The age-herald. [volume] (Birmingham, Ala.) 1897-1902, 1899-02-02
FOR CR1 MINAL ASSAULT.
R. M. Crockett Charged With Assault
ing Married Woman.

A case of criminal assault was tried by
Judge Feagin in the police court yesterday
afternoon, a special sitting being held for
the purpose. r. NJ. Crockett was charged
with having attempted a heinous crime on
Mrs. Grace Davis, wife of w. F. Davis, all
of the parties residing on the second floor
of the three story brick building, corner of
Twenty-second street and Avenue E.
The crime was alleged to have been COM
mitted about o'clock Tuesday afternoon
in Mrs Davis room, but the matter was
not reported to the police until 8 o'clock
yesterday morning, at which hour Crockett
was dragged out of bed, so to speak, and
hurried off to the city prison. Judge
Feagin fixed a special hour in the after
noon for hearing it. In this way the case
did not become very generally known and
consequently only a comparatively small
number of spectators assembled consider
ing the sensational nature of the testi-
mony.
Mrs. Davis is a very comedy looking
young woman, and was fairly well attired
yesterday Afternoon in a black dress, fur
cape, and a brown feathered hat. She
seemed not at all embarrassed by the or
deal of pointed questions which were fired
at her.
According to the testimony obtained
from her and from other witnesses, her
maiden name was Grace Smith and she
was born in New Albany Ind. She moved
to this city when quite young. A number
of years ago, her father. William Smith,
was killed by one of his brothers on Red
ybo
titled to this effect, did not give any of the
details of the tragedy. Grace's mother
being dead also, her grandmother placed
the girl, at the, age of 10 years, in the
phanage at Talladega. There she remained
for several years, and after she left that
institution, she returned to Birmingham.
Nine months ago she married w. F. Davis,
a car painter She is now 10 years of age,
according to her testimony Since their
marriage the couple have lived in five diff
ferent places around Birmingham, having
been at their present residence on the
Southside for about two months.
The story now begins. Mrs Davis was
put on the stand first to tell her version
of the affair. She said that on Tuesday af-
ternoon she had been playing "seven-up'
with Crockett in his ROOM Mrs. Crockett
herself being in the room at the time. When
he got an opportunity she said he accused
her of improper conduct with one Halford
Williams, and then made improper propo-
sails to her. threatening to tell her hus-
band of the Williams affair on her if she
did not comply. short time afterward,
when she had returned to her room, Mrs.
Crockett came and asked permission to
cook some bread on Mrs. Davis stove, and
told her husband to watch it. Mrs Crock
EFT then went out of the room, whereupon
the man locked the door and seized her, the
prosecutrix said, and attempted his crime.
She screamed loudly for Mrs. Crockett, and
he, hearing footsteps, was baked in his
designs.
Tom King and Mrs. Ruffin, besides Mrs.
Ruffin and Perpillo, testified that Mrs. Da-
Wis had the reputation of being rather
FAST
Mrs. Fournier and one Holmes were put
character. both of whom said it was good,
though perhaps a triflle frivolous.
my wife put me in Mrs. Davis room to
watch the bread cook" said he, land just
as 1 was going out I put my arms around
her and kissed her, but she didn't seem to
care. She only hung her head down when
l asked her if l might. 1 never had any
idea that she was going to accuse me of
this crime until 1 was pulled out of bed at
S'o'cloek this morning by the police"
Judge Feagin, in deciding the case, said
that he doubted if the real crime of crimi-
nal assault had been attempted and he ac-
quilted the defendant.