The copper era and Morenci leader., 1918-06-07
ALLEDGED CRIME
 SHOCKS CLIFTON

FRUIT CONTAINING GROUND
 GLASS ALLEGED TO HAVE BEEN
 PLACED IN NEIeHeoR's YARD
 ACCUSED RELEASED.
 Indignation ran high in Clifton the first of last week when it was re- ported that some one had left fresh fruit containing ground glass in the yard of MT. and Mrs. F. A. Jones, who live in North Clifton. The mat ter was reported to Sherif Slaughter Tuesday evening after MT. Jones re- turned from work. The sheriff at once began an investigation by tax ing the fruit to County Health Off, cer, Dr. L. A. W. -Burtch, who pro- nounced the foreign substance ground glass.
 According to the information given Sheriff Slaughter by MT. and Mrs. Jones, the facts leading up the find ing of the fruit, and how it came in the possession of this couple is as follows:
 Tuesday afternoon Mrs. Jones dis covered the thirteen year old daugh- ter of James Montgomery as she dropped a sack over her yard fence and hastily leave. She called the girl back and compelled her to take it away with her, at the same time watching her to see what disposi. tion she made of the package. Soon the girl was seen to place this sack in the rear of another residence in North Clifton. Mrs. Jones immedia- tely procured the sack, which she ascertained to contain fresh cherries and apricots. She took the package home with her and kept 1t until her husband returned from work. As soon as the matter was reported to him he went to state the facts to i Sheriff Slaughter, who met him down town, and the two went back to the Jones home and the fruit was de- livered to the Sheriff, who had it examined by Dr. Burtch, with the discovery of the glass as afore men ] toned.
 Sheriff Slaughter took into cus- tody Florence Montgomery, the girl in question, who was put through "a sweating process To the Copper Era man District Attorney Ling stated that the girl, who is not con sidered very bright, made several con fiicting statements, but her admis- sions were to this effect according to MT. Ling's statements:
 "On May 2Sth, about 10 o'clock in the morning .the girl went, to the A. c. store where she purchased april cots and cherries. Her statements that a Mexican girl bought the apri- cots and gave them to her were re- futed by the girl who was question ed, the Montgomery girl admitting that she bought the cherries and gave as a reason at first for leaving the fruit in the Jones yard that she stopped to play with the Jones children and left the package there, and then that she wanted to get rid of the parcel for the reason that she bought the fruit without the know ledge of her parents. Later she admitted that her father told her to put the fruit in the Jones yard.
 "She afterwards made statement in which she stated that she stopped at the residence of Karl Schade where her father was at work, and while there her father and MT. Schade took the sack of fruit into the cellar, and later brought it back and then it was that James Montgomery told his daughter to leave it at the Jones residence.
 Upon this information MT. Jones swore out warrants for the arrest of James Montgomery and Karl Schade charging them with conspiracy to poison. Montgomery was arrested Wednesday, and kept in jail for few days. The arrest of Schade was made Saturday, June 1. He and Montgom- cry were released until Monday, when their examination was held be- fore Justice Address.
 "At the examing trial the girl re- pudiated her statement, as we'll as other material admissions, and bot. Montgomery and Schade were releas- ed, which left the state high and dry.
 Aside from the guilt or innocence of the accused the following facts remain unrefuted: Florence Mont gomery bought the fruit. She was seen by Mrs. Jones when. she drop ped it into her yard and ran away, who saw her take it and place it in the rear of another residence and that it contained ground glass;"
 Mir. Ling stated that in the mater. ial parts of the girls testimony she was corroborated by her brother, a boy of about twelve years old, but at the trial both told different ! stories.
 The public is liberal in placing the , blame in this case, as 1t is hard tc realize that human being could de scend to such depths of depravity ta