyer Niles,
with deferential tone.
| Every neck in the court room was craned
as the heroine of the drama came forward
and was sworn. She wore a hat with pro-
| fuse feathers in black and blue a tan coat.
dark bodice. from which bright red
| four7in-hand famed and dark SKIRT She
raised an unsloved hand and took the oath
| Asked to relate the occurrences of the
| fateful 10th of December Miss Dixon, in a
| mellow, weii-moduiated voice, proceeded in
| quiet manner to recite her story. She
! caught the audience at once by the
straightforward and apparently sincere
manner in which she gave her lines.
ON the afternoon in question:" she said,
u was sitting in my room sewing when
| Mr. Gundlach"-and she gave the proper
| German pronunciation Edwards came
in. Edwards produced a paper which 1
understand it [ was sitting on my trunk
| at the time. 1t was the most conspicuous
| thing IN the room, and l got off when the
| men came in. ] had been sick for some
| time. | owed Mr.. Gundlach 81 and told
him would pay him when l got the money.
| Edwards said he would have to take the
| trunk to court.
| Il said if such We're the case l would like
| to send for an attorney and thereupon L
wrote note to Mr. Niles, requesting him to
! come as quickly as possible. When / had
| dispatched it, Edwards said, taking hold of
| the trunk, to Gundlach: Hurry up and let's
| get this trunk out before the lawyer comes
Il Immediately sat down on the trunk
| again. l then sent for Mrs. Rosenberg,
! who came up and told Mr.. Edwards that
| the trunk held by her security for
my board. At this Edwards said to Mrs.
Rosenherry that he would disgrace her if
| she nterfered Mrs. Rosenberg replied
| that she had lived in this city too long to
| be disgraced.
This was about quarter after 3, and
| then Edwards raised the window and be-
| gan to blow a police whistle. crowd
| gathered in front of the house. Edwards
! continued to blow the whistle at intervals
of fifteen or twenty minutes until half-past
T. and kept calling out continually to the
| crowd outside
Edwards Locked the Door.
The fair Siddone had not paused for a
! word or hesitated an instant. She took a
! sip of water and continued
When Mr.. Niles arrived Edwards locked
| the door Mr. Niles put his foot against it
and the lock which was weak, broke. Ed
| wards then caught Mr.. Niles by the throat
| and put his hand behind him, saying: L
| will blow your brains out
There was another girl in the room very
nervous and she | loaded with the men not
| to have any trouble Edwards then told
| the oo1ored eXpresSman to go to some stor-
| age house and get n wagon load of men
| to come and help take the trunk
Miss Dixon corrobcrated Detective Harti-
gan's evidence about the offer of Niles to
! pay Costumer Gundlach's bill, and Ed
wards demand for $40, which was refused.
| She then related how the trunk was
moved after Nj. Niles had advised her to
permit it
! She said Mr.. Niles went down stairs after
the trunk was taken down, and came back
almost Immediately and inquired If she had
| fc.,, h