The Kendrick gazette. [volume] (Kendrick, Idaho) 1892-1968, 1906-12-28
.Critman Case
The Attempt to Resmirch
the Character Of DR..
c. L. Gritman and
Al
its Failure.
Resume Of the Case

~AN ~ sAS SAAheA "no ASASSA ~ ASh~A
during the past week to the entire ties
timony of the case, wherein an attempt
to blacken his character apd ruin his
BUSINESS was ably attempted, We give
resume of the case. its deductions,
the verdict and the public sentiment.
Early last spring a charge of rape
was laid against Pr. Gritman by girl
of II, Yerna McH ardie, and prelm.
mary examination held in Moscow, the |
same being fully exploited in the Mos
COW papers. The doctor made no de. |
fense and was bound over to the dis
trlct court in the sum Of S500o.0O;
which case coming on at the Decembe :
term, after special venire of II citi.
zens had been subpenaed, a jury was
secured consisting of J. w. Bradbury,
foreman, D, T. A. Macintosh, Ken,
drick; a.. S. Lyons, August Held, VIM.
King, James Cunoyer. Murdock Cam.
eron, Moscow; J. H. Torpey, Farming.
ton, Wash; Peter Ireland, Princeton;
81 T. Silvey, Viola; John Hoverdale,
Genesee. The case was opened last
Wednesday morning and the prosecut,
ing attorney placed the complaining
witness on the stand, which she occu.
pied on examination and re.examina.
tion for a day and half Her evi.
dence was supported and supplemented
by her parents, relatives and. Drs.
Libby, .sTof Spokane, Delepine and
] Adair, of Moscow. The defense
I placed DR.. Gritman, of Moscow,
Thomas, of Spokane. MCGEE, of Wal.
}, lace, and MCGUIRE, of Pullman, Grit.
mans assistant, DR.. Thompson, Mrs.
Gritman aud the hospital employees
before the jury.
Counsel for prosecution, w. E. Still
linger, T. w. BARLEY; for defense,
Forney & Moore, w. M. Morgan.
Warren Truitt,
The result of the evidence in tie
. tpublic mind was clear acquittal OF
DR.. Gritman OF the charge asserted
| and the verdict SO returned by the jury
vindicated him completely of the vile
crime which some person or persons
attempted 20 lay at his door.
Il The substance Of the evidence. az
given by prosecution, was to the effect
that the assault had been committed
IN DR.. Gritman's smipuhllc Office. IN
early afternoon, at a tins impossible
for \ man to commit the act, under
conditions which NO sape man would
sonsider or any girl or woman submit
to. that it was voluntary rape, not OBJ
jected to by the girl, who continued
her visits to the doctors Office there.
after, expressing high esteem foz said
doctor until the grandmother was told
Of the alleged offsuss. who told the
father, and the latter continued his
work as labarer until convcnient
Sunday when the prosecuting attorney
and himself fot the Hrat time examined
the witness. The evidence was Con.
Trajectory in important particulars,
unreliable in details, and plainly
showed we'll drilled, conoocted story
which. for lack of facts, failed to be
maintained. The cross. s.examinatIon.
conducted by F. L. Moore, while
thorough was not bulldozish, but ex.
,remely considerste of the witness and
her position. Outside of this witness,
the rest we're simply accessory, and an
attempt to bolster up the main wit.
ness. which in reality was as able
defense OF the doctor as could bs
asked for.
DR.. Gritman's testimony was clear,
direct, conclusive; the girls was that
of one who has learned her lesson, was
given without sign Of emotion, and
often with smile. The testimony of
the defense was well connected and
not shaken, or even attempted to be
shaken, while the prosecution was
rotten in construction and false from
the evidence Of the complaint, whose
entire evidence had to be thrown out.
1t is fortunate that the doctor was
able to make such strong defense, as
the hard attempt to tasten this crime
on the doctor was prosecuted with snf.
! hcient energy to convict many an
innocSht man,
The entire city of Moscow, and we
might say the whole county. is reiOic.
ing over the outcome Of the trial and
> The ,siAaicatisn Oi rDt., Gritrtaa,>