Jasper County Democrat, Volume 12, Number 28, Rensselaer, Jasper County, 21 July 1909 — ELLA GINGLES FREED BY JURY [ARTICLE]

ELLA GINGLES FREED BY JURY

She Expresses a Desire to Tell Her Story Again. HISS BARETTE IS CLEARED Verdict Includes Statement That In Going Over the Case the Twelve Men Reached the Conclusion That Charges Made by the Defendant Against the Complainant Were Unfounded—Both Sides Contented.

Chicago, July 20. —"We, the jury, find the defendant, Ella Gingles, not guilty. We further find the charges made against Miss Agnes Barrette to be unfounded and untrue." With the foregoing double tipped verdict the jury in Judge Brentano’s court wound up the famous Gingles case —the case of common larceny which swelled into one of the greatest psychological puzzles in legal annals and made reputations tremble with weird charges of “white slavery” and amazing stories of a psychopathic nature. The verdict at once was a release for the girl from the charge of stealing lace and a vindication of the position taken by the state, which was that'Ella Gingles lied in her terrible story of mistreatment at the hands of Miss Barrette, her accuser, and Miss Barrette’s associates. The point upon which the four jurors who at first stood out for conviction turned in their voting was a doubt as to whether Ella Gingles really stole the two pieces of lace valued at not more than SSO which Miss Agness Barrette said the girl took from her Irish lace store in the Wellington hotel. The decision resulted in attorneys for both sides repoicing in the fruits of victory —a situation novel in any court. The twenty-one year old defendant received the verdict with smiling embarrassment, and said “It was all right.” She was asked, what she thought of the action of the jury in declaring her stories false. “I’m going to tell the story again,” she declared, standing in the midst of a group of sympathizing women. “That had nothing to do with the pase.” If Miss Gingles meant she intended to tell the story to the grand jury, she spoke without knowledge of the attitude of State’s Attorney Wayman. His position was given tersely. “All I want is for Ella Gingles to get out of the criminal court building and stay out. She will never tell anything to any grand jury in Cook county as long as lam State’s attorney. She has been found unworthy of credit.”

but Warnie is a patriotic citizen and and would not knowingly aid an enemy of his home town—and the avowed intention of these Invaders was to carry off one of Kentland’s cherished honors—the checker championship. The tube he loaned them looked all right—but it wasn’t. When out of Kentland some three or four miles, too far for the party to walk back and throw themselves upon the hospitality of their antagonists—Warnie is a wise one—this tube began to ‘‘act up,” and the features of the going trip were repeated, and it is barely possible that there was a little more expression to the vexation that all felt. Arriving at Foresman, after many hours on the way, all the loose rope that could be found at the general store there was bought and securely laced to the rim of the wheel of the balky tire. Now, certainly, their troubles were over. .But alas! Misfortune comes in bunches when it does come—another tire played out, and there was indeed cause for deepvoiced expressions of annoyance. While the others were busy patching and cussing, “Mac” and Thomas hailed “Bill” Washburn, who was passing in his auto, and came to town with him, arriving some tme Friday afternoon. The others, with the machine “walking on two legs,” got in some time Friday night. The Kentlanders were game, however, and awaited the coming of the Rensselaer bunch. The playing started soon after their arrival and progressed the rest of the night, when the score stood 58% points for Kentland to 41% for Rensselaer. Points made were as follows: Kentland w. LDP t Bk)On ? • 14 2 4 16% Loughr dge 13 4 3 14% Bringham 8 . 7 5 10% Maxwell 7 6 7 10% Drake 511 '4 7 Totals 47 30 23 58% Rensselaer w. L. D P Hill 8 10 2 * 9* Stevens 7 9 4 9 McFarland 5 8 7 8% Thomas 5 10 5 7% Halleck .....5 10 5 7% Totals .... .30 47 23 41%