The colored American., 1900-10-20

mans Influence secured the release o
the white brute Heirs from the chsrg
OF criminal assault upon little coloret
Lsvinia Smith Following IL the test
mony tsken in the cass, together will
the dastsrdIy and eowsrdfy attack o
dsfendsnt's counsel, Verdier, on tn,
virtue OF Negro women. It 1s true
copy.
VI: Assault with intent 10 Ravish.
TESTIMONY.
Lavinia Smith, the l3 year old girl upor
whom the assault was made, testified as fol
lows:
was standing near the store OF Ar Burck
meyer in the town OF Port Royal, waiting TO,
hr. Sanders to come and pay me some mon.
ey for milk, l waited there a long time and
got tired standing on the outside, so stepp-
sd in the store near the show case looking al
the things in the show case. There was no
one in the store al the time but the defend
ant: he is the C erk in the store; he was be.
hind the counter he made an insulting pro-
position 70 me, and l askei him what he
meant. / didn't know what he was talking
about. he said give me -- said
did not have anything aDd that | did not
know what he was talking about Ee then
came tom behind the counter and told me
10 go IN the dark room at the rear of the store
shd ne would show me what he meant. At
Inc same time ne went 10 the door and shut
and looked it L told him 10 open that door
az let me out Of his store BE said no you
go into the dark room ard will show you
what mean. l again told him l would not
go. and ne caught hold of me, took me up
and started to carry me Ii the room. l
caught hold OF the counter and ne pulled nv
hanos loose. BE then carried ms further, ar d
as be got me to the door OF the dark room. |
caught hold OF The Oil tank that is near the
door, He pulled my hand loose and car.
red me through the door into the room an d
tfied TO make me lie on The floor. 1 refused
TO do so. and e still tried to throw nae down.
would not let m do so and told him If he
did not turn e loese and open the door. |
ould holler and tell mama and para. l
then terked and he turned me loose and
went and opened the door. When he opened
the door ard went out papa was on the ont
side.
Mrs. Smith, the mother, testffes.
That after heard what had been done to
my daughter, l went to the hotel where tine
defendant was at dinner and sent In to tell
him that l wanted to see him. l waited till
ne came out l had a talk with him, and he
did not deny anything l charged him with,
but asked me not to talk too loud as he did
not want his name to get out Some young
hite men saw hi N talking to me and called
him in the hotel then went back home and
examined the girl more carefully, After
hearing her full statement, l waited until
saw him going from his dinner to The sto e.
went out and called him and told him all
thtt the girl had told me-. He said that
what the girl told NE was true ar that as
she was not hurt In any way, he would give
me something II would quash the matter.
l told him did not want any OF his money,
and would ger satisfactin. He then turned
away from me and said could do as chose.
Mr.. Smith, the girls father, testified as fol.
lows:
am shoe maker. l wanted to get some
shoe tacks and went down 70 Burckm eYer's
store to buy some. When got there found
the doors closed. went to the door and took
hold OF The knob and shook it, but found II
was locked. then stepped to the window
and saw the clerk in the baex room holding
some one by the arm. 1 could not see who
It was. l stepped TO the sidewalk and waited
ill the door was opened AS soon as IT was
opened my daughter came out. Sae told me
hat the defendant. Heirs, had locked her in
here. then made for the door but Heirs
slammed the door in my face and locked
himself in
Aboveis the testimony taken before Maefs-
strate Rodgers at the examination held on
Thursday, the 9Th of sept, 1900, and upon
which he was asked to bind defendant over
or trial He refused tn do sn nd a.-al