The Savannah morning news., 1902-06-22
DIETER'S ROBBERS
GROVES, MARLEY AND WATERS ON
TRIAL THIS WEEK.
CONSPIRACY OF HIGHWAYMEN
MANY CRIMINAL CASES ASSIGNED
IN SUPERIOR COURT.

w. C. Groves, e. H. MahIey and Joe
Waters to Be Tried Tuesday for an
Attempt to Rob Joe Dieter, a
Butcher in the Notwithstanding
TO states Evidence Dieter Escaped
Becoming the Victim of the Com
spiratOrs by Narrow Margin
OnIy-James DeChrist VIII Face n
Jury on the Same Day-Sherman
Richards Murder Trial Assigned
for Thursday.
This will be a week of interesting and
important criminal trials in the Supe-
rior Court. Beginning with to-mor-
row, for which day a number of cases
have been assigned, every minute of
the courts time will be occupied until
Thursday in determining the guilt or
innocence of the alleged criminals who
now wait trial.
There are half a dozen cases assigned
for trial tomorrow, the most import
ant being that of Henry Mitchell,
charged with robbery In addition to
| his case there are others, of burglary
and assault with intent to murder, to
occupy the attention of the court dur
ing the day.
Tuesday will witness two trials of
marked Importance. w. &. Groves.
charged with an attempt to rob Joe
| Dieter, a butcher in the market, will
| face a jury for this offense.
The incidents of this somewhat re-
markable case are locally familiar
According to the evidence given at the
preliminary trial before the recorder
| and to the grand jury there was
well-laid and thoroughly concocted
plan to rob Dieter of the large sum
/ of money he was accustomed to carry
| home from the market on Saturday
! nights. Everything was in readiness
| for the immediate execution of the
| plan and Dieter was only saved from
becoming the victim of the conspira-
tors by his decision, made at the last
moment, to go home by another route
than that he usually followed.
He never was actually held up. but
as the conspirators were only prevent
ed from accomplishing their purpose
by an unforeseen contingency the state
believes it will be able to make out
a good case. Groves, who is charged
with being the principal offender and
tended crime, has been in trouble on
various occasions and for the commits
sion of various offenses during the past
eighteen months. In addition to the
solicitor general, c. T. & ]. F. Cam
will appear for the prosecution, and the
trial will be interesting beyond the
question of a doubt
DeChrist's Case.
The second interesting case is that
against James DeChrist, a young white
boy against whom the grand Jury re-
turned an indictment for assault with
intent to rape at IT'S last session. Ac-
cording to the indictment DeChrist's
intended victim was Deanie Wentz, a
young white girl living at Thundernolt,
but according to the testimony of the
witnesses there are at least three or
four other cases of exactly the same
character that could properly and legal
ly have been lodged against the ac-
cused. 1t is impossible. of course. to
state the true facts Of the case IN adj
vance of their development on the wit
ness stand at the trial. but the Wit
nesses who have heretofore made state
ments have pictured DeChrist either a
sexual mono-maniac or else very
f1eni in human shape. The boy is
only about II years old,
For Receiving stolen Goods.
On Wednesday Dennis Leonard. 7.
A. Leonard and Richard Brown gill be
tried for the offense Of receiving ste ION
gohlS. knowing them to have been
sto!en. The case springs from that
against Charles Kimball a negro, who
at the last term of the court was tried
and convicted of burglary. He had
broken and entered the foundry of
John Rourke & Sons, and stolen large
quantity of brass, which was after
wards sold by him to the Messrs.
Leonard.
The grand jury has declared that
this brass was received by the defend
ants with the guilty knowledge of the
fact that it had been stolen and it will
be for a petit jury to determine ulti-
mately the question of their guilt or
innocence. Both the Leonards are we'll
known and popular young men, E. A.
Leonard being captain of the Emmett
Rifles.
Richards Murder Trial.
Sherman Richards will be tried on
Thursday for the murder of Hagar
Robinson. This will be the second trial
of the case. At the first trial Richards
was convicted and sentenced, but the
Supreme Court granted a new trial
The woman Richards killed had been
living with him for some time, and the
evidence for the state showed he shot
her in fit of drunken jealousy or en-
nui. The defendant claimed that the
shot had been fired accidentally, while
he and the woman were playing with
the weapon.
No cases have been assigned for
either Friday or Saturday, but it is al
together probable that some of the
cases now under assignment for days
earlier in the week will be passed and
reassigned for these days
Bowling Alley at south End.