Idaho County free press. [volume] (Grangeville, Idaho Territory) 1886-current, 1899-12-01
DRAMATIC SCENE IN COURT
tAlrks Vinegar Watkins Breaks Down
Ihdl IL Jury Returned Vithl
Ydfditt Of "Iet Gulty,"

Dorothea Chase. The case wa a.
tried BY the following jury: Geo. W.
Fsnning, T. R. Eddy, W. R. New.
man. Joe Ark, A. Won Barpen.
Frank Rad, j. 81. Forsman, Henry
Ungren, G. L. Palmer, J. H. Chase,
Lee Rhodes, Jefferson Wood.
The hrst witness was Dorothes
Chase who said she was eleven
years old and worked in the Palace
hotel last June when the alleged
rape occurred. She was COMING
out Of her room which adjoined
that Of defendant, with partition
between them, when defendant
grabbed her and took her into his
room and said he wanted some fun
with her. The testimony Of the
child as to the proceedings are toe
vile and disgusting for publication
"Finally he told me not to tell and
gave me four bits. I told Lottie
and Edna Shearer, my mother and
Mrs. Walton.
Cross .examination: Mamma went
to work at the hotel in February
for s. per week and our board.
The crime was committed in the
last part Of June. No conversa.
tion about mammals getting 81, OOC
from Watkins to get q divorce,
ever occurred. I cannot say how
long it was before l told my moth.
er, but l think it was two or three
weeks. l told Edna Shearer the
same day that I told my mother.
We stayed at the hotel fight along
after the occurrence, but can't
say whether mamma worked for
him or not, but he did not paw.
He never kept his promises. l saw
him every day, but did not joke or
chat with him. He was kind to
the Shearer girls and me, but 1 did
not talk to him much, but when
he gave me money I took it; he
never gave me much. Mamma
never told mo about her divorce,
nor did she tell me to tell this to
Watkins so that she could get
money for her divorce suit, from
thc-coon. l did not tell this to any
Of the Shearer family.
Redirect: l did not cry out be-
cause did not know what to do.
| was never in such a shape before.
Watkins was one of the Shearer
family. No one ever told me what
to say at this time.
Mrs. Minnie Walton: In June,
1899, / was at the Palace hotel;
know Dorothea and Mrs. Chase and
the defendant. Her mother was
doing chamber work there. talk
ed with Dorothea about this affair
July 4. She told me about his as
sault on her.
Mrs. Annie E. Chase, mother OF
the child, was then called and tes-
tilted: During June I lived at the
Palace hotel. Chas. Vinegar was
running the hotel at that time.
Then my daughter told me of his
assault on her in the latter part OF
June.
Cross examinations: Inever had
a conversation with defendant, in
which he promised me money to
keep quiet. 1 had q conversation
with him in which he promised to
pay me back wages owed me by
Shearer. 1 never had q converse
ton in which I agreed to take 5000
not to say anything about the as.
Ault. / never stated to the Shear
ers that defendant had promised to
pay me 5000 and had only paid me
e82 up to that time, nor did l tel
Mrs. McGaffey that the coon had
considerable money and l was go
ing to make him pay me part of it.
State rests.
c. v. Watkins, defendant, ther
testified in his own behalf: Or
April 16 last, l was servant fol
Shearer, as entertainer and porter
for the white folks. May II, 1899
I became proprietor. Mrs. Chase
was employed at that time, at 81
per week. I never was member
Of the family, nor was I considered
30. ! never attempted to commit
rape ON Dorothea Chase. Mrs
Chase, on May 81, called me in hel
room and said: 81 want to SCI
you." I went in there and she pu'
her back against the door and said
"You have attempted two assaults
on my daughter;" then the little
girl appeared and she told her no
to come in; she said: "What ar,
you going to do about it?" and
said: "This is an awful charge fcl
a white woman to bring against {
Niger Then she said I could
pay her 5000 and 81 per day.
agreed to give her 81 day ON tn
5000 agreement, and then I found
ont that NO assault had been com
mitted on her child. I then had {
platform built outside her window
30 that boys could look in tn
mothers room. I quit paying he
July 7. ] had paid her then $50
I saw her the afternoon Of the III
and refused to pay her any NOR
e.