The semi-weekly messenger. [volume] (Wilmington, N.C.) 1897-1908, 1902-09-16
TRIAL. OF THE ALLEeED RArIsr.
woody. the white Mas whom IL As
Charged = Thirteen
year-OId sirs, Bound Over

Correspondence Of The Messenger
Greensboro. ~. c., September IL
There was another court house full
of people assembled this morning. when
the third attempt was made to have an
investigation of the charge OF criminal
ASSAULT by J. W. Woody OF Florence
Haney. the Il year old daughter or i.
A Haney, OF this city. After an hours
skirmish between the attorneys as 10
sufficiency OF warrant, Colonel Staples,
or counsel for prosecution, succeeded III
obtaining ar amendment, and squire
Glascock, who presided. announced that
the examination OF witnesses would pro-
coed.
Whatever might be the opinion or
others, the defendant Woody certainly
did not appear 10 think seriously OF the
charge against him or the scandal or
the admitted act, for during the testi-
mony Of the young girl, he repeatedly
laughed. as IL the whole occurrence was
a harmless escapade. On the other
hand. there were many scowling faces
in the court room, many OF evident hor-
ror at the scandal, others Of sympathy
for the child who sat there composedly
before five hundred men, and was urgea
repeatedly to tell all about ii. In sub
stance she said: She was thirteen years
old last February. She lived in Green's
boro six months, coming here with he-
father from High Point. On the day In
question j. w. Woody wrote her a note
saying he would be in town that day
n would be glad TO come around. He
came TO her fathers home at $3.50 O'Clock
and spent the day. He went 20 sleep,
saying he had been up two or three
nights at work on the railroad. He in
vited her TO a trolley rid TO the PARK.
Said she could not go without her sis
ter. Waited fifteen minutes and. sister
not coming, she went with him alone.
He stopped at the store M got q bot
tie of wine. After swinging at the park
Woody made her take a walk with him
to a spring in the woods, n being
afraid she could not get home unless
she made herself agreeable h went on
with him. He gave her some wine sut
drank lone himself. After walking III
the woods some ways he made proposi
ton which she resented. He said you
are two miles from anybody n If you
were to holler nobody would hear you"
Finally, after telling her that If she did
not submit he would shoot her. she
hollered, and he caught her by the leg
n throat and then accomplished his
purpose. while she was screaming all
she could. She came HON or n car
with him and told her sister of the &C
currence as soon as she reached home,
Woody coming home with her, she
having no other means of getting home
IIdll III Ill lS a Will ILL
On cross examination by Colonel Bar
ringer, a great many questions We're
asked the witness, clearly laying foun-
dation for impeachment of her chastity
on former occasions. The witEesS
stoutly denied any former relations o.
the kind with Woody or any one else.
the occasion under trial being her FIRST
experience.
She admitted coming on homa With
Woody, his stopping at her hoLte and
telling them all good bye, saying he mad
to take a trip to Salisbury but deuied
having kissed him goodbye. Lenied
having asked Woody to buy her some
wine, but said after she drank some
in the woods, he threw the bottle on
tanning what was left away. Being
pressed to answer, she denied having
been to see Woody since he was in jail
and said if her mother and sister had
visited him there, she knew nothing Of
it.
She bitterly denied having had repeat
ed interviews with Woody before going
to the park with him over the fence, her
mother thinking him a mighty nice
man. She had received two letters from
Woody and written him one.
At the conclusion of her testimony at
1915 o'clock the state rested its case
against Woody. Whereupon, counsel
for prisoner asked the privilege Of re-
firing with Woody for private consul
tation, which was granted. They re-
turned in a few mute and announc-
ed that the defendant did not desire to
unnecessary consume time, and admit
ting that at this point there was prob
able cause which would justify binding
him over to court. Mr.. Bradshaw stat
ed that in justice to defendant he would
state that a great many witnesses of
character would at the proper tim" be
introduced by the defendant, many Of
them railroad men. who could mo- be
taken from their runs now, but who
would be present at the trial In the sn-
perior court. Mr.. Bradshaw announced
that an application would be made ror
bail, but Squire Glascock sent the de
PENDANT to Jail without hearing his
matter. saying he would consider il at
another time.
Since the Richmond Dispatch publish
ed the article that j. Ernest Hardin
and Mrs. Stafford were in Baltimore,
the elopement incident has been made
the subject of much fresh comment.
The latest rumor IS that Hardin will
come back to Greensboro and take
his old place at Revolution Mills. In
support o. it, it is stated that Mr..
Goolsby has resigned. Inquiry at the
mill revealed the fact that Mr.. Gools-
by has resigned but another man has
taken his place. though this arrange-
ment may be temporary only.
When the gentlemen, who interested
themselves in Hardin's future, return
ed from New York they predicted that
he would come back to Greensboro, not
at once but sooner or later. Their judg-
ment was laughed at in some quarters.
but it ook now as If it may turn out
49, L~-- tA&