Idaho County free press. [volume] (Grangeville, Idaho Territory) 1886-current, 1899-08-18
VINEGAR SAYS HE DIDN'T
Then White Folks is too Much fol-
Me-" said Coon"

NE, SdlQ "CO0n.
From Tuesdays daily.
| The trial of n case too hor.
rible in its details for publica
ton in the Press was com.
menced in Justice Hartman's
court today. The courtroom
was crowded to suffocation
with spectators. 1t is the case
of the State of Idaho VS. Chas.
V. Watkins alias Vinegar. AS
has heretofore been told in the
Press, the defendant is
charged with the crime of rape
on the person of a little girl
eleven years old, the daughter
of an employee of the Palace
hotel on Main street.
Deputy Sheriff Byron
brought the prisoner from Mt.
Idaho this morning where he
was incarcerated over night in
default of bail. The prisoner
took advantage of the statute
which permits him to appear
in his own behalf, and in which
event the county attorney has
to look out for his interests as
well as prosecute the case. He
elected to retain no counsel.
The case was opened by the
State placing the prosecuting
witness on the stand. In ap.
pearance she is a child small
of her age, with light hair and
blue eyes. She testified that
her name was Doreothea
Chase; that she had lived for
some time at the Palace hotel,
and that she was eleven years
of age, and then went on to de-
tail the occurrences as charged.
She said the alleged crime was
committed one afternoon when
Mr.. Shearcr was out of town
and her mother had gone up
stairs. In giving her testimony
she was cool and composed in
demeanor and responded to all
questions in a straightforward
manner.
In answer to inquiry she stated
that she and her mother slept in
the room next to the one occupied
by Watkins and Oscar Shearer,
the little son of II. ID. Shearer.
partner of Watkins. She smiled
pleasantly in answering questions
and at first displayed no nervous
ness. During pause in the direct
examination the defendant de-
manded that all the answers should
go in, to which County Attorney
Scales answered that they most GER
tainly would. AS the examina-
ton proceeded and came to some
disgusting portions the little girl
hung her head and blushed, and
her responses were given in a voice
almost inaudible, so that the Judge
and county attorney had to lean
forward to hear her answers. 1t
became SO hard for the child to
answer that Mr.. Scales had to re-
peat his questions, and once the
colored man got up and vehement
~ declared that the attorney had
no right to question the witness in
that manner, but was peremptorily
told by the court to take his seat.
On cross-examination by defend
ant, and after many questions
which are unprintable. the colored
man asked the witness a question
touching her veracity, to which
she answered, looking straight into
his eyes: "You know it is Just as
l have told you. The little girl
stood her cross-eXamination we'll
and try as he would Watkins was
unable to shake her testimony in
any particular.
Responding to the question of
"how long did it take your mother
to teach you to frame this up.n
asked 10y the accused, she answer
ed, holding up her head: "She
did not teach it to me; it is only
the truth that l am telling"
At one point of the examination
the colored man asked the little
girl question which tended to
show that she was not pure, which
was immediately objected to by the
county attorney, the court sustain
ing the objection, and the question
was stricken from the records.
The longer the accused examined
the witness the worse his case look
ed, for as she answered, the very
answer seemed to carry conviction
with 1t. Watkins seemed to at
taeh considerable Importance to
the fact that the child did not call
out, nor could she say how he held
her, and III answer to a question of
~ our mamma forgot to tell you
to say how ! held you,a she re-
sponded, "She did not tell me how