Delaware gazette and state journal. (Wilmington, Del.) 1883-1902, 1899-04-06
SUSSEX COUNTY COURT.
Judge sprnance Provides, Chief Justit
Lore Being Iii-Disposing of orimin

Georgetown, April 3. Tho Superior
Court and Court of General Sessions
convened here ut noon today. with
Judges William G. Spruance and lgna-
titus C.. Grubb Of New Castle county,
and Judge William III. Boyce OF Sussex
county on the bench. Chief Justice
Charles b. Lore was unable to attend
on account of i'll health and Judge
Spruance is acting as chief Justice.
Judge Spruanco named Elihu j.
Morris as foreman of tho grand jury
and stated that he had no instructions
for tho Jury other than to investigate
the evidence in the cases brought to
its attention.
Rowland Pettijohn, George Ennis,
Daniel Ennis, William Il. Warrington.
Isaiah Williams, William G. Barto,
Isaac Miller, Clifford Burton, Calwell
w. James. William +. Owens and
Charles Wing, held on peace recogni-
zances, were discharged.
In the afternoon the civil list was
taken up and l3 cases marked for trial,
eight referred, four discontinued, 13
continued by consent OF counsel and %
passed.
Judge Spruance announced that
while it had been customary in Kent
and New Castle counties for five mem
bers of the bar to examine candidates
for admission, in Sussex county there
were only three examiners. After con-
sulting with tho present examiners,
Attorney General White, Charles F..
Richards and Il. r. Paynter, he had
decided to make five the number in
Sussex county aud named Charles w.
Cullen and Joseph L. Cahall as addi-
tional members.
The case of the State VS.. William
Pierce and Nathaniel Allen, both col
ored, was called. The men were charged
with burning railroad ties, the prop
erty of the Delaware Railroad Co., at
Cannon's Crossing. Attorney General
White stated that the men had told
him they had built fire and gone to
sleep beside it, and when they awak-
ened found the ties burning, and be-
coming scared ran away. Mr.. White
said he believed the men did not in
tentionally set fire to the ties and asked
for their discharge,as they had already
been in Jail over two months. They
were ordered discharged.
The following cases were nolle
pressed: State VS.. Joseph Hall aud
William q. Hall, Lawrence Walter,
Daniel I. Joseph, William B. Todd,
Levin e. Moore, William M. Wright,
Harry q. Bigger, George Kenney, Will
liam j. Westcoat, Charles p. Jones,
Benjamin F. Wagamon, Handy Culver,
Benton Tharp, Joseph b. West, Benja-
min Susman, Sydney Powell, George
e. MCGEE, Henry Holt and George M.
Dickerson.
The grand jury found true bills
against Fred NJ. Mowbray, charged
with assault and battery on his wife,
and George Jacobs, oolored, charged
with larceny.
George Jacobs was brought into court
and upon being charged with stealing
nine muskrat hides, valued at 90 cents,
from John S. Hallett of Cedar Creek
hundred, pleaded guilty and was sen
fenced to pay costs, to be imprisoned
two months and to receive 10 lashes
next Saturday. Court adjourned until
10 a. In. tomorrow.
Y Georgetown, April BIN Superior
Court, yesterday, the civil list was taken
up and revised and dates set for the
trial of cases.
The first criminal case called was
that of Fred N. Mowbray Of Seaford,
charged with assault and battery ON
his wife. Owing to the prominence oil
the defendants brothers large crowd
was attracted to the court room to hear
the testimony. When the case was
called Charles L. Moore, counsel for
Mowbray, asked permission TO withdraw
from the case us his client had refused
to listen to his (Moore's) advice.
Mowbray was put on the stand and
plead guilty to the charge and en-
planned to the court that he had beer
drinking at the time and that he only
slapped his wife in the mouth. He fur.
ther stated that his love for her was SC
great that as soon rs he struck her he
Rugged and kissed her, and asked hel
forgiveness. l@5
Mrs, Mowbray, neat looking woman
of probably 30 years Of age, testified
six years; that he had frequently
beaten her with his fists and would gel
drunk and abuse her on an average OF
once u month, and that on January
9th he brutality beat her, displayed i
knife and threatened to cut her throat,
but she succeeded in getting possession
of the knife and hid it. The following
day she had him bound over to keeT
the peace.
A few days ago compromise was
effected between the parties and Nov.
bray was released. On Monday he
came to Georgetown and after filling
up with liquor proceeded to the house
where Mrs. Mowbray was stopping. He
gained admittance to her room and
after she, refused to live with him
again he threatened her and taking hel
pocketbook from her coat pocket
opened it and tried to got the money
she had in it and some papers, but
Mrs. Mowbray succeeded in getting the
money and papers from him. Sheriff
Short was called in and when he made
the arrest Mowbray attacked him, try
ing to choke him, but was finally landed
behind the bars.
Judge Spruance reviewed the case
briefly and stated that no man worthy
of the name husband would be guilty
of such conduct as that of which the
prisoner had admitted himself guilty.
After asking Mrs. Mowbray if she was
able to support herself, to which she
readily answered in the affirmative,
Judge Spruance sentenced Mowbray to
six months Imprisonment, ending Oc-
tober Sd, and to pay the costs of prose-
cution.
The grand jury found two indict-
ments against Nebedee Nutter and
James N. Conoway, charged with
cutting timber unlawfully. The cases
were afterwards nolle pressed, the court
believing that the men thought they
had legal right to cut the timber.
The case of Charles Purnell, colored,
charged with stealing from Francis j..
Curry gold watch valued at $50, a
gold chain valued at go and So IN
money, came up in the afternoon. He
plead guilty and as this was his third