Smyrna times. [volume] (Smyrna, Del.) 1854-1987, 1904-05-04
MUCH CRIMINAL BUSINESS
BEFORE KENT COUNTY COURT
JUDGE SPRUANCE PRESIDES IN THE ABB
SENCE OF CHIEF JUSTICE LORE.
Judges BOyce, Grub and Penuewill are the
Associate Judges-Number Of Criminal
Cases Disposed of Last Week.

The April term of Kent county
court convened Monday of last week
and the very large amount of business
scheduled brought very large crowd
to Dover. In the absence of Chief
Justice Lore, Judge Spruance pre-
sided, with Judges Grubb. Boyce and
Pennewill as associates. Nicholas r.
johnson was made foreman of the
Grand Jury. The charge to the Grand
Jury was delivered by Justice Spru-
ance, who said in part: We regret to
say that an unusual large volume of
criminal business will be laid before
you by the attorney general, some of
which is of very grave character.
There appears to be in this county a
considerable increase in crime and
violence which has caused widespread
public uneasiness.
The court took up the criminal bus
mess and disposed of the cases as fol-
lows: Ernest L. Plummer, the young
negro, who murderously assaulted
Emory Hayes. Senator Allee's hostler,
by cutting his throat with a razor,
was given a jury trial, found guilty,
and sentenced to stand one hour in
the pillory on Saturday, years i'm
prisonment and pay $500 fine.
Levin w. Hollis, the Camden but
cher and county constable, was con-
victed of assault and battery on Wal
ter A. Council and sentenced to pay
$50 fue, costs of prosecution and
2 months imprisonment.
Fletcher Hollis, the negro who shot
James D. Wright of Clayton, plead
guilty and was sentenced to stand one
hour in the pillory on Saturday, 5
years imprisonment, pay $500 fine and
costs of prosecution.
Cless Purnell, colored, was convicted
for the larceny of chickens belonging
to W. L. Watson, was sentenced to 2
months imprisonment and 10 lashes on
Saturday.
Louis Bell, young Dover negro,
plead guilty to an assault on Joseph
Manlove and was sentenced to l year
imprisonment.
Edward Somers, colored, who slash
ed Henry Cannon of Woodside, with
a penknife while he and his wife were
in an alteration, plead guilty and was
sentenced to l year imprisonment.
Cannon and Somers stated that there
~6zr ne-Aard feelinG between them.
William Gilmore, indicted for the
larceny of watch belonging to Frank
York, was given a jury trial, found
guilty and sentenced to 6 months i'm
prisonment and 10 lashes.
Walker Jehu Dickerson and Thomas
Warren were both indicted for MUIR
dar in the first degree, and they will
be tried next week.
Bruce Armstrong and Andrew Hines
white lads, indicted for an assault,
were placed in probation with Farm
ers W.D. Burrows and John W. Webb.
Denney Shepherd was convicted of
stealing corn of Theodore Donovan
and sentenced to months imprison-
ment and 10 lashes.
William H., better known as Sun
day" Stevens, was convicted of steal
ing tools of P. Norman Kellum and
sentenced to 6 months imprisonment
MahaIa Cooper was convicted of lar
ceny and sentenced to months I'M
prisonment.
Cleveland Bowers, an old colored
man, who was charged with stealing
railroad ties valued at 40 cents, de-
Tended himself and told the court he
took the wood for fuel In broad day
light to keep from freezing. The
c)urt sentenced him to 1 day impris-
onment.
Constable William f. Willis was in
dcted for forgery. The matter is the
outcome of settling a case in Harring-
ton recently and the amount involved
il about So.
The attendance at the present term
is the largest for years. Additional
benches have been placed in the court
room and guards placed at the en-
trance doors. For the first time in
Kent county negro was seated in the
jury box.
Mrs. Edith Jackson Hollis was in
dicted of murder in the first degree
and was brought from Farnhurst and
was tried for killing her husband,
Delaware T. Hollis. November last in
Camden. The verdict of the Jury in
her case was not guilty as indicted, on
the ground of insanity. She remains
under the jurisdiction of the court un-
til she regains her sanity.