William Driscoll found not guilty in attempted murder at Hemingray

ACQUITTED

Was William Driscoll of a

Serious Charge of Assault.

Wright Shooting Case to Come Up

Today and Damage Suit Still

Continues.

The charge of assault and battery with intent to commit murder which was made against William Driscoll by the late grand jury was wiped out in Circuit Court yesterday.

Several weeks ago Driscoll and a colored boy named Charles Brown engaged in trouble while at work at the Hemingray Glass Works, and the Driscoll boys struck the colored lad in the head with a brick inflicting injuries that at first were considered fatal.

The injured boy hovered between life and death for several days under the care of Drs. Vinton and A. T. Kemper and his recovery only resulted as a result of hard work on the part of the physicians. In the meantime the grand jury investigated the case and returned the above indictment.

The trial occurred yesterday before judge Leffler, and twenty minutes after the case was given to the jury there was

A VERDICT OF NOT GUILTY

secured. Attorney Burt Needham defended the boy.

The evidence showed that the colored boy was somewhat of a pugilistic sort of fellow, and was looked upon as the bully of the factory among the small boys. He had licked several of them, simply to please some of the mortified workmen in the factory and, in the night of the trouble proposed to whip Driscoll with one hand tied behind him. Driscoll had recently came to the factory from the country, and as a result was looked upon as rather green by the other boys. Brown had some of the men in the factory tie his left hand behind him, and then made for Driscoll, who picked up a brick and warned him not to molest him. Charley did not care to tackle the brick with one hand tied, and asked the factory men to release his hand, and he would then make

DRISCOLL "EAT THAT BRICK."

When he attempted the job Willie saw that he was elected for a thrashing and at the first opportunity blazed away with the brick. His aim proved too good and the hard instrument crushed the colored boy's skull in a frightful manner, his brains seemingly oozing out.

The factory men dressed the injury and permitted the boy to stay about the factory that night, and next day he went to the home of a relative north of the city. A physician was not called until the next evening, and they were horrified and could not understand how the boy had lived without medical attention.

The evidence of the prosecuting witness in the case did not vary materially from the above story of the occurrence related by the defendant, showing conclusively that the act was done in self-defense .

THE WRIGHT CASE NEXT.

Judge Leffler will empanel a special jury this morning and today try the case in which Everett Wright is charged with shooting with intent to murder Will Glenn some weeks ago in the rear of Glenn's saloon. It is alleged that Wright went to the saloon looking for his wife, whom he said had been frequenting the place became boisterous and when thrown out in the back yard began shooting at Glenn in the dark. Four shots are alleged to have been fired by Wright, and Glenn secured his revolver and took a like number of shots at Wright, but all went wide of the mark. A plea of not guilty has been entered to the grand jury charge also.

*THE BIG DAMAGE SUIT.*

The evidence is all in in the Neff ten thousand dollar damage suit, and four hours time will be consumed this morning hearing the arguments in the case, two hours having been allotted to each side by Judge Koons who is hearing the case.

The case has been one of the most bitterly contested on both sides, for the indications are that there will be no compromise verdict, the jury being compelled to allow the plaintiff nearly the whole amount demanded, or nothing. The reason given for this is the fact that the plaintiff lost a big part of his right hand and if the jury finds that Mr. Neff is liable for the accident, by not having made the necessary provisions for the protection of his employes as the law requires the price of the hand will be a large sum. The defense claims that proper provisions were made to prevent such an accident, and that it was the result of gross carelessness on the part of the victim.