The Wheeling intelligencer. [volume] (Wheeling, W. Va.) 1903-1961, 1914-11-17
HARPER GUILTY
OF PANDERING
DEGRADING CASE TRIED VEsTER-
DAY IN CRIMINAL COURT
Witnesses For State Gave Damaging
Testimony-Arsument For Arrest
Of Judgment Saturday.

Clearly depicting the stage that =
man can sink into. a degrading case
was tried before Judge Robinson in
criminal court yesterday morning.
Harry Harper. charged with pander-
ing from Fern Anderson, a girl In the
segregated district. was tried. and
found guilty OF the charge. the jury
returning about 5:15 O'Clock. after be-
ing out less than half an hour. Harp
er's attorney. a. J. Porter, Immediate
ly entered a motion to arrest judg-
ment and grant a new trial Argu-
mems on the motion will be submitted
Saturday morning at $3.50 o'clock.
Protesting his innocence and claim
ing that he was working In the dis
trict, and running errands for madams
and girls from the different dives.
Harper tried to escape the drastic eye
OF the court. His attorney dwelt upon
character during the summing up OF
the argument. but was really sorry. e
Is thought, by the time Assistant
Prosecuting Attorney Mckee had fur
nishcd his arguments Picturing the
defendant as a moral degenerate, a
monumental liar. and a person who IS
more despicable than the worst pros
titute south OF the creek. the big at
vi nv hagtu tue NtIg hiounu tnal the
defendant trod.
throughout the whole OF the day
the court room was crowded Brazen
madames from the land OF the Grim
son glow walked into court and testi-
fed that Harper had been hanging
about their places for weeks az
time. A picture Of human pity. was
the girl. Fern Anderson. upon whose
- MnNamAmHnH "A
with living. A subject Of better days,
she showed all the signs OF life OF
cruel dissipation, and the stage OF II
don't care" The girl Ia a former m
mate Of Bess Derue's dive on Twenty
third street
Harper q Married Man.
tlarper's case is an unusual one
Some few years ago he was happily
married TO a girl in Pittsburgh. lie
cared for her. his mother. and a little
sister He was a hard-working mill
man. Fern Anderson. a denizen OF the
district. entered his life. and immedi-
ately peace and happiness fed lie
left HE home and family. His trust.
Ing wife and little sister began work.
ing TO provide for their support.
The sister o. working In a department
store In Pittsburgh.
With his chosen affinity. according
90 the testimony. he went from city
To city. once In Canton. o.. and also
In different cities IN Pennsylvania,
each time collecting money from her
With a great deal Of exhOrtation the
Anderson Eirl was induced 10 tell
some 81 the things she knew concern.
ing the case Other girls told OF his
lettering about the place these stories
being substantiated BY Officers West
and Sutton. who work the segregated
district beat
Defendant on stand
Harper was placed on the stand
shortly before noon and testified that
he had been working at the different
houses and was also n Eub-drivcr for
the Burns and Church Transfer Co.
This was denied By one OF the ON.
ployos Of the company. who said liar.
pers earnings from that source would
not equal over IS cents per week lie
told that he had given this giri money
~ various times and know nothing