The Waxahachie daily light. [volume] (Waxahachie, Tex.) 1894-current, 1911-03-17
BOMB EXPLODED
BY GRAND JURY
Begins Investigation Which Re
suits in the Arrest Of
Two Men.
SERIOUS CHARGES FILED
Tom Powell and W. P. Shiplett are
Accused Of Criminal Assault.
Two Little Girls the
Victims.

A genuine sensation was created
in the city late Thursday afternoon
when it became known that a quiet
Investigation which County Attorney
Pippen had been prosecuting for
some time had been transferred to
the grand jury and that as a result
of the probe which was continued by
that body two arrests had been
made on alleged charges of criminal
assault.
The arrests were made on war;
rants issued out of the court of JUS
tice of the Peace w. NJ Tidwell. The
parties taken into custody and who
are being held pending completion
of the investigation by the grand
jury are Tom Powell and w. P.
| ShipleSt They were arrested be-
tween 4 and O'Clock and placed in
the county Jail. Powell was the first
of the two to be taken into custody.
He was arrested at his fruit stand
on the southwest corner of the
square by Deputy Sheriff Yates and
Grand Jury Bailiff Jim Hamm. At
ter he had stored his fruit away he
was taken to the county jail and
locked up. A short time later Depu-
ty Yates went to the city cemetery |
and arrested Shiplett. 1t was about |
$50 when he was placed in jail.
The arrest of Shiplett was made a
few minutes after funeral crowd |
had left the cemetery. He has been
a resident of Waxahachie several
years during which time he has been
employed by the city as city sexton.
Powell came to Waxahachie two or
three years ago and has been con-
Quoting a fruit stand on the south
west corner of the public square.
The grand jury resumed it's inves- |
tigation of these charges early Fri
day morning. The result of this in
vestigation cannot be anticipated
The grand jury had hoped to COM
plete the inquiry Friday but may not
| get through with it until Monday or
Tuesday.
The prosecuting witnesses are
Willie Mae and Venita Ellis, who
are said to be under the age of con-
sent which is fifteen years. They
live near the city pump station and
are attending the public school. 1t is
said the youngest is about twelve or
thirteen years old. They were first
taken before the frand jury Wednes-
day but the purpose of their visits
there did not become known to any
one outside of the authorities until
they were called before the inquis-
itorial body again Thursday Aft
noon The arrests were made while
the girls were on the second visit
to the grand jury The youngest OF
the two was the first witness to en-
ter the grand jury room Friday
morning when that body resumed its
deliberations When the oldes. one
came out of the grand jury room
Thursday afternoon she said she
| answered all the questions that We're
| asked her and that the only thing
she hated about the affair was that
1t would get in the papers.
Further developments on the part
of the grand jury are awaited with
a considerable degree of interest II
indictments are returned the defend
ants will probably take immediate
steps to sue out habeas corpus wIits
| in the district court to determine
whether or not bail is permissible.
After spending all the morning in
the examination of witnesses the
grand jury at noon took recess UNI
I'll Monday The defendants were
taken before the grand jury and Civ
en- an opportunity to make a state
mont before that body.