Deseret evening news. [volume] (Great Salt Lake City [Utah]) 1867-1920, 1902-03-14
JOHN GROESBELL
FACES ACCUSERS.
AssaiIant Of Mrs, Nelson Appears
Before Judge Diehl.
DENIES ALL THE CHARGES.
lila white wife Also TestIHes THAT
Her IIusbpnd Was at Home
~ Time Of Crime.

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The preliminary hearing OF the negro
John Groesbell charged with making
a criminal assault upon Mrs
Annie Nelson, was taken ~
before Judge Dlebl at 10 o'clock
this morning. The prosecution
was conducted by Assistant Coun.
ty Attorney Loofbourow; the de-
Tense by Dana r, Smith owing to Mrs.
Nelson's inability to speak good Eng
llsh, Niels Fosburg was sworn as In.
terpreter and the examination OF Mrs,
Nelson was conducted through him.
The woman rotated In detail the oc-
currences Of the morning on which the
alleged offense was committed. and
arising from the witness chair and
pointing her finger at Groesbel. she
swore he was the man who assaulted
her She said he came TO her place
twice on the same morning, after her
husband had gone to work He came
to her place, she said. upon the pretext
Of selling q COW. He went away and
came back IN about Is minutes. Groes-
bell asked her for a drink OF water, and
took two glasses. AS she entered the
house with the glass the negro followed
her, ana quickly locking the door he
seized her by the throat and threw her
to the floor, He then drew knife from
his pocket and told her IL he had the
heart he would kin her. Mrs. Nelson
said he still held her by the throat and
she closed her eyes believing she was
about to be murdered
Then" said the woman, "he fell upon
his knees and begged me IN the name
OF God 70 forgive him" Groesbell then
left the place ana Mrs Nelson ran to
her sisters home,
Nov, Is the man who assaulted you
in the court room" asked the prosecut-
ing attorney.
Eyes. replied the witness, arising and
pointing finger at Groesbell, who
turned his face from his accusors
steady gaze. That man sitting there
Is the man, and he wore a brown coat
and overalls."
on cross-examinatlon II was brought
out that the fellow had been to Mrs.
Nelson's before, Also that Mrs Mel
son told her sister first about the as
sault, and then later told Onlcer Brown.
who arrested Groesbell,
Arthur Nelson, a paper carrier. testi-
fled that he saw the defendant near
Mrs. Nelson's on The morning of the
Sth. on cross-examinatlon he said nc
would not positively swear GrOesbell
. Ia. h.. Lat
Mrs. Wilson, a neighbOr of the Neil
sons, saw the defendant there that
morning
Mrs, Sorensen, sister 10 the complain
ing witness, Coiroborated Mrs. Nelson's
story about her coming to her place az
ter the assault She also said her SIS
ter's neck was bruised. Answering
counsel for defense witness said that
Groesbel did not come to her place on
the morning OF the assault
officer Brown testified that he saw
Mrs. Nelson on saturday afternoon.
and he declared that Mrs NELSON'S
neck showed the marks of fingers The
state then rested and the defendant
was placed upoa the stand, He denied
everything testified to by Mrs Nelson.
In answer to Mr.. LoofbOurOw the
fellow sail he had been In Salt Lake
about FIVE years, and was married FAR
years ago In Buffalo, Wyoming lie
could not remember who performed
the marriage ceremony, who issued the
license, who were the witnesses or
whore the marriage certificate was. TO
nearly every question NJ said Il don't
remember" or II don't know"
He swore he was In bed from s
o'clock Friday night until about D
o'clock Saturday morning. He could not
tell what time he had supper on Fri
day night.
He said he had several children but
did not know how many. Upon being
questioned further he said he had sew
eral children, but only knew where
one was.
Mrs Groesbell who Is white wo-
NAN, testified that she was awake on
Saturday morning from 3 o'clock and
that her husband did not leave the
house that morning.
She said she was married TO Groeshell
az Evanston, Wyoming, but Ike her
husband, she did not know who mar
ried them.
The case was continued until this
afternoon az $3.50 O'clock
AT the hearing OF this afternoons
session Mrs. Groesbell was recalled
and admitted that last night she told
officer Brown that the marriage trtl-
iicate was at her house She also said
she had lived in Salt Lake "A years.
Counsel for defense then placed On
the stand a little colored girl seven
years of age, named Bertha De France.
She said In answer to Judge Smith.
that she was at Groesbells house on
the night OF the 1th and morning of The
Sth and that on Saturday morning
when she got up Groesbell was IN bed
asleep.
on cross examination Atty. Loot
borrow asked the child to state what
she did at Groesbel's on Saturday
morning.
Washed the dishes" she replied.
She was then asked to name the DAYS
of the week which she did promptly.
Upon further examination she stated
that Groesbell got up and went to the
store
Mrs. Jane Hamer, a neighbor Of
Groesbell. testified that she saw Groes-
bell on Saturday mornig about 3
o'clock. Answering Mr. Loofbourow.
she said she did not see the defendant
before that time,
The defense here rested and Officer
Brown was recalled for rebuttal. He
related the details OF a conversation
participated In by the defendant. MIR.
Loofbourow and officer Brown. When
this report closed, the officer was still
on the stand.
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To Amend Census Bureau Act.
Washington. March i4-By a vote of