The Wilmington daily Republican., 1901-10-11
BREACH OF
PROMISE CASE.

IDa mock trial IN th9 Opera House lAS6
evening .eolMed almost real und after u
sessD VI Of three hour, tho jury IN tho case
again t Francis II. Holfucker charged
beach of promise by Mrs Jerusha Jen.
kins. returned II verdict for S.LyS damages
OF which S3 was claimed by the jury and
the remaining 9S cent was Allotted to Col.
0nel A. V. Newton, counsel for he plain.
till, 10 CUntributs towards his car fare to
Newton, Mass, from whence he came to
Prosecute he case. The mock trial in or.
ested u iarge gathering thnt filled tho au.
ditorium ana pnrt Of tho gallery Of The
Opera House. Judge" Leonard ". Wales
.Ir., p esided. and he following jury was
drawn for the onss: Alfrod q awthrop
foreman; William Lnwion, 4. W. Fenn,
II. Il. Rsttew. DAy id Snellenbur!, Charles
Il. Rudolph William NJ. Pyle. George W.
Todd, Daniel Ross. +. G. Mccall, Howe
ard y. Wallace anu James Cranston.
Mr., Hoiiecaer who is II prominent at.
torncy. assisted in bls own defence, ard
hi, ,counci! was William 5 Prlckett. Cap
iain George Black was court officer. and
Harry G. Mahatfy, stenographer in the of
fee Of the clerk of he United States Court
was clerk of the court, and the crier was
J, A. Gulluher, crier of the United States
Court. At the opening Colonel Newton
read he bill of complaint to Mrs. jenkins
who was impersonA!ed Ly Miss Muhnln
W UllS Ill VtFy cutCllSV lAC
said her affections had been deeply njuied
by Mr.. Hofecker breaking his proposal
and con ntrnct to marry her and fixed dam
ages ut s3S8 Mrs. jenkins WAS placed on
the stand and related how Mr.. HOttocker
told her ho was deeply, madly. fondiy in
love with her, and asked her to become
bis wife. She has lily accepted him as
prospective husband, but their cnino q
timo when he Tilted her and spurned her,
Mtse A Lii In tfNtl Nf nH
es made to her by Hoffecker tsnding to
depict him as an old sport flrt anda
triilor with feminine affections. She said
he further proposed to her and she accept
ed him. He gave her . ring. valued ut
S3 COO he told her. A jaweier who oxam-
lned the ring said 1t WAS worth about
twenty five cents. She also knew of Hof
ecker visiting Mrs. jenkins at her board
ing bouse, known as Jenkins Paradise,
and of leaping through II pnrlor window
when she appeared This latter Testimony
was corroboratcd by Robert S. Hover, ono
CT the boardsra at he Paradise. Mr.. II OF
feckor's attempt to impeach his testimony
hy trying to prove that he was sneaking
away to jump his board bill proved futile.
Miss Auna W. Simmons al 0 testi,i ed rs
to tho flirtatons of llotfeckor and his at.
tempt to endear himself to her. She now
scornel him.
Tho defence uttemp' cd to prove an alibi
but the jury believed according 10 Roy
nUlls that woman's oath is worth a doz-
Ell of men.
Mr.. Hutfecker was placed on tho stanl
an denied that on August 20 he propos
cd to Mr.. Jenkins, although no was
sligutly acquainted with her. He said ut
that time he was tramping through Vr-
GINA with Bishop Coleman, and there-
fore could not have been at Jonkins's
Paradise. Regarding the ring he gave
Miss Lincoln, he said he gave it plavfully
aud with no serious in enliOns. The tnly
way he could reason that he was recog.
nizod in tho Jenkins rarlor was that it
might have been Willard salisbury, u
man sometimes mistaken for him.
Dr.. Howell s. England, poe. testified
that he WAS q specialist in mental diseases
having taken courses At New Casio Jail
AMI Farnhurs', and with post graduate
course at the workhouss in view. Judgs
Wales considered him we'll qualiflel. and
he testin nod hat he thought Mrs. jenkins
was q mOnO-maniao on The question OF
love. marriage and divorce. He admit cd
writing poem for Mr.. Hoffnckcr, which
was mailed to Miss Jsrusha Ray jenkins.
niece of the plaintiff.
While pnssing the jenkins boarding
house on he night OF August 20, he said
he recognized a man leaving I'll ere whom
be thought to bs Willard Salisbury.
Miss jenkins, the character be ing taken
by Miss Bessie Thomas, snid that MIR.
HOffecker came to cali on her bus that
Mrs. jenkins repeatedly placed hHrself In
his way. trying to engage his nit Gu tion,.
She hdmi ted she was engaged 10 bo mar
riod to the defendant.
j.. j. Pierce, handwriting expert. said
certain notes and letters. purporsing to
have been written by Mr.. Hoffecker, were
not penned by him.
S. j Horn strengthened the alibi' by
producing Il telegram sent bv Hoffecksr
from Virginia, stating that two more in.
mates had been secured for St. Mich aels
Day Nursory, :and TINT funds were need-
cd for the lntiitution. He said that be
had beun to deg fight on the WoNin
farm, noar Wilmington the night OF
August 90. tho dogs being owned by |. 5.
Elliott and John Lynn. Colonel Lewis
b. Morrow was refsrse. While on the
way home. thinking and wondering
whether the city audi or would sign the
check Of the Water Commissioners, he |
was startled by seeing u man leap from = |
window in he Jenkin home. He thought
the man was named salisbury.
In their prayers TO the court. the law
reports of First Bradley ana First Hollis
were quoted, to the effect that "a woman
Is always singular until proven contrary"
and .'once in tho soup always In the