The watchman and southron. [volume] (Sumter, S.C.) 1881-1930, 1920-04-14
JOHN GOSSETT
IS FREED
Judge Sease Orders Verdict of
Not Guilty FOR Older De-
fendant in Criminal
Assault Case

Abbeville. April 9.-Dircction 81 =, !
verdict of not guilty for John Gossett. !
one Of the principals in the alleged i
cl iminal assault case here, by Judge
Thomas S. Sease late this afternoon;
emphatic denial by Kenn":h Gosse't.
the other principal. that lie lad crln'-
inally assaulted the prose':llrlN, Dnt
acknowledging that he had become
unduly familiar with her without l,ro-
test from her were the outstanding
features in the trial here tol;,y.
There were several differences in tes-
timony, particularly in the 2r2S3 OK
animation Of the sister &C tie p'''se-
cutrix The testimony OF he prose
cutrix as to the medical srcat!aont 7f
her al home before the visit ri >he
| physician on the morning OF N1afcn
Is, about 20 hours after the i'HeS2'.
crime. was contradicted by the i'rose-
cutrixs siser. The prcsecutrlN, IN her
direct tcseimony yesterday, said that
she had received medical ilon;a t:";'t-
| :rcht on the night of March IL Inc
sister said that this treatment WIS Hct
! administered until after tie prysl-
clans visited her on the morning Of
| March is. Dr. Gambrell admitted
that the treatment could have pro-
duccd q physical condition which
WOULD appear from criminal assault.
in directing the verdict in toe case
Of John Gossett. Judge Scase took the
! position that the testimony Yesterday
Of the prosecutrix's girl companion,
when she admitted that neither she,
! the rrosecutrix, nor Kenneth Gossett
had requested John Gossett to leave
the automobile at the Long Cane
Branch bridge completely eXoncrated
! the older youth. He said that the
fact OF JOHN Gossett going to Green
willie undey an assumed name. on
which mich stress was laid by the
prosecution. IS explained by the nat
ural feeling o. any youth when excite
nert .ras rjfc because of the alleged
crine :nr his jfc might be Jeopardy.
! IIc said hat the prosecution had fail
ed to !>roduce. one veStige Of evidence
to 81 ow that the youth was aiding
and ;lbetting in the commission Of the
crime Of criminal assault
Spirited Away.
As soon as The judge announced his
decision the lal was spirited out Of
the court room by Charles J. Bruce,
United States deputy marshal, placed
in an automobile and when court ad-
| journed he was out Of Abbeville
county. His father, Dolph Gossett, and
his sister, Mrs. Lula McCullough and
! tie father and mother Of Kenneth,
, Mr.. and Mrs NJ. T. Gossett, we're in
che court room. In addition there
were 10 relatives Of the two youths in
: the court room. Members OF the fam
/ il- Of the prosecutriX and her girl
com panion likewise were in the court
), room.
Five other differences in testimony
other than outlined in the foregoing
are:
l. The prosecutrix. in her pf2.:''l-
mary examination which was mae a
part Of the record today by the ie-
fense. swore that she was unconscious
at the time of the alleged crime and
dia not know if she was assaulted, but
( yesterday in her direct examination,
declared that she was conscious Oh
what was transpiring ard that F~cn-
meth Gossett assaulted her twic:.
2. Kenneth Gossctt denied today
! that ne made the statement III the
Anderson Jail. when inca-cerated
there. that he told John Gossett and
the prosecutrix's friend il they d,ta't
leave the automob that Sundar af-
ternoon he would remain or. l:nti
midnight Sheriff j. Olin Sanders ald
i his deputy. J. W. Clamp, cf Anderson,
swore yesterday that he Gid make it
and they were s;l'ostantiated today b"
/ Charles j Bruce, United States deI:.-
t. marshal. and It i. Cam. deputy
sheriff of Abbeville county. John
Gossett today substantiatcI LIS cou-
sins testimony ard George Page. chief
of police at Honea Path "!.' va;
present at the interview, but di..n'
hear him say ii.
3. The prosecutrix, her companion
! and the prosecutriX's sister alleged
! that the prosecutlix's dress was rip
pei and this was denied b: ,,ot! Kcr
| Arnold who saw the girls get out OF
,;,r automobile after the riit. did n"t
notice anything unusual in their APP
pear2ncc.
4. The prosccutrix ard her girl
companion testified that the former
cried all the way from the time the
automobile made its return trip until
she reached homo. This was denied
today by the Gossett boys and w l..
Tnllas and p. H. Hutchinson. farmers
who we're passed that Sunday evening
by the car on its return trip. and they
stated that tho occupants were laugh
ing and talking. Tullas maintained
that DC looked into the face OF Ken
nctia GoSsett AMI the proscc,rt,-ix nad
ne s. no tears or signs OF emotional
it.fr