Delaware weekly Republican. [volume] (Wilmington, Del.) 1841-188?, 1857-05-07

cusED. April 3p.--lt had
been anticipated that the trial of d yd Strh-
ger Mckim woHld come OFF on MOudoy, tie
p th instant, the first day Of the Court. The
large number of trivial cases, however, pre-
vented this, although at the time specified
nearly all the witnesses of both the prosecu-
ton and the defence were in attendance.
BEFORE THE TRIAL.--rhe scene at the prin-
cipal Hotel in the town was curious one. The .
large number of persons who were on hand (
and either directly or indirectly Interested. 1
amused themselves by lingering upon the prem
Uses and collecting in groups, speaking OF the
pecularaggravatlng circumstance sthat had at-
tended the commission Of the crime. From !
Chester and Delaware, appeared those who
had known the accused IN past timos-irom
Dubuque, Iowa, and Duneith, Illinois, came
acquaintances Of young NOrcross, and froia
East Lexington, Mass, his immediate relatives
were there. Pottsvie, Reading, Sullivan
County, Altoona, Pittsburgh and Philadelphia
contributed their quota, and mere complete
list of these willing to testify certainly had
never before been collected together.
Why INTEREST IS MANIFEsTED.-The delay
that occurred before the advent Of the trial
was time of much anxiety, and the general
petty course cases excited but little attention,
us compared with the main theme. The fact
that murder had been committed alone was
sufficient to induce the feelings of eyOry lover
OF justice, but when combined with this was
taken into consideration the peculiarly aggra-
waiting details that were attendant, sympathy
and every other active impulse Of the human
mind became aroused. A young, inuocUnt
and contiding youth, leaving his parental home
to battle with tho world Of the West-with the
blessings of his father, the embrace oihis mother
atiectionatc kisses oilis sisters upou hihl--wth
high hopes and imagings, anu an earnest re
| solve to attain for himself competence, Is, on
his return with all these hopes fulfilled, struck
dead by the hand OF an assassin. But not
struck dead, for grooming, manslcd, bleeding,
tho dawn of morning sees him upon the cold
ground, alone and helpless. The icy winds are
blowing, and as he dies, his limbs freeze, and
with the single ejaculation Of "My Cod"
his spirit flies to the Giver.
Is 1t any wonder that The people of Altoona
aroused themselves with the intention of exc
cutting fearful and summary vengeance ON the
supposed author Of this atrocious Outrage Is
it any wonder that from north, SOUTH east and
west, witnesses came, almost voluntarily, to
give, by their, voice, any possible clue that
could tend TO the ends of justice.
A VISIT TO THE SPOT OF THE MUREEE You
correspondence visited, yesterday, the spot Of
the murder. 1t is wild place, and just such
a one AS might with propriety have been cho-
sen. There is no house within hearing dis.
lance, and the cries of the victim might have
woke the air for long time without res
ponse; the eye of the unfortunate might have
been turned with an expression whose power
no wor Is can tell upon the upliitcd h BnG, and
no stranger gaze have witnessed it. The pile
of wood is still there, from which the fatal
stick was drawn; the iron rail upon which the
youth lay, is daily crossed by the rolling wheels
OF the passing trains, and the branches of the
trees wave above, as they did on that awful
morning. small stream, known as the Mill
Kun, is a few rods to the west ofthe place, and
the railroad, for some distances both above
and below, is straight.
VISIT TO McKIM--rHE PRosECuTIoS.-Tn Il
conversation with +. w. Boley, Esq, the con-
ductor Of the tram on the Pennsylvanip Rail-
road, that brought McKimfrom Harrisburg 10
Ilolidaysburg, we learn that his bearing, them
as now, and his whole dameanur, was That of a
man suffering wrong prosecution. On visit
10 the Jail this morning, in company with an
old companion of his from Chester, Delaware
county, this was exempliled. lie re-assertcd
MS Innocence, and in spaliing Of the counsel
who were opposed TO him, paid the highest
tribute to Mr.. VIM. A. Stokes, being lulS CON
hdent, us he said, that neither that gentleman
nor his colleague wogd usc any measures in
the least unfair or improper We may remark
ny the way, that the gcnrssr opinion is that
the prosecution could not have been entrusted
to more able or competent hands. Mckim in
CURED anxiously as to the health and condition
Of members ofhis family, but when he declared
his innocence his eyes spGrklcd, and Tor an in
slant wore most unnatural expression.
10 confess the truth, the Prosecuting Attor-
neyS have before them no easy task for to ar
range and collect, TO combine and properly
class the different items Of evidence, Ill Of
them entirely circumstantill, is not the wCrk OF
snccure. Professional skill of the highest
order must be exercised, 10 produce link 10y
INK, the chain whose forging will convict the
prisoner.
ABSTRACT OF the BILL OF ISDIcTNENr.-r The
nn of "r,sssIt by the Grand 49,
counts.
The first Connt charges that tho said David
Strngcr McKim, did s'wiltully ID with malice
ai0relhought make an assault, AL that the said
David Stringer McKim did with certain sticl;
OF wood, in both his hands, then and there had.
on the morning OF the 10th of January, 1851,
strike the said Sunuel Townsend Nofcross it,
and upon the front part of the right side OF the
| head and face, &c, &c.
The second, third, and fourth cou.ts, with
variations OF style, are similar in tenor.
The fifth count charges the accused with
having 1" with u certain razor, Sc, held in his
right hand, Nc, the throat OF him the said
Samuel Townsend Norcross, struc, and CUT,
thereby giving one mortal wound, Sc., vi tine
depth Of two inches, &c, &c.i
The non arriv2 sitness from the West
induced the pros5cHHfRsy On Thursday morning
when the case was oSAed, to ask Tor Il Tempo
ldIy adjournment, winch was granted Ny The
Judge, the counsel for the defence, MySsrs.
lotins, Jolly, Banks and Bigler, not dissenting.
Upon the opening of the afternoon session
of the Court on Thursday, the room was crowd
ed with eager spectators, VINO awaited anxi-
ously the termination Of case OF small inl.
portancc then pending.
STARTLING TRAGEDY NEAR NEwBuRG, n. Y.
) There is great excitement at Ncwhurg, y
", in consequence Of the discovery Of thp
} body Of young and beautiful female floating
in the river. She was entirely naked, ana
, around her neck was found a cord, and from
, this circumstance, as well as from hedistorlion
OF the features it was evident hGr death ht
J been caussd by strangulaton 1t was suppo.
sed that the ruttans had first attempted to vic.
, late her person and then murdered her. None
Of her apparel was found, and the only article
5 belonging to her that has been discovered SO
far was u large cameo breach, or breastpin.
which the murderers had evidently dropped in
the hurry Of their departure from the scene OF
, the murder The features were those Of a
very Erepossessing young female of not more
than twenty years of age. She has not been
recognized.