FULL TEXT: After two years’ confinement in the County Jail, awaiting the action of the Supreme Court, Clifton E. Mayne, charged with having committed rape upon the person of Elsie Shipton, is now a free man, the District Attorney having moved to dismiss the case in Department One yesterday.
Mayne was convicted in 1895 upon evidence which appears to
have been perjured, for the most part. The trial was sensational in every
particular, made specifically so from the fact that Mayne had been prominent in
State politics, and was credited with having succeeded in “putting through” the
Board of Supervisors of San Francisco some of the slickest jobs known to local
history in that city.
In his capacity of a political manipulator. Mayne became
mixed up with Boss Buckley, to whose influence, personally and financially, he
attributes much of the force developed by the prosecution in his case. Mayne,
it appears, had an idea or two of his own concerning political maneuvers, and
soon graduated from the position of under study to the powers of the Bay
Buckley and Mayne became at outs; the former had a little deal in San Diego in
connection with the control of the city water supply; Mayne decided to checkmate
him, and did so.
Shortly after, Mayne adopted Della Shipton and brought her
to this city, accompanied by her sister Elsie. Then the charge of rape was
preferred and Mayne was arrested, thrown into jail, and subsequently tried and
convicted. At the trial Elsie swore positively that Mayne had had criminal
relations with her, and Della, the defendant’s daughter by adoption,
corroborated her statement.
Immediately after his conviction, Mayne appealed to the
Supreme Court, including among the formal papers several affidavits of
witnesses who swore that their testimony at the trial had been given under
pressure brought to bear by friends and relatives. Among these was Della
Shipton, who made the following statement:
“First – All the testimony I gave at the trial of C. E.
Mayne was false. I was forced by threats to say what I did. C. E. Mayne was not
in bed with me and Elsie,” as testified to by me.
[“Mayne Set Free. – The District Attorney Moves To Dismiss
The Case. – Awaited Action by the Supreme Court for Two Long Years – Witnesses
for the Prosecution Say Their Testimony Was False.” Los Angeles Times (Ca.),
Oct. 26, 1897, part II, p. 9]
This story is wild. They set this poor guy up and faced no charges!!! Totally insane. Too bad the news didn't press the issue and do follow-ups on these creeps. Great article.
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