The Indianapolis journal. [volume] (Indianapolis [Ind.]) 1867-1904, 1901-03-21
OF INTEREST TO CROWDS
CRIMINAL COURT CASES THAT CALL
II SPECTATORS.
Frank Hamilton Found Guilty by a
Jury and Sentenced-Isaac Cein-
er's Casc-Other Court Matters.

The Criminal Court just at this time has
a number of interesting cases on the docket
and for the first time in many weeks the
courtroom has been crowded with specta-
tors and listeners. The cases seem to each
have some peculiarly attractive feature.
Yesterday nearly a half dozen of these un-
usually interesting cases were heard by
Judge Afford. The day was opened with
the jury in the case of Frank Hamilton.
charged with grand larceny, returning a
verdict of guilty, and he was sentenced TO
from one to fourteen years in the peniten-
tiary. A coincidence connected with this
case is that he is going to join Samuel Hin
kle. also in the penitentiary, charged with
misleading a woman and taking $500 from
her. The cases are almost Identical, with
the exception that Hamilton was sentenced
Hinkle received his sentence on a more
serious charge. Both were charged with
the same act-that of securing money from
women upon a promise of marriage. An
other feature of this case is the fact that
Hinkle and Hamilton traded coats in Jail
before Hinkle was taken to the peniten-
tiary. In closing the argument before the
jury in the Hamilton case Deputy Prose-
SutOi DtiltulCl SlretCneQ MS arms out ana
said: Sam Hinkle walked out of the pearly
gates of Saulcy's boarding house and, like
Elijah. left behind his mantle to direct his
chosen people" This almost convulsed the
jury with laughter and caused the opposing
attorney to grow red in the face and act
as II desiring to renew a protest which was
made on the witness stand when Hamilton
was accused of wearing Hinkle's coat.
Henry Blanks, colored, was sentenced to
the penitentiary for from one to three years
on a charge of grand larceny. He stole two
DlCN0IQS- and his arrest at Snnfhn0rf WA
the most sensational event that has stirred
that little town for many months. 1t is
said that Blanks sold a wheel TO a man in
Southport and it was afterward recovered
by the original owner and the money paid
for the wheel was lost. The duped pur-
chaser was unable TO identify the man who
sold him the bicycle. Three or four weeks
later the same negro went to Southport
with another wheel and offered to sell il
to the same man for So. The bargaining
was in a livery stable. The men became
suspicious and dickered with him until they
decided he should be arrested. One of them
reached for him and the negro started to
Iun. A chase of two miles was the result,
which was entered into by fifteen or twenty
men. They finally brought him back, but
the negro again escaped and hid in a stall
III the livery stable. None was brave
enough to go in after him. and Detective
Asch was sent to arrest him in response
TO a telephone message while the crowd
of men stood guard. When Asch entered
the stable he recognized the negro and
Blanks put his hands out to have the hand
cuffs slipped on his wrists without protest.
Frank Nancy and Edwin Scriven were
sent TO the workhouse on a charge of petit
larceny, Nancy getting sixty days and
Scriven ninety. They were charged with
admitted the theft, while Scriven denied 1t.
Judge Afford added thirty days to Servers
sentence because he did not tell the truth.
Samuel Baldwin and Edwin McCarty, col
ored, charged with assault and battery
with intent to kill, were brought into court
and pleaded not guilty. They are the
negroes who bought a gallon of whisky
for 70 cents and spent Saturday night and
Sunday drinking 1t. winding up the spree
with an assault on the drug store OF Dave
Cox. at Capitol avenue and Twenty-eighth
street, I'm which several white men were in
jured and one nearly beaten to death.
Wheeler Henderson, who attempted to cut
the throat of the cook in Barton's res
t~aurant, pleaded not guilty to a charge of
assault and battery with intent TO kill.