The Eureka sentinel. [volume] (Eureka, Nev.) 1902-current, 1912-06-29
FLORENCE GORDON RELEASED
Judge Cromer Finds Killing Of
Tony Rose Was Justifable
and Discharges Defendant

knoWleoRed TO shooting and killing
Tony Rose in the Crystal Palace house
! on Buel street early last Saturday morn.
ing, was given q preliminary hearing
before Justice Of the Peace L. W.
Cromer on Tuesday afternoon, at the
conclusion Of which Judge Cromer ex-
onerated the defendant and released
her from custody.
The Ooroner's Jury that commenced
its inquest over the remains of Tony
Rose on Saturday afternoon, did not
conclude its labors until Monday after.
noon. The jury, consisting Of the fol.
lowing: Samuel T. Edwards, j. ]. Sri,
Peter Welte. William Dooley, Clay
Simms, w. ]. Hooper. brought in q ver-
dict that the deceased came to his death
on June %, 1912, ''by having been found
shot in the head and shoulder by a per-
son known rs Florence Gordon in a
house on Buel street. Eureka"
Defendant Discharged After Hearing
The preliminary hearing Of Florence
Gordon before Justice Of the Peace L.
w. Cromer was set for Q O'Clock Tues
day afternoon, and a crowd. consider
ably exceeding the capacity of Judge
Oromer's court room, was in attendance.
In brief. the defendant appeared with
out counsel. and upon being informed
by Judge Oromer as to her rights, agreed
that the hearing should proceed and
waived the assistance Of an attorney.
District Attorney McParlin stated to
the Court and defendant that to expedite
the proceedings, statements covering
the testimony given by Eve witnesses
at the Ooroner's inquest, and q state.
ment by Deputy Sheriff r. A. Laird.
had been prepared and would be intro
duced. each of the witnesses being sworn
and, after reading them, each signing
their statements. There was no objeo-
tion and the six witnesses were called
and sworn.
No questions were asked nor objec-
tions made to the statements by these
witnesses exceptin the testimony offered
by Mr.. Laird. The District Attorney
asked him the following question:
Did Tony Rose live with Florence
Gordon. and was he a white SLAYER?
Mr.. Laird answered, Yes. sir.
Asked by the Court if she wished to
make any statement in regard to the
| ahA0ttn1 ar fanfa in onnnoofiOn with
the case. the defendant replied she did
not care to make any statement.
AT the conclusion Of the testimony
given by these six witnesses. District
Attorney McParlin stated he had no
further questions to ask and no other
testimony to offer. He said that as
District Attorney it was his duty to
prosecute, bat that he believed it was
also his duty to defend any n unjustly
attacked who defended themselves. Ad-
dressing the Court he said that from the
testimony and all the facts in this case
he believed the defendant had only acted
in self.defense in killing Rose, and that
he would refuse to ask the Court to hold
the defendant for further prosecution.
The District Attorney further stated
that in the future there would be no
white slavery in Eureka.
Judge Cromer Immediately rendered
his decision in the matter, stating that
he had examined into the evidence in
this case very thoroughly, and that in
his Judgment it was a case of ~justifable
homicide. He there upon discharged
1.-THE defendant, Florence Gordon.
Testimony Gwen In the Case
The following is the testimony of the
| six witnesses examined as given in their
| signed statements at the Ooroner's in
quest and preliminary hearing. After
| Doctor Burnett had signed his statement
before the C~oroner's Jury, to the ques-
| tions of jurors, he explained the prob
able position of Rose when he was shot:
DIR. w. +. Burnett. being first duly
sworn. deposes and says: On the morn
ing Of June 90 l was called to a house on
| Buel street to attend a man that had
been shot, about 4 O'Clock. On my ar
rival / found a man lying across the bed
face downward. his feet resting on the
floor. On examination l found the man
to be dead. Further examination re-
vealed a bullet wound situated about
the middle of the skull, a little to the
right of the median line. A butcher
knife was lying on the right side of the
man. who appeared to have been dead
only q few minutes. l asked who liz
the shooting. 1 was told Florence Cor
don did the shooting. Upon interview