The times dispatch. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1903-1914, 1914-06-20
DEFENSE SCORES
NCLEMENTS CASE
Miss Chenault Previously Identi-
fed Another Negro as
Her Assailant.
HER DESCRIPTIONS VARY
Lawyers for Clements Produce
Witnesses in Effort to
Prove Alibi.
HER DESCRIPTIONS VARY

| Defense witnesses scored heavily
yesterday afternoon at the preliminary
nearing of George Clements. colorcd,
! who Is on trial in Il Henrico magis-
/ teria1 court for an alleged assault on
Miss Fannie I. Chcnault. The alleged
offcnsc was committed on the night of
May 2, near the home Of the young wo-
man. ut stop 90. Seven Pines car line.
The hearing. which has already con
sumed two days, will be concluded to-
! day. The session Will -egin at 1880
o'clock, with Magistrates r. a. Smith
and II. $. sunday presiding.
Police officials were the principal
witnesses to testify favorably for the
accused, although just prior 10 the adj
journm"nt Of court. two negroes, both
offering n complete alioI. had been cN-
amincd and cross examined by the at
torncys for the Commonwealth. This
line OF defense will be continued to-
day. and attorneys FOR Clements claim
that they will prove conclusivcly that
/ their client spent the entire night OF
the crime In the city. They assert
that they can easily shatter the chain
of CirCumstantial evidence offered by
the prosecution. and totally disNrovc
the identification of the negro by his
alleged victim.
When the court convened Yesterday
morning, Miss Chenault was put back
on the stand to continue her story.
/ AS on the first day of the hearing. she
was perfectly calm. and quietly am
swercd tho questions put to her.
| Several minor points Of her story
were reviewed. but differed little from
the published accounts. and tailed in
the main with the testimony offered
by her father on "Wednesday.
SAYS STATEMENT
v'nI-E
Before leaving tho stand, Miss Chen
ault was asked to identify state
mcnt made in the presence OF Captain
r j. Mcmahon. chief of the Richmond
detective bureau, and Deputy Shcrn
Webb w. Sydnor. This paper. tho
existence OF which was practically
denied by the prosecution on Wcdncs-
day was in the handwriting Of Captain
McAIahon, but was signed by Miss
Chenault That il was substantially
true. she admitted, but she denied
using certain EXPRESSIONS. Words she
said had been substituted for those
she used apparently for the purpose
Of making the meaning clearer. The
statement was not read. but was sub
mitted to the court for its inspection.
Miss Chcnault was not examined on
the statement, except TO bring out
how il came to be made.
Perhaps tho strongest shaft hurled
hv the defense was the Introduction
of Captain Mcmahon, Deputy Sheriff
Sydnor and Dcputy-SerGcant Atkinson,
of the City Tail on the stand to tell
of the identification or T.. n. Riddick.
colored. now serving a Jail term. ~
the guilty party. Captain Mcmahon
was the first to testify. and his state
ments were strongly corroborated 10y
til" others.
~ I,N ~ +
ncsses that Miss Chcnanlt not onl:
made a nositiVc Identification Of the
prisoner but that II. T. Ncitch and &.
y Martin had also been equally as
positive. This was before Clements
had been seen. Both Sydnor and At
ltinson cmrhatically asserted that there
was no question. but that the identi-
hcation was made by the trio.
Svdnor WAS on the stand for more
than an hour. He reviewed the entire
case. and told OF the release of Glenn
euts from custody TWO days after Miss
Chonpult had first looked at him, and
/ then failed 10 come back TO renew the
identification. 1t was brought out bN
him that the description given by her
tho first few days otter the alleged
/ crime. when the asspilant said To
haN" thin lips and Il nose like a white
person. varied comrlctcly with Glenn
eats, who has Il Wide fiat nose and
thick lips. Clements was Tcarrested
~ inc WISH OIL MISS tncntult. WHO mas
nov identified him rs her assailant
Clements was PLACED on the stand.
and made Il crcditablc witness for him
self. Although rightly cross examined
by the prosecution, he failed To rctract.
or vary in his testimony, and created
an excellent impression. His actions
subsequent to his release and prior 10
his second arrest proved n strong card
in his favor. Not only did he fail u
make AN attempt to escape. but he had
gone back to work. and was warned
that the officers were coming after him
again, and still did not fee.
HIS movements on the day of The
crime, from early morning. to midnight,
were told. These were being cor
rohorated when court adjourned at $50
o'clock.
I'oNpey flournoy. who lives on
Brown street. testified that Clements
Mad visited him about 10 o'clock or the
night of the crime. ana in this hc was
born" out by Ben Baxter. Other ne
gro2s in the house at the time have been
summoned, together with Amy Rob
=. inson. AZ whose hoTe Clements claims
TO have slept that night.
LARGE CROWD
PACKS C0URTUOO,I
tn" hearing, While dull at times