The independent. [volume] (Elizabeth City, N.C.) 1908-1936, 1921-11-11
WIlQDER CASE Is IN HANDS
OF JURY OF TWELVE MEN
Charged With Felonious Crime Against Female
Child Testmony Of Leading Witnesses Il
Is Conflicting S IA Nh

y
snoerior Court in session in
Elizabeth City this week prob
ablv will to-day decide the fate
ri L. L. Winder, prominent
Elizabeth City real estate man,
in one of the sensational cases in
which he is the defendant.
The taking of testimony in the case
of State vs. Winder in which 13-year-
old Hattie Fuckett is the prosecuting
witness. concluded yesterday afternoon
and the arguments of counsel began.
The lawyers were allotted six hours for
their speeches to the jury. Solicitor
7 c. 3. Ehringhaus for the State is
assisted by attorneys W. L. Small and
e. r. Pugh. Attorneys for the defense
are N[eekins & Mcmillan. Thompson &
Wilson. P G. Sawyer and W. L. Co.
boon. But Col Isaac NJ. Meekins has
not pu! in appearance at the trial. Col.
Meekins has found himself busy with
his lob in Washington and hasn't set
foot IN the old home town this week.
Tn evidence in the case on trial this
week differed but little from the evi--
dence brought out in the Superior
Court here in September when a mis-
triai was ordered because of the illness
# 4 Juror. The essential new evidence
Introduced this week was in the witness
T. f. Clark for the State and DR.. VIM.
Parker for the defense.
Clark. Il typewriter repair man, who
occupied Offices in the Hinton building
close to the Offices of l.. L. Winder at
tie time the alleged crime against Hat
ric Puckett was committed, testified
that thru hole in door adjoining
Winder's he saw Winder in the carnal
act with the Pickett girl. He correbor-
ated in detail the story of the Pickett
girl who had testified that Winder
forced himself upon her while she was
seated in a rocking chair in his Office,
Winder getting down on his knees for
tie act. Clark saws he called DR..
Parker to witness the incident, making
no outcry because he feared that the
uncorroborated evidence of one man
would not be believed.
Dr. Parker testified that he saw the
Prclyetk- girl and Winder in close en-
,la-} t,1t.:-s1tr. Is1TaeF testified fnats tie
Puck"-- girl was sitting astride Win
Gr..> aI.. DR.. Parker further testified
that he looked thru the same peep hole
= few minutes later and saw the Puck
etr etrI LeIsurely arranging her clothes
The verdict of the jury may be /
Iarge.v determined by whether they be-
Ieve L. /. Ninder and DR.. Wm. Park
tr or Hattie Puckett and e. E. Clark.
Tie eviIence of neither the Pickett
girl alone nor L. L. Winder alone does
not carry conviction to student of hu-
man nature. There is something miss !
ing IL the testimony of each. Much is |
eft tC he imagination of the jury.
Efforts upon the part of the defense !
to destroy the character of the prose-
outing witness by the introduction of [
cls-Sr-er witnesses did not gain much |
IL, t1r defense. They proved nothing
>G,-.I-r iy all their character witnesses, !
H"rG white and black.
/. !. Clark for the State made an
excl II witness. The State had hes
i-at"a - put him on the stand because
M1-h lad been said about Clark's char
acteI. Eut in a show down the worst
ft"T lid dig up about Clark was that
le nf.n'5 always paid his bills and some +
capita. vas made of the fact, that Clark
"npIoyed Geo. 3. Matthews, an artist
to paint Il portrait of a thirteen-year
I'D gin TO whom Clark had been friend
" IL another town. Clark met these
attacks with a quiet dignity that won
Tor him the respect of most of the court
room crowd
II Wlnder is found guilty of the
charge OF criminal assault on Hattie
fuckett. that will probably end the 9TH .
er cases against him. But if acquitted ]
IN this case he will be tried on another {
charge Of having had carna1 knowledge
ol Irene Woodard, a girl under Is years j
OF age A third charge of prostitution /
against the defendant is yet TO be t
pressed 6
The jurors who have Winder's fate IN (
'and as this newspaper goes to its sub r
Scrbers are: A
n. R. Winsow, Wilson Sivil1s, W. NJ. p
rfhdleton, Willie Jennings, w. II. He'd u
lrlck' T. L. Whitehurst, J. G. Combs, T
W. A Bundy, Grice Winslow. E. G. t
9ahderiin, ". D. Dozier and Joe Tenn
pie