Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1905-02-15
ASSAULT CHARGED
DIR. EDWARD BRISBANE DAWSON
ON TRIAL AT BALTIMORE.
Special Dispatch to The Evening Star

Special Dispatch to The Evening Star
BALTIMORE, Nd. February 15.-The
trial of DR.. Edward Brisbane Dawson,
charged with an assault upon four little
girls at the Kelso Home began in the
criminal court this morning. A tremendous
crowd filled the corridor and a special force
of policemen was on hand. With the bail
ifs and court watchmen they had consid-
cradle difficulty in keeping the crowd under
control. The people began arriving early
and took positions In the side aisles and
on the steps and balcony leading upstairs.
The courts instructions that no one was
to be admitted save witnesses and news
paper men were rigidly enforced, even at
torneys being excluded.
Dawson entered the court room about 1C
o'clock, and looked ill at ease and as
though he had been crying, his eyes being
bleared and swollen. Occasionally, while
the preliminarfeS were being arranged, he
bowed his head in the hollow of his hand,
and again he pursed his thin lips and eyed
the crowd and court room YEARLY He
looked as though he might break down at
any moment About 9:45 the wife of the
accused and her mother, Mrs. Mary
Machen, entered the court.
Both were heavily yelled and were ac-
companied by another woman. They were
escorted to Judge Phelps private room in
the states attorneys office, where was
Mrs. Timanus mother of the mayor, and
several other members of the Kelso home.
The mayor brought his mother to the
court house.
The alleged victims of DIR. Dawson en-
tered the court room shortly after 10
o'clock. In custody of Mrs. Wheeler, acting
manager of the home. They took seats far
in the rear. The proceedings started with
Attorney H. B. Woolf, for the defense,
arguing to exclude all but one count of the
Indictment the extradition papers charging
him with a specific offense.
He was overruled, and at II o'clock the
work of securing jury was commenced
The question asked, Are you opposed to
the inf1iction of capital punishment" led
to the belief that conviction on the first
count was desired by the state.
After several talesmen had been excused
because they were opposed to capital pun
ishment a jury was quickly secured and
the case of the state begun, the case in
which Ruth Landers as the prosecuting
witness was first taken up.
The alleged assault was made October %,
1904 When Assistant State Attorney Eu-
gene O'Dunne presented the case to the
Jury Dawson leaned well forward.
Alleged Victim on Stand.
All the disinterestedness that possessed
him at the beginning was gone. he folded
his hands and listened closely. Finally
little Ruth Landers was called to the stand
She was a pale, weak-looking child, hardly
looking her fourteen years. Nervous,
frightened and i'll at ease, she told her
story. The attorney surrounded her and
Judge Wickes came down from the bench.
AS she told her little tragedy she used her
handkerchief freely. She gave her evil
dence directly, but in very low tone.
Dawson leaned forward with tense strain
ed expression in his eager eyes.
The grave faces of the attorneys, the in
terest of the jurors, Judge Wickes' de-
meanor al, gave dramatic effect to the
scene. The examination did not last long.
During 1t Herbert Green Dawson's brother
inflow had remained with Mrs. Macher and
Mrs. Dawson in the private room, came into
court but seeing the little girl on the stand
withdrew quickly. At 1 o'clock the court
adjourned for a recess until pm.
The indication is that the trial will last
several days. State Senator Perkins, rep
resenting the Kelso Home, is aiding in the
Attorney Harry B. Wolf APP
peared for Dawson. At his table were DR..
Robert Fawcett and DR.. William Lee How
ard who will aid In the examination. Few
cases have aroused public sentiment more
than this Dawson case.
A fugitive from justice since November
%, when he was indicted ON a special
charge by the grand jury. he was only APP
pretended after the public at large had
believed the police were making no efforts
to locate him.