The Stark County Democrat. [volume] (Canton, Ohio) 1833-1912, 1905-07-25
JURY OUT BUT
FOUR MINUTES
CONVICTION QUICKLY RESULTED
IN NEIDINeER CASE.
Former Sunday School superinten-
tendent Who Formed "Flower
Clubs" For Corruption of
Younq Girls.


New York, July 20.--Four minutes
after withdrawing from the court room
to deliberate on the charge that Ed
ward Neidinger had mistreated girls
of from to IA years of age, whom he
had induced to join "children's flow-
er club" formed by him in his home,
121 East One Hundred and Fourth
street, this city, the jury returned a
verdict OF guilty. Under the conviction
he may be sentenced to a maximum
term of 20 years in state prison.
Three additional indictments for
like offenses are pending over Neidin-
ger, however, and IL he should be con-
victed on those also he will be liable
to a sentence of at least so years. Be-
fore Monday he will decide with his
counsel the plea which ne will enter to
the other indictments.
The concluding, session of the trial
opened with Neidinger's cross examina-
tion by Assistant Attorney Clarke,
which brought out the facts that Neid-
niger had formed other Flower clubs"
in Buffalo and Jamestown, N. Y, and
that, because of the proceedings at
those clubs he was forced to flee from
those places.
Mr.. Clarke showed the defendant pa
pers and records of the local flower
club which were confiscated by Agent
Fogarty of the Children's Society when
he arrested Neidinger. The defendant
identified them, and explained the
meaning of some obscure points about
them. Much Of this part of the cross
examination was unprintable, but
Neidinger persisted in his declaration
that he had done nothing improper.
A sensation was caused by the ap-
pearance of Neidinger's wife. whom he
was forced to marry, in jamestown, N.
", when she was 13 years old.
Before her appearance the defendant
told Mr.. Clarke he did not know where
his wife was, and that he had adver-
tised for her in vain.
Mr.. Clarke then called her name, and
she stood up in the back part of the
court room, where she was waiting.
Neidinger identified her and did not
seem much surprised to see her. She
was located by the Children's Society
agents. She was not examined dur
ing the trial.
Neidinger admitted that he had been
ing to a club he organized in Warren,
Pa, several years abo, but that he
was acquitted because of lack of evil
dence. He also admitted that he had
been sent to the workhouse for a
month in default Of $500 bail, year
ago on his wife's complaint. She left
him at that time. She was a member
of one Of the flower clubs" Neidinger
formed in jamestown, N. Y, her home,
and he met her there.
Neidinger, who was formerly the sup
erintendent of a Brooklyn Sunday
school, moved with his mother-in-law
into the house which he occupied at
the time Of his arrest in 104th street,
a two-story old-fashioned structure.
Afterwards he organized the child
rens' flower, Tor bontany) club" and
induced the parents Of young child
rem in the neighborhood to permit
their boys and girls to become MEM
bers, promising entertainment for them
during the winter and picnics and
other outings in the summer
Subsequently investigation showed
that the members of this club, besides
Neidinger, were children between 8
and IA years old and the mistreat-
ment of more than fifty of these is
charged to Niedinger.