Evening star., 1899-12-06
ASSAULT CASE ON TRIAL
The Proprietor T ! Local Thsatsr Made
psisaaans

Alleged That ase E,ectea Patron
! From H E4.b,,.Anens-
| II.
| Mr.. P. B. ChAAes nhnager OF the Grand
| Opera House, aHd.. Ftaicemen Warren and
Murphy were today3tn the Police Court
| to answer the charge heretofore referred to
\ in The Star OF assaulting Mr. N. e. Wsth-
| eriess November ID Prosecutor Mullowny
! represented The government, Mr. Wood
| ward of Birney Woodward defended Mr..
| Chase, and Mr.. James L. Pugh, Jr, was
| counsel for the officers.
After the roll of jurymen was called an
nouncement was made that Mr. wetheriess
had withdrawn the charge against the po-
| licemen, and the case so far as they were
| concerned, was noll pressed This ended
Mr.. Pugh's connection with the case and
| he went to police Headquarters to continue
| the hearing of the McNeely case.
Mr. Mulowny filed new Information
against Mr. Chase, This was read to the
defendant and he pleaded not guilty. Mr.,
Wetheriess occupied q seat near Mr.. Null
lowny. ~
M. E. Horton. Julius Baumgarten. John n
Matthews, James A. Moran, Patrick Fin
ley. John c. Brown Samuel A. Coomes.
robert c. Tally. J. H. Carmichael Carl
Shilling.
Prosecutor Mullowny explained to the
jury that he expected to prove that dur
| ing the week ending November IS there
was a colored company performing at the
New Grand Opera House; that Mr.. wether-
less had purchased tickets emitting him
to two seats on the main floor of the thea
ter, and that when he presented them at
door Dull6inD he foll thof
the tickets were for another part of the
theater. He also stated that he expected
to prove that during dispute which fol-
lowed Mr.. Chase laid his hands on Mr.
Wetherless and had him elected from the
building.
Wetherless the First Witness.
Mr.. Wetherless was the first witness. He
stated that he sent a boy for tickets for
two reserved seats at the Grand Opera
House the morning of the alleged assault,
and in the afternoon went with his wife
and two small children to the theater
Upon presenting the tickets to the proper
person. he was, he said, ordered to 70 to
the balcony; his tickets being afterward
returned to him. Witness refused to 20 to
any other place than the main floor and
| made his way to the part of the house for
which he had bought tickets. There he
took two seats Meanwhile an usher was
calling for Mr. Chase to bring a policeman
After the witness had been in the seat for
about minute, he said, Mr.. Chase ap-
preached him and ordered him to leave
Mr.. Chase called upon Officer Murphy to
expel him. The officer refused to interfere,
he said, and few minutes later Mr.. Chase
brought Officer Warren, and the two seized
hold of the witness and pushed him all the
way from the seat out Of the theater
Alleges Rough Treatment.
Continuing Mr.. Wetherless said he was
treated very roughly, and that he was also
pushed into the patrol wagon. The officers
did not accompany. the witness to the sta
ton. but Mr.. Chase did, and the latter pre-
ferred the charge made against him.
Mr.. Woodward objected to the witness
stating what was done at the station
house. IL
Mr. Mullowny urged that as Mr.. Chase
house and had made the charge, it was
competent for him to offer testimony on
the point referred to- The charge made by
Mr.. Chase was, he said, Investigated by
Judge Kimbai ana TIE charge dismissed
Mr.. Woodward urged that IL the jury
were to be Informed as to what took place
at the station house on the occasion mem
toned he had right to have the station
record produced In court
Judge Scott said that was Mr.. Wood
ward s right, whereupon Mr.. Mullowny
said he would not insist on his point, and
withdrew the question.
Resuming. the witness had shown to the
jury torn hat which, he said. was caused
by Mr.. Chase at the time of the alleged as
sault. At this point court took a recess
for thirty minutes.
Witness CrOss-Examined.
Upon the reassembling of the court at
p. m. Mr.. Weatherless again took the stand.
He was cross-examined by counsel for Mr..
Chase. Witness asserted that he was seized
by the wrist by an empoye of the theater.
mi OIL
said that after he had jerked away from
Herbert the latter seized him by his coat
tails. He further stated that al no time
cid Herbert ask him for his tickets after
they We're recovered by him He denied
that his wife stepped between the witness
and Herbert while the alteration between
the two men was in progress. ChlefrUSher
Stokes, who was applied to, refused to
show the witness to the seats which he
claimed to have purchased, and he went to
them himself. his wife accompanying him.
The witness reiterated what he had said
in his direct testimony about the scenes
which followed in the theater, and in reply
to questions from Mr.. Woodward said he
took the seats which he had purchased
He denied that Mr.. Chase asked him for
his coupons.
Additional Testimony.
The witness further declared that one of
the policemen called showed Mrs. Wether-
less down stairs. This closed the testi-
fhony OF complainant, and MI. John +.
Green, United States postage stamp agent,
was called to the stand. Mr.. Green testi-
fled that he was present when the alleged
assault took place. He two policemen
and Mr.. Chase. the defendant. seize hold
of Mr.. Wetherless and not only eject him
from the seats claimed by him. but also
from the theater. He heard cries of Let
him aloner' Don't you go!' while Mr..
Wetheriess was being elected
George Bagwell, who bought the tickets
WatharleSS testified a
chase.
Mrs. Morgan said she Mr.. Wether-
less take the seats in the theater from
Mr.. Chase place his hand on Mr.. Wether-
less shoulder. and that Mr.. Chase and the
two police officers"put Mr.. Wetherless cut.
Prosecuting Attorney Irritated.
Alpkonso Harris was next called to the
stand. Before the witness commenced his
testimony Mr.. Methsrless made a remark