Norwich bulletin., 1916-02-05

Joseph Graham, the colored man,
who was arrested for an assault on
John Shea in the New Yark hotel.
pleaded guilty to the charge in the
Third district court, Friday, and Judge
Williams suspended sentence upon pay
ment of costs amounting to $s.4O,
which Graham promptly PAID, by
handing Clerk Roche a crisp $50 note.
Graham stated to the court that Shea
had been hectoring him all day ana
applied the vilest term that could be
applied to any man that had respect
for. his mother. The accused said 1t
was the first time he had ever been
in a fight, had never been arrested be-
fore and was never in a police cell un-
til Wednesday night, when he was ar
rested. Shea continued calling him
hard names in the hotel and Graham
said he picked up small piece or
brick that he used to keep his room
door open and struck Shea with 1t sew
eral times. He announced that he had
recommendations from everywhere he
had been employed before coming to
Westerly in 1908, when he went to
work at the Nash Inn. He had never
been in trouble before and the vile ref
erence made to his mother by Shea
made him almost crazy. He said he
had a good father and mother. good
Christians, and that he never used
vile language or did any wrong before.
He was graduate of Livingstone col
lege in North Carolina He owned
property in North Carolina and had a
hank account in New Jersey, and tried
to be a good living man.
Town Soecitor Agard said the state
did not ask for a severe sentence in
this case, as Graham bore a good rep
utation and was an orderly citizen.
At the time Of the assault. Shea was
drunk and disorderly. While the state
would not admit that the assault was
justified, it surely was provoked.
Judge Williams said he disdked to
give Graham a court record, that the
state of Rhode Island did not want a
small fine and the circumstances did
fine. The court limited that if Graham
had consulted counsel a plea Of guilty
would not have been entered. The
court suspended sentence for thirty
days upon payment of costs, adding
that Graham would be around here
during that period and that then more
would be known of him. Graham re-
piled: 90, I'll be here: and I warrant
you that henceforth I'll never trouble
trouble. I'm sorry this thing happen
ed, but never again.
ed in Westerly by Chief Brown and
Policeman Curtin, and turned over to
Sheriff Wilcox, who filed a complaint
against him for the eheft of four do
mestic fowl to the value of SIS, from
William r. Wells, of Hopkinton, was
arraigned in the Third district court,
Friday, and entered n plea of not
guilty. Randall asked that the trial
of his case be continued for one. He
had no counsel and said he did not
intend to engage counsel. He had
made no arrangement for trial and
asked continuance. He could give no
reason why the trial should not pro-
coed, but he would like continuance
and would be ready for trial next
Friday
Judge Williams said Randall was
charged with a serious offense that
carried with it year in prison and
a heavy fine, or both. and that he did
not like to ignore the appeal of the
accused for continuance.
Town Solicitor Agard urged irnmedi-
ate trial on the ground that witnesses
for the state had been summoned that
the accused was not out on bail, and
that his recommittal to Jail and bring
ing him back to court would increa sc
the costs. He said that Randall, ex-
perienced in court procedure, was
planning to take an appeal to the su
perior court and that could be done to
better advantage for the accused at
the present session of the district court
than a week hence. Judge Williams
granted the request for continuance
and impressed upon Randall that the
case would be tried next Friday. When
Randall learned that if the case had
been tried his appeal would reach the
February session of the superior court
but that now the case cannot reach
the superior court until June and that
it means an extra stay of four months
in the Kingston Jail, he saw his mis-
take
George T. Kenyon, arrested by Dep