The independent. [volume] (Elizabeth City, N.C.) 1908-1936, 1921-04-15
WINDER CASE GOES UP
TO THE SUPERIOR COURT
Lawyers on Both Sides Careful Not To Reveal
Their Full Hands at Preliminary Hear
ing in Recorders Court

against L. l.. Winder, the Eliza
beth City real estate man charged
with immoral relations with
young girls, the Recorders Court
of this county bound Winder ov-
er to the Superior Court, bonded
in the sum of $1,000.
There were three charges
against Winder: l. Criminal as
sault upon a 15-year-old female;
2. having carnal knowledge. of
female under II years of age
and over II years of age; 3. pros
titutiotl. The charge Of prostitu-
ton has been dropped, indicating
that the state is confident of con-
viction upon one of the more Sc.
r1ous counts.
Winder was given preliminary hear
ing in the Recorders Court in this city
Monday morning. Elizabeth City never
witnessed more disgusting and naus-
eating spectacle than this trial The
courthouse was packed by morbid, por-
nographie curiosity seekers. The aver
age run of humans likes scandal. More
than 500 men quit all productive labor
Monday morning to spend half day in
stufy court room to hear something
nasty. They heard it. Women heard
fna al oE
dozen or more prominent women rep
resenting the Woman's Christian Tenn
perance Union. A lot of these good y
women had an idea that their presence
at the trial would serve notice on the
court that the citizens of this town de-
mand drastic punishment for any man
guilty of the crimes of which T.. L.
stands accused. The women
thought their presence would have a
wholesome moral effect. Some of them
foo may have wanted to hear what was
to be heard. After they heard what
they heard they wanted their names
kept out of the. papers. The trial of
the ease proceeded Just MS if there had :
been no women present. A spade was
called a spade and physiological desig-
nations were reduced to terms under i,
standable to children and simple-mind
ed adults.
Matthews Testif1es.
The first witness on the stand was
Geo. B. Matthews, of Richmond, Va.
Matthews is an artist. He is a man
over go years old. He spent about
three months in Elizabeth City this
spring. His studio was in the Hinton
building, adjoining the Offices of L. L.
Winder. There is door between the
two Offices. There is a crack in the
door; also a nail hole. Matthews testi-
fed that on or about March 10, 1921,
his attention was attracted to scufa-
ing of feet and the excited protestations
Of a child in Winder's Office. He looked
thru the crack in the door, then thru
he nail hole and saw Irene Woodard
L girl of Is years, struggling in the en-
orace of Winder. The child was crying,
Stop it, Please don't" and pushing
Ninder off with her hands. Winder had
1is hands in her clothes; he had forced
Ter into a chair; the child fought him
)ff, ran from him and Matthews could
see no more, they having passed from
without his line of vision. This is Mat
hews' testimony.
Matthews then went on to say that he
ushed to the Office of e. e. Clark, a.
typewriter repair man with whom he
vas friendly, whose Office was only a
ew feet away. Clark was not to be
ound. Matthews went back, knocked
n the door of Winder's Office and then
eturned to his studio. In a few min
ties the Woodard girl came out of Win
er's Office. Matthews says he called
er, told her he had seen what had gone
ny told her not to go to Winder's Office
gain and told her he would not tell
that had happened.
Matthews says he later told Clark
hat he had seen, without mentioning
he girls name, and asked Clark to keep
n eye on Winder's Office. Matthews
1T the city on March 16 and turned
is keys over to Clark so that Clark
ould the better spy on Winder.
Matthews told a clear-cut, convincing
5ory and he has the appearance of
an of reliability and good character
ut the defendants attorneys would not
limit so much. They went after the
itness with gloves off. They wanted
know if he hadn't entertained young
rls in his own Offices and Matthews
limited that children came often to his
udios, often attracted by his exhibi-
IN of paintings, often because he was
iendly with them and gave them money
go to the Movies.
Attorneys for the defendant attempt
to make Matthews admit that he
mself had had young girls in his rooms
tn the doors locked and Matthews ad-
tted that the Woodard girl had come
his Offices one Sunday morning. He
id she explained that she had come
wn town for the Sunday papers which
e delivered at the Hinton building.
Winder had a formidable array of
unset. There were Col I. M. Meek
and P. W. Mcmillan, Everett
lompson and J.. Kenyon Wilson, and
G. Sawyer. Five of them. Col.