The Abbeville press and banner. (Abbeville, S.C.) 1869-1924, April 09, 1920, Image 1
Abbeville Press and Banner
Established 1844. $2.00 the Year. Tri-Weekly. Abbeville, Friday, April 9, 1920. Single Copies, Five Cents. 76th Year.
KENNETH GOSS
COUNSEL FC
State Rests C
and Con
Prosec
JOHN GOSSETT ACQUITTED
' I
The defense rested its case
at 5:30 o'clock and Judge
Sease immediately directed a
verdict of not guilty in the
mo .lohn firms pit. After the
VU^v VI Willi -WWW
jury had taken action John
Gossett was at once taken out
of town by officers.
Argument by the State in
the case of Kenneth Gossett is
now going on. The defense and
state has two hours each.
The case ought to go to the
jury by 1 or 1:30 o'clock Saturday
afternoon.
Just before going to press John.
Gossett was placed upon the stand j
and made an excellent witness for!
the defense. He told substantially i
the same story that was told by K-n- !
neth Gossett during the time he was
with Kenneth.
A motion for a directed verdict of i
not guilty as to John Gossett. which!
i
was temporarily overruled Judge]
Sease. or until after the defnse hasj
introduced its testimony, Kenneth I
Gossett's own story from the witness j
stand of the affair which resulted in I
i
his indictment, and t-he heavy scoring j
"by the defense in cross examinations |
tending to break down the direct tes- J
timony of state's witnesses, were the?
three outstanding features of the,
morning session of court.
The state rested its case at 12:40,^
whereupon consel for defense offered ]
a motion for a directed verdict of not :
guilty as to John Gossett. Judge Sease '
hesitated for a moment but overruled j
the motion temporarily, saying he'
would listen to argument after the de-^
fense had introduced its testimony.
Kenneth Gossett's story from the!
witness stand was the principal feat-|
ure of the morning session. He told j'
a straightforward story in which he
entered denial that he had violate.!,1
the prosecutrix. He readily admitted
having taken certain liberties with!
her. but stopped when she informed |
him she was not the kind of girl whoi
would commit the moral sin. j.
Principal witnesses for the prosecu-j
trix this morning was Dr. C. C Gam-1,
brell, who was called in to see the j
prosecutrix the day following the
commission of the alleged crime. De-|
fens? counsel ^was merciless in th3|
cross examination of both the physician
and the prosecutrix's sister, and
testimony given by the latter was j
widely at variance with that given bvi
the physician. !,
Several other witnesses were exani-i
ined for both sides but little they had
to say was of great Importance.
Court recessed at 1:30 and will re-|
convene at 3:30 o'clock, when cross
examination of Kenneth Gossett by
the prosecution will begin.
Among the witnesses examinea.
were Deputy Sheriff Cann, Deputvj
Marshal C. J. Bruce.
For the defense M. L. Tullis and P.
L. Hutchison said they passed ihe(
Ford on its way back to town and!
saw the two girls and the two boys'
and all apparently were in the best of ,
humor.
.r. v 1 I
- Jury 'Completed
The selection of the twelve jurors'
was completed at 4 o'clock Thursday i
afternoon. Seven were selected in'
the morning, when the first pan-1 off!
33 jurors were exhausted/ the de- j
fonse Havinjr exhauted 13 of its 20
|
f; ' '-V . t\'
XMMk ' 'A:
IETT ON STAND
IR DEFENSE MO
lase-Witnesses Fc
ipanion on Stanc
utrix Says Kennt
to Kill
challenges, the state having used 4 tl
out of its five. Nine jurors were k
stood aside bv the court, three tem-'
P
porarily and the rest for con- j
sanguinity. Judge Sease ordered a ^
second venire of 30 men to be sum-j.
nioned just before noon recess to ap-j^
pear when court reconvened at 2:30
i c<
p. m. Of these 30 men whose names}
were drawn 27 appeared and two of
1 e
hese were excused, leaving 25 jurors!
in the panel. Fifty-one veniremen |
; ' --.l u.il,
were examined anu uum u.c uuich.t. j
and the state had exhausted all their
5
challenge before the final juror was.
sworn. I
The jury is composed of T. M. i
i ]
Cheatham, local oil mill superin* |
endent, foreman; J. E. Mundy, far- j
ner; G. E. Link, farmer; J. A. I
Kamey, merchant; J. H. Shaw, far-!
01
ner; C. M. Kay, farmer; Paul Link,
armer; J. T. Gibert, merchant; L.
5. Botts, blacksmith; J. W. Little,
mployee local utilities company; C.
A. Smith, carpenter, and M. E. Link,
armer. M. E. Link, the last juror
g
'rawn, is the only single man in the
anel.
The Trial Begins
When Judge Sease formally openi
j_ Tr
ed court snerm curts Drougnt jvenc
eth and John Gossett into the court
oom, placing them at first in seats
o one side, but later were placed in ^
the prisoners dock. Both defendents
were neatly dressed. Kenneth Gossett,
generally understood to be the
principal defendant, appears to be a ^
mere school boy. He is only eighteen ^
years of age.
?
When the indictment was read by
Clerk Perrin both young men an- ^
swered "not guilty" in clear voices. ^
Proctor Bonham, of defense, in- q
terposed the same objections to the ^
jury venire and to the court that he j,
made in his four motions Wednes- ,
day. Judge Sease ordered the trial
to proceed. I,
Jurors Called
The first juror called was W. A. e
King, excused by the court as he is
related to one of the girls.
M. G. Sherard was objected to by
the State. j
Mr. M. T. Gossett, father of Ken- sg
neth Gossett, at this point was called
to the side of Attorney Bonham
to assist in the selection of the jury.
Next man called was Walter B.
Wilson, rejected by the defense, J.
W. Powell, was objected by the
State. J. F. Gray, stood aside by
Judge Sease. Hugh R. Sims, was ob- 0j
jected to by the defense. R. R. Tolbert,
excused by the State. c- Hb<
Bowen, excused by the State. R. P.
Parnell, was objected to by the de- re
fense. R. H. Purdy, objected to bv
the defense. . ?
The eleventh man called was J. D.
Mundy and he was the first man se- rj
ected. It was now 11 o'clock. C?
Twelfth man called was J. A. Ramey
was accepted, making two men for
the jury. w
B. C. Kay, stood aside by the P'
Judge.
' nr
fourteenth man called was G. E.
Link, was accepted, makintr the
liird man for the jurv.
s\
P. O. Price was objected to by; jt
the defense.
W. D. Wilson was called. Stated i
IN OWN DEF
YES FOR DIR
;>r Defense Call
1?Dr. Gambrel
^ n ^ tl..
tui vaosseu i nr
Her
!iat he had formed and express*
is opinion. Attorney Bonham ask(
ermission to ask Mr. Wilson a fe
uestions. Granted. He asked M
ifilson if he had not positive fee
igs on this case. Mr. Wilson sa
e had, but said that he felt that 1
ould give the boys a fair trial noA
Paul McCurry was excused, rela
d to the prosecution.
Lamar Richey, objected to by tl
efense.
Nineteenth man called, J. I
haw, was accepted.
J. P. Wilson and W. J. McKe
oth related to the prosecution ar
lerefore told to tand aside.
Twenty-third man, Juror Kay, Wi
L'cepted.
Eugene Martin, stopd aside, rela
J to prosecution.
B. F. Nickles, defense objects.
Paul Link, accented.
Twenty-seventh man called,
. Gibert, accepted.
W. P. Hill, objected to by tl
tate.
Earl Murdock, defense objects.
J. J. Bigby, State objects.
R. S. Ellis, defene objects.
J. 0. Camm, stodd aside, relate
i prosecution.
W. J. Milford, defense objects.
0. T. Bradberry, defense ol
sets.
Thus exhausted the first venire.
Afternoon Session Begins
Of the thirty men summoned fc
te second venire 27 answered t
leir names when the clerk of coin
illed the venire when court recoi
;ned at 2:30 o'clock. Of this nun
jr two men, J. A. Hill and M. I
ochran were excused by court. M
ill was excued on doctor's certif
ite and Mr. Cochran because he ws
ie only man left in Ramey and Gi
am's store.
U. Graves, married, lumbc
jaler, rejected by defense.
J. B. Green, fanner, married, r<
;cted by defense.
T. M. Cheatham, married, oil mi
anager, accepted and sworn.
T. M. Miller, married, member c
ty council, rejected for cor
mguinity.
R. W. Adams, married, salemai
liected bv defensp
J. T. Simmons, married, merchan
)jected to by State.
R. 0. Edwards, married, rejecte
7 defense.
W. H. Busby, married, cotton mi
jerative, rejected by defense.
R. G. Hagen, stood aside by coin
?cause he was kinsman.
W. L. Power, furniture salesmai
ijected by defense.
M. B. Cann, married, salesmar
ijected by defense.
F. B. Jones, insurance agent, mai
?.u *
i.-u, tvuiu not {five rair trial in ttt
ise of one of the defendants an
as stood aside by court.
J. W. Little, married, connecte
ith Abbeville Water and Eleetri
lant, accepted and sworn.
C. A. Smith, married, carpentei
rcepted and sworn.
S. L. Link, rejected by defense.
M. E. Link, single, accepted an
vorn and the last of the twolv
irors selected.
Testimony of Prosecutrix
The testimony of the prosecutri
ENSE;
ECTED VERDICT
ct
h
ed--Prosecutrix I
n
1 Testifies ic
|S1
eatened * >p
I si
jh
iE
I"
jd was begun shortly after four o'- p
jd clock and was given in so low a voice fi
w that it could hardly be heard and
r. throughout * was punctuated with 0
i "
'1_ sobs. She told how she and her girl
id
1( companion had started out on Sun-'_j
10
day afternoon, March 14, for a ^
v.
, young ladies meeting at the Bap- h
-A
itist Church, when on North ?T?in 0
ie street they were accosted by Ken-jn
neth and John Gossett in an auto-l
!a
mobile. It was brought out later that^
! the two defendants had been riding xi
| ^ | L
e> with two other girls during the after-.^
u^lnoon and had been seen by the prose-;
jcutrix and her companion. The prose-jw
iS!cutrix told how the two of them got >
i I
!into the Ford car, with the under-, ]
I 1
t-|Standing that they would be let out'^
!at the Baptist Church, and that ^
.when the church was reached she in- ja
sisted that she be let out, buti_
| |a
J. thought no great deal of it when she (<
was taken through the Square, butj ^
ie all the time insisted that she be let I
ut. She testified that about, twojjy
miles out she had met Mr. Richard !v
Sondley in a car with some otherb
men and had made no out cry. I ]
id She told of how they had first
stopped on a bridge over Long Cane j
reek, where they had stayed about jp
)- 5 minutes, during which time the^tl
prosecutrix continued to urere a re-L
turn to town. Later said the wit-'g
ness the car was cranked by John r
>r Gossett and they went about a mile g.
olfurther, another bridge being cross-|B
rt ed. After the secondbridge was tV
j. rossed they went a few hundred
i_ yards up the road, turning off into a jn>
5 cleared place, stopping a few yards |p'
r in clear view of the road. |tl
i- j*?
When the final stop was made testi- hi
j mony was given by both girls today ft
j'that Kenneth Gossett threatened to p,
: keep them there until midnight if the t
!r prosecutrix did not get out and walk ,p(
with him down the road to find a place. j
-- to turn the car around. It was at thisi
,S
time that the younger girl started to .
11 walk back to the city. John Gossett,
| \vr
followed her, the two returning to the!
,f car in five or ten minutes. accordingls
j. to the testimony. When they got back,^'
I to the car Kenneth is said to have told;?l
them he was not yet ready to go back.
''The younger girl started to walk si
home again and went a short distance st
down the ronrt nut nf
? wmv wi 015tit Ul 1116 SU"
tomobile. ohn Gossett followed. They ca
^ remained away 15 or 20 minutes. Re'
rning to the car, the prosecutrix ,
11
u came running to meet them, crying,
and told the other girl, "He has ruin- Sa
t ed me." cc
The prosecutrix testified that Ken- m
, neth Gossett had cursed her and held Wi
her in the car. She swore she resisted
^ him until she was exhausted. She is V
subject to spells and she testified that!sh
she became so frightened that one of ;th
these spells came on during the Strug- sj,
e gle and she became unconscious. Tn co
(' fighting her alleged assailant she toro;F1
her clothing, her waist came from n
. !U.
a under her belt and her hat was crush-!
I JT?
c ed. She cried all the wav hack to] .
'th
Abbeville, and told her sister whntj
f( had happened as soon as she pot honiejm
J. Olin Sanders, sheriff of Anderson
county.' was a witness for the state. p?
, The (lossolt bovs were taken to An - S(
dL...
iitMson wikmi tiicv wore arrested Mar. H
1". The young womon were also taken!
there to identify the hoys, the prose-'pj
x (Continued on Page Four.)
"HE WOMANLESS WEDDING
PROVES HUGE SUCCESS;
OPERA HOUSE CROWDED
"Woman, without her, man is savge,"
as against, "woman without
er man, is savage," illustrates both
he moot question of punctuation
nd the matter of the "Womanless
Vedding" that was held here in the
Ipera House Wednesday night to
uch a large, satisfied and appreciate
audience. It was forced upon the
ublic in truly male and ruthless
tyle at that de-feminated wedding
ow savage, how lacking in the
races, man can be without the tonlg
influence of woman. It showed
ar example the futility of man's efarts
to breast the tide alone.
It was a pot pourri, a salmagundi
f all fhnf i<5. r>r pan hnrlnsmiprl
i that which is called marrriage. It
ras a hasty scrambling of all that is
idiculous. all that is conceit, all
nat is affectation in a man; it was
istronic talent carried to the point
f betraying man as he is and ought
ot to be.
With so much local talent?and
9
11 of it was local?such a show could
ot fail to intrigue local interest and
lie building was crowded. The perormance
did not fail to amuse, to
rovoke laughter. How could it fail
ith such a bride as Mr. Fred Cason.
rr. Cason is just fitted by nature in
le matter of nhysiognoi.iy to be
ho antithisis of a what a sweet.
oatuiful, plowing, loving, devoted
nd winsome bride should be. The
ccoutrement was all right; Mrs.
ason should be congratulated, and
the ceremony had only been held
nder the auspices of Allah in a
foslem temple, the bride heavily
eiled, 'twould have been all right:
ut it is a fearsome sight to see a
rocodile face in bridal "things"
eeping.
When one comes to Capt. Jack
errin one is almost convinced that
le impossible is possible. Capt. Jack
as to all intents and purposes the
rana aame. n was incongruous to
npose on such a kind, gentle and
racious lady such a bride-daughter,
ut then the show depended upon
le matter of incongruities.
Two characters in the show were
Dt burlesqued, the groom and the
reacher. As usual the groom went
irough his part meekly, unprotestigly.
Sanford Howie as groom can
irdly hope to do better at some
lture. date at a ceremonial less imjrmanent.
Major Fulp, as preacher, perstrated
a number of things in a
ear, resonant voice from a huge
irvicc book that kept the audiance
i gales of laughter. The major does
ell in the cloth and were he not
ich an excellent educator it might
; suggested that he found and
aerate a Gretna Green.
Mr. Roscoe as Sis Dora was irrestible.
He has a stage manner, a
age voice. He entered easily into
le spirit of his part and did much to
irry the show through on the crest.
It would be impossible to mention
1 of the characters further than to
,y that all were splendid; and well
stumed, each doing his part to
ake the ensemble the success it
as.
The music was furnished by Miss
ictoria Howie and her help but
ows that man cannot pull off anying
worth while without some as>tance
from the fairer sex. In this!
mnection the singing of Miss Leila j
His and the reading of Miss Mary!
recne introduced the show and1
ive it the proper send-off. Bothj
ese younp: ladies fulfilled their,
ission splendidly.
The mill band gave their services!
the show and their playinjr on the'
]uare and in front of the Opera
ouse was greatly appreciated.
From an financial standpoint the
rformnnec was an unprecodent
oces:--. The house was full to ovc-r
ALLIES REFUSE
t" AN n mi f a 4*
IU M hKANub
Delicate Sit nation is tlip Result?
Loiiff Conference is Held in London
?United States Turns Down PU,n-Frankfort
Zone Quiet
London, April 8?(By the Associated
Press)?After a long conference
which the French ambassador, Paul
Cambon, had with Premier Lloyd
George today, and a full discussion of
the French-German incident by th?
cabinet council, at which the French
j view was fully explained to the Britj
ish ministers, an authoritative stateI
ment was issued to the effect that
j France acted entirely on her own iniI
tiative in deciding to occupy German
J towns; that Great Britain, the United
i States. Italy and Belgium were all op|
posed to the plan, and that France's
r.ciiD:: hi.:; caascd a delicate situation.
I The matter is under discussion of
j the British and French Governments,
j and the hope is expressed that the situation
may be eased.
Various Expedients
The statement recites various expedients
suggested for dealing with
the Ruhr situation, among others, the
sending of Allied officers with the
German troops to supervise the German
withdrawal. Another alternative
was that the decision should be let',
with the German Government, with
1 the German Government, with the
stipulation that unless the status quo
was sufficiently restored the Allies
themselves would occupy German
noints to enforce their demands. The
I
| statement proceeds:
"ine uerman uovernmeni appears
to have acted precipitately, and
France to have responded by adopti
ing a plan which was only intended as
a last resort method, and even then
to have been the affair of the Allies
and not of any one of them simply."
RADICALS WHO FIRED
ON ARMISTICE PAIpVDE
GET LONG SENTENCES
j Montesano, Wash., April 5.?The
j even men convicted here March 13
of second degTee murder ior tne
laying of Warren 0. Grimm ,of
Centralia, armistice day parade victim,
were sentenced today to not
ess than twenty-five years nor
more than forty years each in the
j State penitentiary by Judge John
iM. Wilson, after he had denied a
'defense motion for a new trial,
j The seven sentenced to twenyive
to forty years' imprisonment
J C. C. Bland, Bert Bland, John
I jamb, Eugene Barnett, James Mc|
nerney, Ray Becker and Britt
j Smith.
The defense attorney took exception
to the sentence and gave no
ice of an appeal.
BODY OF ONE OF TEN
DROWNED FOUND TEN
MILES FROM THE SCENE
Searching parties Wedneday night
recovered the first body in their
combing of Savannah river, Wftere
ten persons were drowned last Sunday
when a flat boat in which they
were crossing Harpers fery capsized.
The body of Lucy Brads haw was
[found lodged on an island near Cal|houn
Falls ten miles below the
I - -B J_T a *
istene ui trie tragedy. Kewards of
I $100 each for the recovery of the
bodies have been offered.
i mmm
'flowing. The money will be used by
the Library to buy new books.
The U. D. C. emboldened by the
I ucccss of the library is now plan[
ing to ho!:1 nn "Old ?T:.i I'.i Oanventon."
The date of the show will be
nnounced later.
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COTTON MARKET.
Spot Cotton 4-'>.00
May . 41..r.0
July . - o9.29
n.-tohi-i- "*
IVt-embc:- 34.31
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