The independent. [volume] (Elizabeth City, N.C.) 1908-1936, 1921-09-16
SENSATIONAL CASE AGAINST WINDER7
COMES TO TRIAL HERE NEXT WEEK
Report That Witnesses Have Vanished Is Not Be.
ieved in Court Circles x Other Cases
of Unusual Interest


venes in this city Monday, Sept.
10, contains a number of sensa-.
tional cases. These is the case
Of L. L. Winder, prominent
Elizabeth City man, charged
with having had immoral rela-
tons with girls under IS years
old There is the case on appeal
of former Policeman George
Twiddy who was fined. $50 for
getting a beating at the hands of
2 man whose arrest he had
caused. And there are nearly a
dozen cases of violations of the
cattle-dipping regulations, in
cluding the case on appeal Of
Gather Harris, a prominent
Pasquotank farmer recently SEN
fenced to 80 days on the roads
ior refusal to have his free range
cattle dipped.
The Winder case will be the stellar
attraction of next weeks court. IL. L.
Winder. 81 years old, a man of excel
lent family and prominently identified
with the business and agricultural life
of this city and section for many years
was indicted here on March %, 1921,
on three sensational counts. 1. Grim
InaI assault upon a girl 10 years of age.
, Having carnal knowledge of a fe-
male under II and over II years of
age. 3 Prostitution.
At preliminary hearing in the Re
corder's Court on Monday, Apr. IL.
Winder was sent to the Superior Court
under Il bond of 5000 on the first two
counts. The. charge of prostitution was
dropped. since the State believed it
could convict on the more serious
counts.
The witnesses against Winder are
Irene Woodard, pretty little child of
10 years; Hattie Puckett, a little girl,
13 years old; E. E. Clark, Geo. B.
Matthews and DR.. VIM. Parker. The
last three were tenants in the Hinton
briIding on the same floor Winder's Of
fees were located at the time the Of |
fenses were said to have been commit
ted. The State expects to offer these
men as eye witnesses to sensational acts
in Winder's Office. There was a nail
hole in door between the rooms oc-
cupied by Matthews and Wlnder and
thru this nail hole Matthews and CLARK
looked on. Later they called DIR. Wm- |
Parker in to have a look without let |
ting DR.. Parker know beforehand what |
he was getting into.
There is a persistent rumor here this |
week that Clark and Matthews will not |
show up when the case is called next
week But Clark is at Roanoke Island
and insists that he will be here. Geo.
B. Matthews, an artist by profession,
lives in Richmond, and his friends say
he will>be here without fail.
The Twiddy Case.
Another hard fought case next week
will be the case on appeal of the, State
Vs. George Twiddy. On Saturday, Apr.
80, 1921, Twiddy, then on the police
force, caused the arrest of John NJ.
(Kit) Wilson, a prominent young farm
.er of WeeksvilIe, for violation of the
traffic ordinances. Twiddy had had sew
eraI previous clashes with Mr.. Wilson
and instead of serving the warrant him
self, he got another policeman to serve
it. Mr. Wilson went to the Office OF
Recorder Spence submitted the case
and paid his fine. He then wanted to
know how much it would cost to beat
Twiddy. An hour or so later he found
Twiddy on South Poindexter st. and
gave him the worst thrashing ever re-
ceived by a member of the police force I
of this city. Eye witnesses testified
that Twiddy was at all times on the
defensive and that Wilson struck every
Ipf Ixyba fho w
fore Recorder Geo. J. Spence, that en- l
Inent jurist put a fine of $50 on the
policeman. Judge Spence with his su- {
Derior wisdom can explain Wny ne Ola
this; DO ordinary mortal can.
Twiddy took an appeal to the Supe- l
rior Court and then entered a civil ac- 8
ton against Wilson, asking for dam {
ages in the sum of $1,000. If the Su- {
perfor Court upsets the verdict IN the ,
Twtddy assault case, Twiddy stands
good show to win his civil suit. But II
the George Spence verdict is sustained, {"
Twiddy's civil action will be weakened.
And SO this is going to be a hard fought Y
case, John NJ. Wilson's attorneys will do !
all in their power to make the verdict '
stick Z
The Gather Harris Case. f
Of peculiar statewide interest is TIE t
Ease of Gather Harris, a prominent g
farmer of this county who wouldn't let c
his free range cattle be dipped against e
ticks under the regulations of the De- O
Eartment of Agriculture. Three times v
he was indicted for refusal to comply v
with the law. The third time the Court
slapped a sentence of 80 days on the v
roads on him. Mr.. Harris took an ap-
peal. The fact that he is man "f
wealth and prominence made the sen
trhcc all the more remarkable,
The Judge of the Superior Court this a
Sine is Hon. Lloyd R. Horton, the
Youngest and perhaps most vigorous Q
Judge on the Superior Court bench in t
North CaTolina.- Judge Horton takes I
his Office seriously and tolerates no {
loollshness. Some of those to appear t
before him here next week had rather r
lace any other judge in the state. y