The Cecil Whig. [volume] (Elkton, Md.) 1841-current, 1911-03-18
COURT TERM CLOSING
Spencer James Again Found Guilty.
Colored Youth Admits Larceny OF
Watch Crawford Jones Trespass
Damage Suit Removed


ol the two cases on the Criminal
Docket. State VS.. Spencer James, COL
ored, OF Newark. charged with break
ing and entering William B. Waltons
store, at Iron Hill, on the night OF Au-
gust IS, last, taking therefrom goods
to the value OF $26.42 and also rece,.-
ing the said goods, knowing them to
be stolen. James had been tried and
convicted by jury at the September
term, but was granted new trial on
the ground, as urged by his counsel.
F. B. Evans. ESQ. that certain re-
marks Of the States Attorney. in his
opening statement had tended to bias
the jury against the accused On his
second trial. after the Christmas holi-
davs. had before the Court, Judges
Adkins and Hopper, who sat in the
case, disagreed as to whether James
guilt had been established. Mr.. Evans
moved for a removal OF the case to
another circuit on the ground that
James could not get fair trial here
either before a jury or the Court.
Chief Judge Pearce informed Mr.
Evans that he might present his views
so far as they might bear upon trial
by a Jury, but as to a lair trial before
the bench the Court must decline to
hear argument. Mr.. Constable cited
the Downs case in Baltimore, with its
successive mistrials as analogous to
James, the Court of Appeals holding
that the lower Courts refusal to grant
Downs a change OF venue was proper
exercise of its discretions. Mr.. Evans
motion was overrued. and while lie
and James were comforting as to what
form of trial he would elect, State VS..
Samuel Wilson, colored youth, for
merl yof the Havre de Grace section,
charged with larceny. was called. Will
son pleaded guilty to stealing gold
watch owned by Wallace Williams,
eldest son OF Frank E. Williams, edi-
tor OF the WHlG, on January ID last,
at Mr.. Williams home, where Wilson
was employed as a houSeboy. Mr..
Williams was sworn and told OF hiring
Wilson about ten days previous to his
theft OF the watch, which he took off
bureau, where it lay in its case, in his
sons room. Wilson, as he alter
wards admitted, entered the room
through window opening on a porch,
while the family were at dinner. He
missed and broke down when con-
ironted by Sheriff McAllister, and
when told that he must produce the
watch. began a search for it in a lower
hall OF the house, among robes and
wraps, and finally took it out of
pocket of an overcoat belonging to
young Williams, where Wilson had
put it, either thinking it would be
htr, &c ,,,t,
away with it later. AS it was not
any previous offense and as he had
IN effect restored the watch, the Court,
Judge Pearce, told Wilson, would
not send him to the Penitentary but
would give him eighteen months in
the House of Correction.
Spencer James having elected jury
trial. the following members OF the
regular panel were sworn-W M. Full
ton, foreman, a. S. Jackson, George
T. Brown, J. II. Husie,t. ]. R. Kirk,
w. II, Marcus, d. 7. Reed, G. R. Ew-
ing, J. B. Stephens, A, w. Holt Rob-
ert Register and w. o. Brumield.
Readers of the WHlG are familiar
with the story o. the case as given III
previous trials. The burglar or bur.
glars, there were probably two, en-
tered Mr. Walton's combined sore
and dwelling through window over a
porch. went down into the store,
took the plunder they wanted out
through a rear door, went back and
lett the premises the way they entered.
The stolen goods were loaded on a
wheclbarrow and then into a wagon,
stolen from Mr.. Walton, drawn by a
81, f.1, L., Il.
nearby. The team was traced 10
Casho's woods near Newark. and was
later found abandoned. Suspicion
pointed to James who had been seen
driving a team hired from George Ste
yenson, colored, OF Newark, near the
woods the next morning. Search of
his house was made, and the stolen
goods were found there in his pres.
enee He claimed to have bought the
goods from John Brookins, colored,
who worked on B. & O. r. R. Com
missary Car, but who had not been
seen around Newark since June % last
Trial OF the case lasted throughout the
rest OF the day.
TUESDAY.
State vs. James was resumed, was
HTSucu dlter lHc recess ana given,
about p. m. to the jury, who, after
an hours absence, found James guilty
on two coun.s o, the indictment. bur-
glary and larceny, and not guilty on
the third count, receiving stolen goods,
which the State did not press, that
charge lying properly in Delaware.
Sentence was deferred.
A jury was struck for the trial of
Crawford VS.. Jones, the next assigned
case, and other jurors and witnesses in
other cases were discharged until
Thursday morning.
WEDNESDAY.
Crawford VS.. Jones was put on trial
before the following jury: George X,
Ewing foreman; Samuel Frazer, W.
NJ. Fulton, w. II. Marcus. J. B. Ste
A L L i.