Jasper County Democrat, Volume 7, Number 35, Rensselaer, Jasper County, 3 December 1904 — WALLACE ACQUITTED. [ARTICLE]

WALLACE ACQUITTED.

Frank Wallace of Kersey, the young man Arrested last August for alleged rape on the person of Edith Levi, a young girl of near Kersey, was acquitted of the charge by a jury in the circuit court Wednesday. The case was given to the jury at about 4:30 p. m., and a verdict of acquittal was reached about nine o’clock. The evidence was very conflicting regarding Wallace’s complicity in the affair, the girl herself being the only witness to this. On the other hand, Wallace had witnesses to prove that he got up and walked away when Knight—the other alleged rapist, who skipped out before he could be arrested and is still absent —and the girl entered the grain office at Kersey on the morning the alleged rape occurred. The jury also, notwithstanding the evidence of the prosecution that the girl was but 13 years old last May, had some doubts of her not being some older. They also seemed to think that Knight was the guilty party, and not Wallace. The girl’s mother is dead and her father and his second wife parted some three years ago. The father with this child came to Jasper county from southeastern Ohio two or three years ago, lived near Kniman a year and has since lived with a married daughter near Kersey. The case is a deplorable one, but there are still sections of Jasper county where the conditions for morality and godliness are not very propitious, we are sorry to say. Joseph Mason vs. Wm. Wesner and B. F. Mason; jury trial and verdict for defendant. This was an appeal from Squire Spriggs’ court in Walker township, where defendant defaulted and a judgment of $25 was given plaintiff. There were but two jury trials this week, and the jury was excused Thursday until next Wednesday, and Judge Hanley went to Chicago yesterday to take in the fat stock show, adjourning court.