The Mount Holly news. [volume] (Mount Holly, Burlington Co., N.J.) 1891-1942, 1906-01-16
Court.
Criminal matters occupied the attention
nf Ind 90 Gaskill On Wadnasdov

2 attempting TO DreaK ana enter the ONCE
IS Price & Craft, of Burlington, and also fl
g receiving stolen goods, withdrew his TO
: mer plea and entered one of guilty. ~
e Judge Gaskill said the prisoner hs
- been held since the last term of court. an
q as the case was not serious one sentent
: would be suspended. The defendant VIZ
q not required to pay the costs, but he WI
placed in charge of the probation office
The case which occupied the entire da
: until six o'clock, was that of the State Vi
. j. Elwood Vansciver, of Burlington, fc
a an indecent assault upon Rebecca BOVINE
girl said to be fifteen years old. b
cause of the Importance of the case, til
/ testimony was taken by stenographer.
e The complainant, bright looking CIR
{ is in delicate health. Since the commi:
sion of this crime Rebecca has been care
, for at charitable home in Trenton. l
the court room the girl was supported b
Mrs. Bishop, matron of the institution
, and by Mrs. Phillips, also of Trenton
Because of the nature of the testimony
all women and minors were excluded from
the room, and the witnesses on both side
of the case were compelled to remain VI
stairs Even with this thinning out ever,
seat was occupied, and several sharp rap
for order were made necessary by lack o
proper decorum.
In opening the states side Prosecute
Atkinson said the case was one of rape
committed on Rebecca Bovine, in Burling
ton on June 1, and at other divers times
He promised to show to the satisfaction o
the jury that the defendant did assault thu
complainant and that she was under X
years of age. On January IL, 1891, Re
becca was admitted to the county house
Theodore B. Gaskill was then the steward
of the institution. Rebecca was an infant
only six months old at the time. She was
accompanied by her mother and two Other
children. After remaining there for q
while they went away, but they returned
again in 1896. The Prosecutor said he
would show that Vansciver took the girl
to his home when she was only or 2
years old and raised her in the family
All went well until last summer when
Rebecca was taken to the farm of the de.
PENDANTS father, upon which there was nc
residence, as it had been destroyed by
fire. In June last Vansciver took Rebec.
ca into the barn and with force assaulted
her and threatened to kill her if she told
what he had done. He took her there on
several occasions andl to other places.
When the trouble was noticed by defen-
dant's wife she questioned the girl, who
said her husband was responsible. When
the matter came to the attention of the
authorities warrant was issued and the
defendant ran away. He was finally ar
rested by constable Anderson Shinn.
George F. Harbert, steward of the aims
house, identified large book which he had
received from Theodore B. Gaskill, his
predecessor in Office. 1t was the general
record book of the almshouse, showing
the time of commitment, age, occupation,
etc., of each person received there.
Theodore B. Gaskill testified that the
book had been in constant use since 1858.
The witness read from one page this re-
cord: January IL, 1891, Charlotte Bovine,
three children, age "a, married, place of
birth Evesham, Burlington county, paral-
yzed." The next entry read: ''Rebecca
Bovine, baby, six months old, Evesham,
Burlington county" On February 90,
1895, the mother and Rebecca were again
admitted to the institution
On ross-examination Mr.. Gaskill said
that the entries are made at the time of
admission, but it was sometimes hard to
get the ages.
William Bovine, father of the girl, and
very illiterate, said Rebecca was born in
1890, the 23d of some month, he didn't
know which, and in warm weather.
On cross-examination witness said he
had five children but he couldn't tell the
ages of any of them.
Rebecca Bovine, the complainant, was
then sworn. She said she is Is years
old. She told the circumstances connect
ed with the assault. Vansciver threaten
ed to kill her if she told about it, but she
did tell several persons, including defend
ants wife.
In opening the case for the defence Mr..
Hendrickson said: mo higher RESPONSE
bility can come to counsel than to have
the liberty of man at interest. The an
swer to this charge" he said, twas that
Vansciver had never admitted but had al
ways denied the charge of this girl Van
solver has nine children. He adopted this
girl and raised her in his own family His
conduct has been such as to show that no
evil results would be contemplated. 1t
will be shown that the girl was contin.
ually associated with bad boys and that
she was almost incorrigible at home. Van
solver and wife were continually repri-
handing her for her conduct. She was
very familiar with several persons and
another person should be charged with this
crime. Neighbors say that her reputation
is bad, and that when taken from the
county house she was 9 years old. That
would make her 16 years old last June"
William Vansciver, Jr., son of the de-
PENDANT. went to the county house with
his father to get Rebecca. He heard Mrs.
Gaskill say she was between and 10
years of age. Never saw any affectionate
conduct between father and the girl. Wit
ness has seen Rebecca at nights on lonely
roads with young men, one of whom had
his arm around her neck. The reputa-
ton of Rebecca for truthfulness is bad.
Maggie Vansciver, wife of the defend
ant, next took the stand When Rebecca
came from the county house in 1898, she
was 8 years old. The girl never told of
her condition, but always denied it. She
would not tell me who was responsible.
Il never saw any affectionate conduct be-
tween them. 1t was in September that 1
first heard he was accused. Rebecca said
Mrs. Ward put her up to tell that it wa
the defendant. We had difficulty keeping
her in the house and under control"
Annie Vansciver and Joseph Vansciver
daughter and son, corroborated the testi-
mony given by other members of the fam
lily.
Ella Harris, William Barclay, Warren
Glass, Lizzie Burr, William Vansciver,
Sr.. all said the girl had bad character
j. Elwood Vansciver, the defendant,
said he had been indicted two or three
times for keeping disorderly house. Was
tried. convicted and fined by Judge Gas