Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1856-06-18
THE ALEXANDRIA COUNTY MURDER
Examination Of Accused Commitm
iREPoRrED FOR THE STAR.

The examination of Samuel Howard charged
with the murder of his brother, William How
ard, In the county Of Alexandria, on last Sat.
urday evening, took place yesterday morning
before Justice Hunter.
The clothes and knife, red with blood, fou nd
on the accused were brought into court, and
the accused himself, who either is, or feigns
to be half.witted, was placed at the bar.
c. Stuart, Esq attended the examina-
tion on behalf Of the Commonwealth
The magistrate office was thronged through
manifested in the examination
DR.. M. M. Lewis sworn Made a post NOR
tenn examination Of the body on Sunday morn
ing; found two wounds on the left side, the
largest of which, about two inches long, en-
tered just below the nipple, separated the ribs,
and pierced the left verticle of the heart !;
three other wounds were also discovered on
the right side, approaching the back; these
cuts were very severe, but hardly fatal the
wounds were all such as might have been
made by that knife, (the one on the table,
and the larger one caused death almost in.
stantly.
DR.. w. II. Frazier sworn.-Assisted DR..
Lewis in the examination, and corroborates
his statement.
Noah Drummond sworn On the evening of
last Saturday, Sam Howard was at my house;
he had in his hand that knife, (the one on the
table,) fourishing it about; took hold of it,
examined it, and several times made him nut
itup; he said he bought it to keep off Fra
zier's folks; he had on a shirt and hat similar
to those on the table; they were not then
bloody; the knife he placed in one pocket and
q porter bottle Of whisky in the other, but
saw no bundle about him when he left he
went in the direction the body was found
William Mclean sworn Driving home
from Washington, it was about o'clock, on
Saturday evening, had just entered my gate,
when that man (the prisoner) came towards
me muttering something I could not under
stand; noticed that he was very bloody, his
face especially, being as CORY as though he
had dipped his hand in blood and smeared it;
l motioned him to 60 away, and left him.
James Jones, swOrn.-The accused and I
work for Mr.. A. r. Frazier, and have rooms
together; on Saturday evening he started for
Georgetown, and it was night when return
ing, he went up to bed ; in the morning no
ticed bundle and his hat at the foot of the
bed very bloody, but supposing that he had
been in q fight 1 thought little about it, men.
tioning, however, the matter to Mr.. Frazier
as came down to breakfast; as soon as /
heard that William Howard was murdered L
went back to the room; the prisoner was yet
in bed, covered up aid seemingly DESTROYS of
avoiding the light tried to get him up, but
u
Of water, and as he drank / noticed that
knife (the one on the table, beneath him; 1
then left him until the inquest, when, upon tho
Coroner requesting me TO take charge of him,
l went to his room, with Mr.. Reding, and
made him get up the position of the knife
had been changed lit was now under a corner
of the bed and covered by bloody shirt, bis
pantaloOns were also bloody; l gave these
bloody things in charge of Mr.. RediDg to carry
IN ha nd hon ha
me is he dead" told him yes then he
asked me lit was his brother; then he said,
Will they hang me-" and then will they
take me to Alexandria, following it with the
remark, "It is Sunday, they won't take me
of Sunday" Whilst on the way to Alex
andria the accused said the cause of it was
that his brother had knocked him down,
kicked him, took away his tobacco and
matches, and was searching his pockets; but
he did not say he killed his brother he showed
witness scar on his face, it was fresher than
it is now.
Thomas Reding swOrn.-COrrObOrated the
testimony of Jones as to the bloody articles;
the blood on the shirt was not quite dry in the
places whore it had been rolled up away from
the air, and it came off ON his hands.
During the examination, the accused, Of his
own accord, in a broken, disconnected, sing
song way, said his brother was always after
thought he had money, and would take what
ever he had away that this time his brother
met him, took away bis tobacco and matches,
hit him here, Ipointing to a scar on the face
Knocked him down, kicked him, and was put
ting his hands in his pockets when he took
little knife and struck him; then he lifted BIN
up on his knee, and thus got the blood on the
shirt, &c.
At the close of the trial the magistrate asked
him some questions, but he appeared to be 20
deaf that the loudest hallooing produced no i'm
preston on him. Mr.. Frazier volunteered to
make him understand by signs, and showing
him the knife, making at the same time mo-
tlOns as If to stab, the accused turned his head
away, and drawled in a sing-song tone,
L don't want it; ii never have any kind of
knife again as long as l live, indeed won t."
Anthony K. Frazier sworn.-The accused
lives with me have often heard him COM
plain of his brother, that he would not let him
see his mother but would beat him off, and
that whenever he had n chance he would take
his little provisions, tobacco, &c from him
near my gate on Sunday morning picked I'D,
lying scattered about on the ground, six or
seven plugs Of tobacco and box Of matches
VIM Mclean recalled The scene of the
murder showed, about in places, signs of q
violent tussle
Upon the conclusion Of the examination,
throughout which the accused wore q half
stupid half. puzzled look,) the justice commit
ted him to Jail to await further hearing
at the examining court, which sits the first
Monday in July whence the prisoner will be
sent on for trial at the November Circuit