The daily journal. (Salem, Or.) 1899-1903, 1901-05-24
SENSATIONAL SUITS
IN JUSTICE COURT
warraurs swOrn OBt Charging In
nOrsl Crime
AFsinst Two PromipeHt Business
aen Of rhe Csrital City.
Dsfsnssnts Claim II Is q Deliberate
Affemsf az Blaekmsiling.

40 ioiormation vas fled Thursday
aftsrnoon before Recorder judah, in
whieh A. n. Damon is private prOse-
c.,or. Tb. insirum.nt charges Thomas
Bruce All BAY Gilbert with the crime
q rIp@. ss iolloEs:
sTha; on the 18th day Of April, 1901,
ibe aid defendants, being then and
there male persons over the age Of 10
years. then and there ielonously and
f0rribiy debsuehed and carnally knew
the daughter Of complainant, aiemale
child 1nder l6 years Of age, contrary 10
the statute IN such cases made Rn1 pro-
vided. and against the peace and dignity
oi The state Of Oregon"
Tie information lie sworn TO before
J. A. Jeffrey, uho il attorney for the
private prosecutor.
Warrants we're sworn out and served
upor the defendants, Who appeared be.
fore Recorder judah at p. m, with
counsel and gave bonds in the sum Of
500 each for their appearance at 10
O'Clock q. n. today.
Judge Judah promptly notified Prose
cutting Attorney j. y. Hart, at Dallas,
and upon the request Of that official the
case vas postponed until O'Clock this
afternoon, when that official promised
10 be present and take part in the case:
The following witnesses have been
summoned in lbehalf Of the prosecution: (:
Mrs. Sadie Parsons, who is a sister Of
Mr.. Damon, also Miss earl Damon, the
ALLEGED debauchee; A. II. Damon, the
prosecutor, and Lyon Adolph and NJ. Z.
Pogue,
The prosecution sK 2ects to prove that
Bruce met the yoczg lady in question in
company with a companion one Eva
Reed, on the street at p. M, April 18th
and persuaded the two girls to meet him
and "hiI friend" at Talkington's saloon (;
that they all met there an hour later &C.
oording 10 appointment; ;that they drank
beer and wine, aud that the offence was
then and there committed. They also
expect 10 prove that defendants have
admitted the whole AFFAIR 10 friends.
The attorney for the prosecution
claims that under the law, making the
age Of consent sixteen, the character or
previous conduct Of the girl cuts no fig
ure II the offence can be proven as
charged. The family bible shows the
girl TO be IL years Of age, but it lie said
she Wills that she erased the origin
al record and raised the date, made the
change herself, and also she eis not yet IL
Her aunt, Mrs. Parsons, is expected TO
prove her 10 be under 10, as abe claims
70 have been present at her birth.
The defence claims that the whole
matter is en- attempt at blackmAil, and
that they will 90 prove il. They state
that for twelve days they have been
threatened with q civil suit for 5000
damages, but we're given several oppor-
tunities 10 suppress such suit by the IL
beral payment Of money. This the de.
PENDANTS refused to do, and now TO let
themselves down easy the persons max
ing the threat have begun a criminal &C.
tiOn. The defence refused 10 compro.
mise in any way, and propose 10 fight it
out in the courts.
After consultation among counsel do.
fence waived examination and defends
ants are bound over TO the grand jury
under $500 bonds.