The news & observer. [volume] (Raleigh, N.C.) 1894-current, 1898-09-20
BEN DIDN'T BEAT HIS WIFE
BUT He HELD HER WHILE ANOTHER WO-
MAN FL0GGtD HER.
One of RaIeigh's Republican Alderman Bound
Over TO Court for an Ugly Sort
of 0H4nse.

There was a sensational trial pulled of
in the Mayors office yesterday morning
That the investigation promised to be
something more than ordinarily spicy one
had only to look in ut the big motley
crowd, pushing in for space long before
the hour appointed for court to open.
An Alderman of the city and his para
mour were the defendants and the Al
dcrman's wife was the prosecutor. She
charged her husband with holding her
while the woman beat her.
BENJAMIN J. Robinson is a negro. He
was chosen an alderman of Raleigh AZ
the last city election. He keeps bar
on West Cabarrus street, near the
Southern freight depot. In 1880, thir-
teen years ago he married Laura Black
well. SO far as the evidence showed.
they lived pcaccably together until last
Christmas. when Laura became ill. She
has never recovered. During her illness.
Eliza Ward. n woman of bad character,
who lived on an adjoining lot became Il
frequent visitor to Ben Robinson's store.
TO this the wife objected, and in juno
left home. She went to her mothers
and stayed two months.
During this time Ben's attachment fer
Eliza Ward or Red Liza" as she was
known on the Bowery on account Of her
red head and peculiar complexion, in
creased until one morning about the mid
die of August the wife went home to
find her installed in the place given tho
wife by the laws of the land and customs
of society.
Naturally a fight resulted between the
two women. in which the wife alleges the
husband took part by holding her while
the intruder beat and abused her. In
this fight, she further alleges, she was
so injured that She has never recovered.
The investigation of the facts in this
case consumed nearly four hours, there
being dozen witnesses and half as
many lawyers. Il. A. Johnson (col.), rep
resented the Ward Woman. Robinson
was represented by Armistead Jones. and
the wife by w. c. Douglass, J. &. l.
Harris. II. n. Simms and Nj. A. Bledsoe.
The star witnesses, of course, were
the prosecutor Laura Robinson, and the
defendants, Ben Robinson and Eliza
Ward.
Laura told of the woman's visits to her
house during her sickness.
"And when / went away all that was
necessary was for Eliza Ward to move
her bed to my house, to live there, for
she was practically living there before.
II moved to my brothers. AS soon
as | was well enough to walk | went
home one morning at o'clock. | sat
on the steps to wait for Ben and Eliza
to wake up and come out. Eliza opened
the door, saw me, caught me by the
throat and knocked me down. When |
got up Ben held me while Liza beat
and butted me. Then he called to her
to run, while he still held me. Ben
abused me for attacking Liza said he
loved her and would have her in his
house if he wanted to. The beating the
woman gave me made my condition much
worse. I've been sick ever since
The prosecution rested its case with
Laura's testimony. g
Robinson acknowledged his criminal
relations with the Ward woman, and cor
roborated his wife in regard to the fight
except that he swore Laura beat Liza,
and that Liza did not strike Laura. He
denied holding Laura and said Liza
didn't put her hands ON Laura.
''Red Liza" cOrroborated Robinson in
almost every material fact In some
minor ones. though, they got very badly
tangled and it was evident that there
had been some understanding as to what
their testimony should be.
The Mayor. after hearing several other
witnesses on both sides. for the most part
in confederation of what the prosecutor
and defendants had sworn, decided that
the evidence was sufficient to bind
Robinson and his woman over to court.
They were required to give bonds IN
the sum of 800 each.
olui, ut
tention was that against Mag Brooks
and viii Palmer. charging them with
keeping ii dsorderly house and disturb
ing church-goers at worship Sunday
night.
John Spell said Mr.. Palmer and Miss
Brooks rented the house together and
Sunday night they raised mighty
guscus and a-tromplin' there. They were
pickin' a 'gittar' and a-comin' down the
street a-whoopin' and a-hollerin' and
a-singin' to the 'gittar'"
Nancy Blake heard them plainly MS
she sat in church and she couldn't pray
with the sperit for their monstrous car
ryin's-on.
Adeline Johnson, who lives near 3y,
also heard the racket. '"Thcy wus jusS
a-dancin' and pickin' and SIGH. Some
times they'd sorter stomp down and then
ag'in they'd sorter hold up, and you
wouldn't hear nothin' 'cept 'em a-pickn'
and a-pickin'."
The offenders were lectured on the
gravity of the offense of disturbing
worship in church, warned against a
repetition of this performance at such Il
time and place, and told to go and sin no
more.
They went.