Litchfield enquirer., 1830-09-02
Trial Of JOHN FRANCIS KKAPP, for the murder cf Capt. Joseph White, ef SG-

teNS, M0SS. HA
 The facts necessary to be stated to those who are unacquainted with them. for the proper understanding of this case. are simply these :-On the evening OfIhe sixth of April. 1880, MT. Joseph White, rich and respect able citizen of Salem. Massachusetts, retired to bed at his usual hour of about nine o'clock. { He was an aged man of about 82 years. It so occurred, as the trial will show, that the 1 d0mcstics were all of them absent but two. l Tn inc morning he was found dead in his bed, l with severe blow on his head and stabbed in 1 many pIaces near and about his heart. No 1 money or property seemed to be taken away, 1 and the motives of the murderer were wrap 1 ned in mystery. The citizens of Salem con- { vencd and appointed committee OfsiSiIance, ] to seek for the perpetrator. For some ume' there was no clue obtained, though every ex- 1 ertion was used. At last, number of lnd'- l viduals were arrested, among whom were the two Knapps and the two Crow ninshields.
 On Tuesday, 2d August, the Court met for the trial of the persons accused. Present. JupGEs PUTNAM, WILDE and MoRToN. The Attorney and Solicitor General. together with the Hon. Daniel Webster, attended in be- half of the government, as conductors 0t the prosecutiOE against the person charged oft murder. There was tremendous rush for entrance, and counsel for the government en- tered a aolle prosequi upon the indictments for merly found, and the grand jury returned two new indictments. John Francis Knapp, Jo- seph Jenkins Knapp and George Crownin- shield were set to the bar and one Ofthe new indictments was read % them.
 Testimony was here introduced to prove the manner ofMr. Whites death, his situation when discovered, &c.
 Dr. Samuel Johnson, tho physician who A. aI~ |, its position and the wounds upon tt, as they have been already stated in the published ac- counts. There was wound on the temple, and the scull was broken by some smooth in- strument, which did not break the skin.- There were also thirteen stairs in the side near the heart with a sharp instrument, six in front and seven lower down near the spine. Three ribs were broken. There was nothing to in- dieate any struggle, and it is probable that death was accustomed by the first blow on the temple.
 The Attorney General said that having proved the murder, he would proceed to prove that there was a combination formed to commit it. He called Joseph Jenkins Knapp. IT.. one of the prisoners under indictment, and asked him if he was willing to be sworn. He replied in the negative. The Attorney Gen. eral had previously stated in his opinion, that after the arrest of the Knapps. at the request of several respectable citizens of Salem, he had authorized, in writing. the Rev. Mr. Col man to receive the voluntary confession Of any one ufthe prisoners. without naming any one, and requesting him to say that on such Ons coming forward and disclosing the truth, relating to the transaction, he should be call cd as the witness of the government, and would thereby receive the implied pledge of the g0verument that he should not be prose- cuted4 for,the offence. This he said he was %by statute authorized to do. In consequence oflhis Mr. COlmaD, did receive full confess jon from Joseph J. Knapp Jr. but on being called t0 testify before the Grand Jury, he re- fused to answer. The Attorney General now informed him, that the offer was now made to him, to receive him as the witness of the government, and that if he refused to testify, the pledge that he should be protected was redeemed. He as asked, do you still refuse to testify. He replied do. Messrs. Dexter and Gardiner stated that his refusal to testify was not in consequence of their advice. He acted on his own responsibility. He was then remandesRt0 prison.
 .Joka Lesgktoa. a laborer on the farm of John Davis, of Wenhaus, where Joseph J. Knapp, jr. and family lived, in the i8th year of hts age, swOre that within week before the murder, he believed the Friday before, after dinner, he left the house of Mr. Davis to 20 to work. and after passing down an aven- saes he went through gate, and set down be- hind the same, to wait for Mr. Davis.- While he was there, he heard two men CO.,
 ming in the same direction, tn conversation and looking through the gate, without rising so as to be seen, observed that it was Joseph and Francis Knapp; he knew them both when they reached the gate he heard Joseph say, "When did you see Dick I" "I see him this morning." was the reply Of Francis. When IS he going to kill the old man !" "I don't know" Joseph then said, '' If he don't kill him soon, I won't pay him." They then turned about and witness heard no more of the conversation. He could not be under any mistake about the conversation they were not more than three or four feet from him. He had mentioned this conversation to Thom- as Hart. but when called upon and carried to Mir. Waters office, he was good deal fright ened and refused to state it, saying he could not recOllect any thing. The first intima- ton which he gave of any knowledge of the murder. was in the sh0p of Mir. Stenat, Dr. Kilham being present. It was before he knew there was . reward offered. Stenat asked him about the murder, and he replied "they think don't know any thing about it. but l guess know more than they think for" He then checked himself because he was afraid if he told of them and they got clear they would kill him. s.a
 a TRe Rev. MT. COlmaa testified that he had AN.- Al A