The times dispatch. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1903-1914, 1912-10-17
SlAlt uptNS CASt
AGAINST LfOkIOD
Introduces Five Witnesses, In
GLIDING Girls Alleged to Be
the Victims.
JUDGE CLEARS COURTROOM
Orders Everybody Out Except
Those Connected With Case,
Including Reporters.

With counsel for the defense contest
ting every inch Of ground and noting
frequent exceptions. the Common
monweAlth yesterday opened It's ease
against Leo Kidd. charged with capi-
tai offer ses against Lenora Austen ana
Grace williams When court adjourn
ed at s:45 o'clock the prosecution had
introduced 1--WE witnesses. including the
two girls against whom the crimes are
said to have been committed.
Examination of witnesses began at
1 o'clock in the afternoon, following
morning devoted to argument ana
counter argument on the prayer OF the
defense for a continuance until the
next term Of court Judge Scott listen
ed patiently 20 an hour OF hne-spuh
tschnicalities. examined number OF
aYidavits. and a, iiIs o'clock over
ruled the motion to postpone, ORDERING
the trial to proceed
Pleads NSa Guilty.
Following a short recess the court
resumed business at i2 o'clock noon.
Clerk waddill read the charge and Le"
Kidd pleaded not guilty. He faced the
accusation calmly. and replied In
firm voice.
The selection OF the jury followed In
short der. not however. before At
to. ,ey l. o. WendenbrrS found time
to object on technical grounds TO the
manner in which IL was drawn. Judge
Scott overruled the objections, and the
lawyer noted an exception. II vas ev'-
dent that the trial was going to be
fought inch by inch.
The Jury as finally selected consist.
ed Of ]. d. waldrop. q. A. Britton. &
p. Smith. T. D. Sampson. J. NJ ABBY.
Powhatan Nash. A. II. Harvie. j. Z.
woodhn. J. O. Bradley. Robert Taylor.
J. T. Angle and Eddie Atkins At l2:S"
o'clock Judge Scott cleared the court
room OF everybody except ohicers ana
those directly connected with the case.
The order included reporters
Giras Testify.
I<nora Austen was the hrst to take
the stand. She recited the story Of her
relations with the defendant. and told
of the circumstances surrounding the
incident about a year ago. which re-
suited in his arrest in Pittsburgh she
was on the stand for more than An
hour. and told a straightforward tale.
Attorney wendenburR interrupted re-
peatedIy. and later subjected her to
searching cross-eXamination without.
Apparently shaking her story in its es-
eential points
A, o'clock the court took recess.
resuming again at $3.50 o'clock Grace
Williams. the second OF the two girls
alleged to be the victims. took the
stand, and testified for an hour. she
corroborated the Austen girls tale.
telling practically the same story.
Both girls followed closely the version
given by them hast August. at the
hearing Of the case against arthur
Herman Anthony before Magistrate
Smith. Cross examination by Wen
denbure caused little weakening OF her
recital
hector TestfAes q Age.
Or. Robert Lee. who was the next
stiffness for the Commonwealth. testt-
fed that he was present At the oirtn
of I<nora Austen. and that according
to his best knowledge. she was born In
December, 1897. This would make her
now fourteen years and ten months olo'
ana tend 70 establish the fact that she
was less than fourteen when the OK
Tense against her IL alleged to have
been committed.
DR.. Lees testimony was corrooosateo
by Mrs. Sol Bernstein. mother OF Le-
nora Austen She was the fourth WIZ