The Cecil Whig. [volume] (Elkton, Md.) 1841-current, 1853-04-16
Reported for The Cecil H'hig.
Trial Ct John Pritchard.

Term, 1853; Monday, April 18th.
John Pritchard, arraigned on the
charge Of Nurder-the killing of his
wife Maria Pritchard.
Counsel for State, Grason and J. T.
Mccullough; for Defence, Creswell and
H. Mccullough.
The prisoner, plead "Not Guilty"
Forty Jurymen We're called before
panel was obtained: out of the regular
%, five We're obtained, and 7 out OF IS
tales summoned: 10 were challenged
perempiorially-nine had formed an
opinion. The following was the Jury:
Samuel A. West, N. V. Atkinson,
VIM. Lindsey, John A. Atkinson,
Lewis Crothers, Ellis Jones,
Jas. NJ. Sewall, Peter Coulter,
Charles Fl. Haines, VIM. T. Scott,
Joshua Green, Thorn. Strickland.
The following witnesses were called
in the order given.
.Hndrew Rambo.-On the morning of
Nov. 25th last, between daylight and
sunrise, found the dead body of wo-
man lying in lane between the house
Of Caroline Pritchard and the Newark
road. She was lying on her back, with
the fingers of her left hand through the
handle of a jug. There were two wounds
on her forehead. Went to my corn
field where hands were at work and
told J. Stewart. Went with Stewart to
the house of Caroline Pritchard, (the
widow;) told her | had found murder
ed woman; she asked wherel and who!
Asked her, if the woman had been at
the house; she said no mo one had
been about. There was much blood
about the yard and in "sand hole"
near by; asked her if she had seen the
blood; she said it was the blood Of rab-
bits John had killed the day before.
TCreswell objected to anything said by
her being repeated, and the state way-
ed farther questions on that point;
marks as of dragging body from the
house to the sand hole; blood along the
path from the sand hole to the place
where the bod Y was found, as If it had
been carried, and from time TO time,
laid down. Saw 2 or 3 cuts, / to ,
inches long, on forehead and several on
the back Of head; they seemed to have
been made by heavy instrument. Not
much blood where body was lying and
it seemed not to have lain there long.
Saw a hoe, hair-strlng, part of a comb
and a club, all of them bloody. Did
not see Pritchard that morning.
Cross Eramined.- Found the body
about 7 o'clock; did not know Maria;
the head was bloody; large woman,
would weigh $40 to $50 lbs, and of a
course and masculine appearance; from
her appearance | cannot say whether
she was temperate or intemperate
blood scattered about the yard in spots,
, large and small; some foot across, part
of the yard bare, part grassy; grass and
weeds on the way to the sand hole.
The field is enclosed; there was one
COW in it; COW could not break down
the weeds as they were broken; am cer-
tain it was blood on the grass. Body
had been carried from the sand-pit to
where found. Blood on hoe, and long
hair and blood on club.
(Here the club and hoe were produc-
ed.)
James Stewart.-On the 25th of No
vember last was husking corn for Mr..
Rambo within 40 or 80 yards of Pritch-
ards house; went out about sunrise;
there was no stir about the house, but a
great smoke coming out of the chimney;
my son said they were burning leather,
the smoke having peculiar smell; when
husking my third shock Rambo came
and said he had found murdered wom-
an. Went to the house, saw much
blood in the yard; some covered with
ashes, some with chips and brush, and
some places the ground had been scrap
ed up. Went to where the corpse lay;
on the way back to the house saw blood
along as though the body had been laid
down; much blood at the sand hole; from
the house to it the body had been drag
ged. Saw the hoe picked up; blood on
it, and thinks little hair; ring and a
splinter of a handle on it. Shreds OF
her dress along the way. She was a
heavy woman Of 140 or $50 lbs; hel ped
to carry her, found her heavy and thinks
9 women could not have carried her.
Cross Er.-A piece OF comb and hair
string between sand hole and where the
body lay, which was in the lane from
the house to the Newark road. Cannot
say where the hoe was picked up. Some
of the bloody spots in the yard foot
wide.
John .Nillcr.-Was on the Inquest;
found several cuts, an inch or more long,
on the head OF the corpse; pro5ed two;
found no break in the skull. Life had
not been long extinct, the body was not
stiff. Was at the house; spots of blood
of various sizes, some larger, some small.