The Savannah morning news. (Savannah, Ga.) 1900-current, 1903-12-17
TRIAL OF EDWARDS
FOR ALLEGED ASSAULT ON MISS
GREEN BEGINS TODAY.
EVIDENCE is CONFLICTING.
EDWARDS WILL SAY NOTHING
BEYOND DENYING HIS GUILT.

Only witnesses That Testified MT
the Preliminary Hearing, other
Than Miss Green and Edwards,
said That They saw Nothing That
Would Indicate That There Had
Been n Struggle Between the Two.
Case Likely to Consume Entire
Day.
Marvel Edwards will be put on trial
in the Superior Court to- day for criminal
not assault, charged against him in
bill of indictment returned by the
grand jury two weeks ago.
Edwards is confined in the county
Jail, where he has been since he was
arrested a month ago. He refuses to
say anything to anyone concerning the
case. In his statement at the prelim-
mary hearing. he stoutly denied all
charges of criminal assault, and Col.
Robert Colding, his counsel, expects
that he will be able to prove to the
jury that Edwards is not guilty.
A large number Of witnesses have
been summoned, though only two tes-
titled before the grand jury when the
bill of indictment was found. These
were Miss Green, herself and DR.. Win
ders.
story of the Alleged Assault.
At the preliminary hearing there
were several witnesses. Miss Green's
statement being the most damaging.
According to her story in Justice Wick
hams court, she was employed by Ed
wards in the capacity of stenographer,
having come to Savannah from Hill
yers, Fla, thirty miles from Jackson
vile.
On the morning of the day on which
Miss Green claimed the crime was COM
mitted, she was put to work. so she
said, by Edwards, stripping tobacco
leaves. Shortly after . o'clock he came
into the store where she was working
and told her that he wanted her to
come to his room as he had some inn
portant papers that he wanted her to
help him with. She said she accom-
panied Edwards through an alley way
and through door, which he locked
after them. and finally into his room
door and put the key in his pocket.
Said He ChOked Her.
IT Immediately demanded to be let
out" she stated, because could see
by his eyes what he intended doing.
In answer he choked me and l fell to
the floor. He choked me again, but
struggled to my feet, and resisted him
as long as / could.
Il didn't know anything for some
time-maybe an hour-but when l be-
came conscious he was standing over
me smiling. GO to your dinner he
said, and come back and go to work,
and if you tell anybody about this Ill
kill you He opened the door and let
me out Of the room, following me
down the stairs and out on the side
walk, where he stopped. l then went
to my boarding house. My clothes
were torn and my throat, where he
choked me, was sore. l hunted Mr..
Perkins, the only friend l have in the
city and told him what had happened,
and he went with me to swear out
warrant"
Said They Saw Her Laughing.
Mrs. Charles c. Jordan and Mrs.
Lizzie Russell, who live at the Mar
shall House, testified at the prelimi-
nary hearing that they saw Miss
NTTeen ana EuWdTuS COIlllus uOWA lhC
stairs from Edwards room on the
morning of the alleged assault, but the
young woman was apparently in gay
spirits, showing no marks of a strug
gle, and that as she went down the
stairs in advance of Edwards she
turned and smilingly made some re-
mark concerning a puppy that was
playing on the steps. A negro bell
boy testified that he was sent to the
room an hour after they left it and
that the place was in perfect order. He
said, however, that the chambermaid
had been there between the time Miss
Green and Edwards were in the room
and the time that he was there.
The case will be called the first
thing this morning, and will probably