Sunday Washington globe., 1902-04-06


charge against John r. Cray an aged coal
dealer at 4os K street southwest ended in
the police court Tuesday last in the dis
charge of the accused from custody by Jus
tice Kimball on the motion Of Prosecutor
Mullowny.
Gray was charged with a filthy and
beastly offense by two little girls seven
years of age whom he had induced to enter
his office. aud with whose persons he took
nameless liberties.
The prosecutor abandoned the case, it ap-
pears, because the mother of one of the lit.
lie girls admitted that she had been ap-
preached by woman friend of Gray's to
compromise the matter. Here is the daily
press statemeutof the case
John X. Cray, the aged coal dealer who
mas an Office at 4oS X street southwest, was
acquitted yesterday in the police court Of
the charge of assaultiug Irene Wright and
Osie Long, two seven-year old children who
reside in the neighborhood Gray had been
under 5roo bonds since Saturday last when
he was arrested on complaint lodged by the
parents of the children He was arraigned
before Judge KimbaIi yesterday on the
charge of simple assault and entered plea
OF not guilty The little Long child testi-
fed to what had taken place in Gray's
Office and told OF informing her mother
Mrs. Sarah Long mother of the child,
also gave testimony, and she was asked by
Prosecutor Mullowny If any attempt had
been made to compromise the matter. She
said there had been, and she had told the
woman who had approached her that she
was willing to have the matter settled out
Of court if Mrs Wright was. Mrs Estelle
Wright mother of the other child, also said
she had expressed desire to arrange the
case out of court if terms could be agreed
npon. Prosecutor Mullowny then aban..
doned the case and il was thrown out of
court by Judge Kimball" a"
Thus the mothers Of the two children lie
under the imputatiou Of eudeavoring to ex
tort from Cray blackmail money and Cray
comes off Scott (or rather Kimbail) free
aud with flying cOlors. The little girls
testify to the exact nature Of the assault"
but because their mothers, who did NOT
SEEK, but who were APPROACHED or
SOUGHT by an agent of Gray, offered to
compromise or settle tile matter out of
court the heinous offeuse of Gray is con-
doned by the law and the perDetrator of
the simple assault is discharged from
custody.
Here is a pointer for the Migrants" who
prowl in the parks, the sodomites and other
beastly and filthy wretches so numerous in
Washington. All that is necessary to escape
the penalty Of their unnatural practices
when discovered is to secure the service of
an agent or go between and negotiate for a
compromise with their victims. Mullowny
and Kimball will do the restl This may be
the law in the District of Columbia but il
II is, we venture the assertion that it is the
only portion of the civilized world where
the coudonement of penitentiary offense
is made possible by the commission Of a
misdemeanor In other words, where a
man may commit a nameless simple as
sault" on two little children and escape
punishment because their mothers, ignO-
rant of the law listened to and agreed with
an agent OF the accused to settle the matter
out Of court.
Let US suppose that a burglary is COM
mitted, can the burglar escape the penalty
provided by law If the householder consents
10 a compromise with the agent OF emissary
Of the burglar1 And 50 ou through the
whole list of criminal offenses not exclud.
ing murder and rapsl
Would Gray have been discharged if his
Sffense had been arson and that the little
girls testified they had seen him apply the
match to the building just because their
mothers were subsequently, approached by
his emissary to effect a compromise or
settlement out Of court2 Or coming down
~ pam lug Aloh dAAA AoBAE NOLlDLEnEuhlDlE
10 the gigantic iutelects of even Kimbal
and MullownY, can mothers compromise an
offeuse where their children are inveigled
into a coal Office and liberties taken with
the children's persons2 If they cannot we
respectfully ask whence comes this curing
of Gray offense because his emissary ap
proaches the mothers for a COMPROMISED
According to Kimball and Mulowny
mothers of little girls can compromise their
debauchment, rape misuse and the law
is powerless or will refuse to punish tile
perpetrator The little girls have no pro.
lection in law because their mothers agree
with emissary of their assai ant 10 com.
promise the matter out of court and the as
sailant cures his ofense or crime by send
ing an emissary to the mothers
In the case in question the little girls |
testify to the actual facts that occurred in |
the coal Office. They are too young to sup
pose they were used as decoYs by their
mothers in order to blackmail Gray. The |
children tell their mothers the treatment to |
which they were subjected aud for which a |
penalty is provided by law. The law no
where give their mothers the right to con-
done the offeuse. The offense per Sc has
been committed, the commission of another !
offeuse by the mothers cannot condone
Gray's offense against the law. The chill
dren are entitled to protection even if their
mothers refused or neglected to invoke the