Delaware gazette and state journal. (Wilmington, Del.) 1883-1902, 1902-02-13
WAS INSOLENT OR IGNORANT
okn Lewis Sent to the Work.
YM house for Contempt.
lEGRO INSISTED ON BEING TOLD
Why He Had to Put His Hand
on the Bible.
&mes F. Finley Sentenced to Fay Fine
pf Fifty Dollars for wife-beating-Two
Years and Twenty Lashes for william II.
Brown, Co1ored, a Horse Thief.

JDe Two, WQen called 10 tle stand IN
sneralSessionsC Court yesterday week to
Btify in behalf OF his daughter, Clara
ewis, charged with larceny and as a
hsequence was sent TO the work
tuse
A Put your hand on the Book" said
&ief Justice Lore.
4 What am | to put my hand on the
$ok for?" asked Lewis, and the
amerous auditors pricked up their
Fs Here was something new.
Il We order you to put your hand
Don the Book, ~ continued the Chief
istice.
Il want to know first what / am to
\ I my hand on the Book for before I
4 it" returned the colored man.
&Then John +. Lynn, the prisoners
unsel, tried to straighten the witness
t, by saying: PUT your hand on the
bok to be sworn to tell the truth. -
This put Lewis on another tack.
Tell what TRUTH" he demanded.
| Put your hand on that Book or we
IL commit you to the workhouse for
Pntempt, y demanded Judge Lore.
" Well, | can go to the workhouse,
3aurned Lewis. II want to know
Rt am to put my hand on the Book
Il We suspend the case here, " declared
2ge Lore. "Mr. Meserve, take this
to the workhouse we commit him
contempt. "
. Then the trial opened yesterday
BIZ Benjamin +. McVey testified
I he never saw Clara Lewis until
watch chain pulled, and then he
bbed his watch from her. He found
between two and three dollars
< gone and he charged the woman
stealing it. He kept her in sight
Front and Market streets to
4 rth and back nearly all tho way
n while looking for an officer. At
he found one and had the woman
ksted He described the money as
Hsilver dollar, paper dollar, two
3fSHrters and a ten cent and five cent
a)Aee. When Attorney General Ward
ed him the value of the money, he
57&hed puzzled, but said the dollars
X1<f each worth hundred cents and
Il pther coins their face value in cents
Icy were good.
R5the woman was represented by John
LYNN, who asked McVey if he was
IT'D that night.
|{7I was sober all but one glass OF
&ef answered the Witness
Nicer Joseph Massey testified ia
4 zftHsting Clara Lewis.
Rolice Matron Mary T.. White testi-
8e8 to finding silver dollar in the
H<1Eiaan's stocking.
Tiara testified that she did not rot
WcNey. She said her father had given
Aor The dollar she had in her stocking.
$'fler father was called to the stanc
and made mess of things.
ffAttorney General Ward dropped the
case of chicken stealing against Henry
Clay Booker, colcred. II appeared
thslt there would be difficulty in estab
fishing that the heads and feet founC
iu one place would fit the dressec
chickens found in Booker's possession.
CURT HAS DISCRETION.
James F. Finley pleaded guilty t.
wife beating and was sentenced to pa,
a fine of $50 and costs. He was repre-
sented by William T. Lyman, who asked
Tor clemency on the ground Of aggra
waiting circumstances. Chief Justice
Lore announced the courts opinion
that the wife beating law gives th'
court discretion as to whether to i'm
pose fine or Imprisonment or both
Some attorneys had thought r1lat th
court had to impose both fine and i'm
prisonment and that corporal punish
ment was in the discretion of the court
& The court also announced that al
fines must be paid to the clerk of tn
peace until some further order is made
The trustees of the workhouse succee,
to some Of the powers formerly held b.
the sheriff. who formerly collected th
tinef, but they are now to go to tn
clerk of the peace.
William Cannon pleaded guilty t
stealing ~ barrel of gin and severa
bottles of liquor from Delaware Cit
hotel. He was represented by VI. q
Eastburn. His sentence was six month
and 10 lashcs,
N HORSE THIEF SENTENCED.
William II. Brown, colored, for steal
ing horse. bride and saddle. owne
by Mrs. Margaret Kent, was sentence
to pay Sl25 restitution money, h
whipped with 20 lashes and be in
prisoned two years.
lAlonzo Turpin, colored, was sentence
to ono months imprisonment for lal
ceny,
Charles Il. Simmons pleaded guilt
to simple assault in stabbing job
Malarkey with pocket knife at th
Bellevue Hotel, where Malarkey is hal
tender. Josiah Marvel represente
Simmons, who was sentenced to pay
fine Of $40 and costs.
Cornelius Gould, colored, who stol
q pair of boots, gets six months in til
warehouse.
s'Where is that MANI" asked Juda
Lore, Thursday, when the cou
was ready to resume the trial of Clai
Lewis, charged with stealing money.
The man, John Lewis, was shown
the stand by Tipstave Bowers. lie W,
the man who was extensively insolon
or orignorant, in his refusal to he sworl
yesterday week. He had spent Il
night in the workhouse.
John, you did not mean to be
contempt of court?" remarked Il
Chief Justice, referring to yesterdt
weeks incident. ....
Lewis explained that he meant /
wrong, had never been in court befo
4and did not understand the matter.
Judge Lore told him no further pu
ishment would he imposed. hut to r
riyTmber that the court would not a:
him to do anything that was imprope
lewis was sworn and testified tn
he gave his daughter silver doll
and - cents.
John f. Lynn, for the prisoner, al
Attorney General Ward, for the Stat
|1argued the case before the Jury.
The jury, after being out about