Bridgeton pioneer. (Bridgeton, N.J.) 1884-1919, 1899-10-12
OBSERVATION-DISCLOSURES.
The Business Of the Session in
Detail.
THE INDICTMENTS RETURNED
A Considerable Amount of Labor for the
Present Session. Few Cases
Disposed of.
Wednesday Afternoon,


afternoon in getting things ironed out SO
that Court might proceed smoothly.
The jury in the Facemire- Bray man
case, arrived at conclusion about din
ner time, returning verdict of $500 in
favor of Facemire.
This case cleared up the Supreme Court
list, two or three of the cases that had
been marked ready, having been settled
by the counsel in the cases.
Case No. of the Circuit Court list was
called, and Mr.. Logue, representing the
plaintiff, announced himself as ready,
and jury was empanelled. Mr.. Berault
was away at Camden, and Mr.. Logue
refusing to take advantage of the absence
of his friend, declined to move the suit.
No. 5. was next on the list. This is the
somewhat famous suit of Mary Ann Nc
Blain, of Philadelphia, against Robert
Edgar of Vineland. Mr.. Logue said that
his witnesses were in Vineland and could
not arrive here until three O'Clock. He
said he could not find fault if the case
went over. Louis Miller and Surrogate
Bray, representing Edgar, insisted they
were ready for trial and asked for non
suit. Judge Ludlow thought it would be
better to let the case go over upon pay
ments of costs by the plaintiffs, but this
did not suit the defense.
Finally Judge Ludlow said he would
substitute case that might take up the
time, and the Kirk Williams case came
pretty nearly getting on. A vigorous
kick came from Lawyer Alvord, who de
clined to lose his place on the list, he hav-
ing couple of cases following the Nc
Blain suit.
Judge Ludlow finally settled the whole
matter by taking recess until three
O'Clock, announcing that at that time if
the parties were not ready, everybody
would have to look out for themselves.
At three O'Clock Court was in session
again, and this time Mr.. Logue was ready
with the suit of Mary Ann McBlain,
against Robert Edgar, his witnesses
being present.
Court followers are familiar with this
case. 1t crept in the Courts here some
years ago through the Grand Jury, which
indicted Edgar for rape. The jury in
that case disagreed. Before Judge Gum
mere the affair was next in Court as q
civil suit brought by Miss McBlain's
father, and resulted in a mistrial, owing
to the fact that Miss McBlain should
have appeared as the plaintiff instead of
her father.
Twice before when this suit was being
unfolded by Miss McBlain as witness.
a sensation has been created by Miss
McBlain fainting and falling from the
witness chair. During the first trial of
Edgar, for rape, Miss McBlain tainted
three times in succession, and the last
time she tainted once.
Yesterday afternoon Miss McBlain
pulled herself together in admirable
shape, and she made a most favorable
impression while on the stand.
Miss McBlain was represented by
Lawyer VIM. A. Logue, while Edgar was
defended by Surrogate Bray and Louis
II. Miller.
The proceedings are of such nature
that reputable paper cannot tell in de-
tail what was given to the jury. Briefly
Miss McBlain, in 1896, then girl of
seventeen, visited her sister, who was
living as domestic at the home of Robt.
lIukuAs w hHO tuOiCs ANO tiuOS uPOA
successive days, she was criminally as
saulted by Edgar. AS result child
came into the world, and the suit now in
Court is for damages.
There are some surprising and startling
incidents connected with the case. Miss
McBlain never complained of the as
saults committed by Edgar until Just
previous to the birth of her baby. She
explained this remarkable silence by
saying that Edgar had repeatedly threat
ened her life If she ever told of his crime.
Again it was shown by Miss McBlain
that her sister was still living with Edgar,
the mother of two children, Edgar being
the father of them. This sister, was in
Court yesterday with the Edgar family
and had nothing to do with her sister.
mother, or father. All the afternoons
session was taken up with the direct
examination and .cross-examination of
Miss McBlain. as
Thursday Morning:
The first sensation in the McBlaip.
Edgar case. came this morning. Yester.
day she bore up surprisingly we'll, al
though Surrogate Bray persistently and
seArchingly cross. ss.exsmined her for more
than two hours. This morning, when
Court resumed its business at half past
nine O'clock Miss McBiain was upon the
stand and the cross-examination con-
tinued. Surrogate Bray was persistent
in his cross-examination Of the young
woman. It was noticed that she was be-
coming greatly agitated and finally. a.
upon previous occasions. without warn
ing, the girl was overcome and fell head.
long from the chair In dead faint. The
fall was severe one and it was fortunate
that she was not seriously injured.