The news & observer. [volume] (Raleigh, N.C.) 1894-current, 1904-07-15
TRIAL FOR ASSAULT
George Huff Faces Jury on
Charge Attempted As
sauIt on Mrs. Jones.

i ceedings of Wake county criminal cour
yesterday was the trial of Geo. II. Huff
4 of Fuquay Springs, on an indictment
charging him with attempted crimi
1 nal assault on Mrs. Will Jones, of thu
same town.
The evidence brought out was told
with disgusting fidelity to detail anC
was at times sensational, as when. af.
ter the charge implied in question or
cross examination of the prosecuting
witness that her husband was OF
mixed blood Col. Harris called out tc
| the father and mother of Mr.. Jones
| who rose from their seats in the court
room and were Fastening to the ban
when they were ordered to sit down
| by Judge Ferguson.
| Mrs. Jones, a cOmely young cOun-
try woman of some twenty-seven years
of age, sat under a rigid and at times
sensational cross examination by At
| torney b. G.. BeckWith, with a COM
posture that, under the circumstances
was calculated to injure rather than
to help her cause. In her final tardy
admission that she had stated to
neighbors that she had told her hus-
| band of the facts connected with the
alleged assault only because she feared
! they would be narrated by her little
girl, she undoubtedly further weaken
ed the case of the State.
In brief, the testimony of Mrs.
Jones was that, during the absence of
her husband, the defendant had APP
preached her on the porch of her
home, had come in, taken her hand
and made improper proposals which
she refused to consider; that later he
returned while she was seated at the
supper table, came into the house,
rpna1tpd
liberties with the person of the wit
ness, all of which she refused and re-
PEELED.
1t was while this was going on in
the home that, according to her own
testimony, the witness warned the de-
PENDANT of the approach of her hus-
band. The defendant thereupon de-
sisted in his attentions, awaited Mr..
Jones arrival on the door step, spoke
to him pleasantly when he came up
and went off in his company to a
store.
The witness explained her failure
to cry out or to leave the house by al
leging that when the defendant en-
tered he had made some remark about
shooting her pet dog, which had
frightened the witness. and had placed
his hand on his hip as though to draw
a pistol; also that she was hemmed in
between the wall, the table and the de-
PENDANT, whose position blocked her
only way of egress from the room.
She did not, however, satisfactorily
explain her silence and apparent com
pIacency on the occasion of the de-
PENDANTS first visit 10 the
house and his first indecent PROPOSE
tons.
Mrs. Jones was vigorously, almost
viciously, cross examined by Mr..
n q CariQG
embarrassing questions, aimed at her
past life, her alleged intimacies with
negro men, the jealous and violent ma
ture of her husband and her habit of
bringing charges against various in
dividuals similar to the one brought
against Huff. All these limitations
Mrs. Jones denied positively, but after
persistent and repeated questions she
at length admitted that she had stated
to a Mrs. Arnold and a Mrs. Mat
thews on the day after, the occurrence
that the reason she told her husband
was that she feared that her eight
year-old daughter would do so if she
did not. In explanation of her fail
ure to sneak to her husband until af-
ter Huff had gone, Mrs. Jones stated
that she took this course for fear that
he would kill the defendant.
The only other witness examined
during the afternoon was the husband
of the prosecutrix, who only detailed
the story told him by his wife imme-
diately after the incident.
Mrs Jones is a small, plump blond,
with wide-set blue eyes, n straight
nose and pouting mouth. She is not
unattractive in appearance.
Geo. Huff, the defendant, is a jaunty
specimen of logging town society He
has waVy brown hair, which is roach
ed back in a coquettish curl. He had
or a high st2nd-up and turn-down
collar with q butterfly red tie, a
checked coat and patent leather shoes.
Will Jones, the husband, is sturdy
type of bull-necked masculinity. His
head sets squat on his shoulders, ana
the thick, curly black hair which en-
circles bald brow, seems to grow
free from restraint. He wears brOgan
shoes. a long black cut-a-way coat, a
billed" shirt and a gold collar but
ton that has no office to perform.
The mother and father homes who
rose at the mention Of mixed blood,
seemed to be respectable country
people, and their appearance certainly
carries no trace of the faint of mis-
cegenation.
The case will be resumed this morn
ing and will doubtless consume the
eIlIlIC
Other Cases Disposed of.
Minor eases disposed of during the
We're:
Henry Eason, assault with deadly
weapon, plead guilty; sentence $40
fine and costs.
Ben Booker, assault with deadly
verdict simple assault; sem
tence SIS and costs.
w. Benson, embezzlement from S.
A. L., mol pressed, prosecution having
charges.
James Raines, carrying concealed
Judgment suspended on pay
ment of costs.
James Raines, assault with deadly |
mol pressed
Geo. w. Page, resisting officer, YER
dict guilty; sentence twelve months on
re ads.
Geo. w. Page assault with deadly
Judgment suspended.