The Medina sentinel. [volume] (Medina, Ohio) 1888-1961, 1919-12-12
'''GU|LTY OF ASSAULT"
SAYS FORMER LOD|AN
Geo. r. Haines Changes Plea to
Guilty of Assault and Is Sem
fenced to Pay $500 Fine and
Serve Six Months in Jail.
PAID GIRLS PARENTS
$500; NOTE FOR BALANCE

A large number of citizens. from all
parts Of the county were more or less
disappointed on Monday morning
when attorneys for George R. Haines,
of Elyria, changed his plea of not
guilty Of rape to guilty Of assault,
which change Of plea was accepted by
the states attorneys.
Haines is a former Lodi citizen,
having been employed in that vicin-
ity until few months ago, holding
the position of time-keeper for the
Horr- Warner Co. While employed
here Haines met Mary Daugherty,
daughter of Kemp Daugherty, who
lived at Garden Isle and who worked
in the onion fields of the company of
which Haines was time-keeper. A
friendship sprung up between Haines
and the girl which eliminated in
Haines' indictment by the September
grand jury on the charge of rape.
Haines is married and has several
grown children. While a resident of
Lodi he was considered a pillar in the
church and prominent in lodge circles.
According to officials Haines and
the girl had several clandestine meet
ings during the year that they
worked together, the girls father
finally becoming aware that every
thing was not as it should be. He
sent for Haines and what took place
at the meeting is not known. How
ever, when they parted Haines had
paid the elder Daugherty $500 in
Liberty bonds and had signed a note
for $500 which was payable on Oc-
tober 1st this year. Haines, who has
a wife, then moved to Elyria.
When the matter was brought to
the attention of the prosecuting at
torney the Daugherty family were
loathe to take any action in the mat
ter, anticipating that Haines, if
prosecuted, would refuse to pay the
$500 which would be due Oct. 1. The
affair, however, was laid before the
grand jury, and they returned an in
dictment charging rape.
When arraigned Haines plead not
guilty to the charge and declared he
would fight the case to a finish. He
was given his freedom on 81 900 bail,
following this hearing. Monday when
the case was called for trial before
Judge Ahen, of Akron, who is sitting
in Judge McClure's place this week,
attorneys for Haines offered to plead
guilty to the charge of assault. This
was accepted by the states attorneys,
Prosecutor Stine and F. w. Woods,
who was assisting him.
Haines' story at this time was that
the whole affair was nothing more or
less than blackmail-that he paid the
$500 and signed a note for another
$500 simply to keep matters quiet.
Before imposing sentence Judge
Ahen questioned the prisoner con-
corning his past life. Haines stated
that he had never before been found
guilty Of any offense and gave his age
as So. He told of going to the Daugh-
erty home since his indictment for
the purpose of giving notice of his re-
fusal to meet his note which came due
Oct. J., and denied that he had made
eAAJ eSNNethSCo lin OH SllOII W SGLLlG.
The judge then passed sentence of six
months in the county Jail, with fine
of 5000 and the costs of the case.
Four months of the six were sus-
pended pending good behavior. The
court also allowed Haines until Satur-
day to put his affairs in shape, when
he will begin serving his Jail SEN
tence.. In passing sentence Judge
Ahern stated that he was not familiar
with the case, but from what he had
learned from attorneys on both sides
there were several things which tend
ed to mitigate the charge, and which
the prisoner was given the benefit Of
the purpose of giving notice OF his re-
Arthur VanEpp and Harrison D
Ewing, of Cleveland, represented the
defendant.
H-found guilty as charged in the
Indictment Haines would have faced .
sentence Of from one to 20 years In
the penitentiary, or in case Of miti.
CONTINUED on pass six)