The herald and news. [volume] (Newberry S.C.) 1903-1937, 1920-04-13
KENNETH GOSSETT
ACCUSED ON STAND
Alleged Victim Says He Threatened
To Kill Her-Companion OF
Prosecutrix Declares John
Gossett Very Coasiderate.
News and Courier.

News and Courier.
Abbeville. April S.-Amld sobs ana
in voice which was hardly audible
a few feet from her, the, prosecu-
rrix in the case against Kenneth ana
John Gossett, accused Of criminal
assault. acknowledged under cross
examination here today that she SUB
n;tted because she was in fear OF
her life. as Kenneth Gossett hao
threatened to kill her. Her COM
,.n;on who took the automobile rloe
viii her and the two Gossett boys
IN March /, testified that John Cos
sett at no time attempted to get her
n leave the automobile, where 1t was
stopoed four miles from AooeVilie
ON a lonely country road, but that on
the contrary she left it OF her own
volition and that John Gossett was
rons;derate of her feelings. Inc
theory on which this young man was
ne.,d was that, as he was in consplr-
acv with Kenneth Gossett and lureo
this girl away from the automoolle IN
order that Kenneth Gossett mlgh'
commit the crime of when ne 10
accused.
The testimony of the prosecu1r'N
was contradictory to that gwen at
the preliminary hearings, as pointed
out by the defense, in that she 1es'i-
fed then that she was UNCONSCIOUS
and could not swear that she was
cr;minally assaulted, but today swore
that she knew everything that hen-
meth Gossett did to her ano eha' SIG
was assaulted twice.
Hard Fight For Jury.
The defense put up hard hshs
ON the drawing of jury today anu
almost two panels were exhausted pc
fore the twelve men were secured
The last man was taken after oo1h
+ba state and the defense had eS-
ba,sted their challenges. The jury IS
COMPOSED of married men except one'
and their average age is about thirty
Two years.
The personnel is: 7. NJ. Cheatham'
local oil mill superintendent lore
man: J. E. Mundy, farmer; G. E.
Link farmer; J. A. Ramey, merchant;
II Shaw, farmer; c. NJ. Kay, TAR
n,er. Paul Link, farmer; J. T. Gill
;bert merchant; l.. G. Bolts, black
smith: ]. W. Little, employe local
utilities company; C. A. Smith, car
nenter, and the last juror drawn IS
the unmarried man in the panel.
The composure of the two defend
snts in the court today was eonsld-
ared remarkable, neither seemed to
10 IN the least nervous. NJ. T. Cos
sett and Mrs. Gossett, father ana
mother of Kenneth Gossett, and SIS
ter of the youths were in the court
room today; so was Dolph Gossett'
father of John Gossett. The prose
scptrix and her companion were ac-
<companied by many members OF their
families. of both sexes. This after
noon, during the grueling cross
examination of the prosecutrlX, VINO
remained on the stand for one hour
and thirty-fve minutes, facing
crowded court room, her mother
tainted and medical assistance had to
be given her. The girl sobbed
throughout her testimony and examl-
ration and hid her face behind big
,:draping hat and her handkerchief.
Reiterate Accounts.
The two girl witnesses substantial
" reiterated previous accounts OF
their automobile ride. However, the
COMPANION of the prosecutrix testl-
fed that she spoke first to the Gossett
bows just before they picked her up
ostensibly for a ride to the church.
She said that after they had passed
the church she asked them three
times to turn around before they
reached the bridge where the auto
mobile stopped, but she was not
angry until this halt was made.
The prosecutrix, haltingly and en-
.couraged by prompting, told of inti'
mate circumstances surrounding the
alleged assault upon her, in these de-
tails she was substantiated by her
companion.
There was one strong bit of con-
Trajectory evidence between the pros
ecutrix and her companion. The
prosecutrix told how. when she found
she was in danger, she called her
companion, who had gone down the