Sunbury American. [volume] (Sunbury, Pa.) 1848-1879, 1857-05-09
[From the Philadelphia Evening Builetin.l
THE BLAIR COUNTY TRAGEDY.
Trial Of David s. McKim, for the Murder Of
Samuel r.. NorcroS

samuel IT, Norcron. l.
HoLIIpAYsBuRe, May /, ls57.--The morn
ing session of the Court was consumed in
empaunelling jury. Eleven we're obtained
before the regular panel Of dS was exhausted
remaining one was the eighteenth on the
list of talesmeu. Fifteen OF the challenges !
were peremptory, the remainder for cause. A
great deal Of time was consumed, yet the jury
was completed much sooner than was expect 4
ed. The Court adjourned at IL o'clock.
AT o'clock, p. NJ, the trial was opened
by the District Attorney giving an elaborate |
and interesting history of the case.
The first witness called upon the stand was |
JoHN CALLAHAN, who testified to the find |
ing Of Norcross in dying condition, unable |
to articulate. on the south side of the railroad
track, two miles west of Altoona. The club
and razor, with which it is alleged Norcross
was killed, we're exhibited in the Court. Both |
we're recognized by witness, who also recog-
nized the travelling box, violin box, fur cap
and shawl worn by deceased.
THOMAS McREIAAE. sworn--Testided TO
nearly the same thing, and also identified
numerous articles, and described the Dature
of deceaseds wounds.
VALENTINE DILLER testified as 70 the ind-
ing Of the body, its removal to Altoona, aud
the blood found on various parts of t be track.
He identified all the articles except the coat.
His cross-examination elected nothing worthy
of note.
MosEs DouTy. Esq, sworn.-1s Justice
of the Peace in Altoona passing the Ex-
change Hutel heard Of ihe accident or muir
der; went in and found the man lying upon
the settee, unable to articulate took two
letters from him in order to ascertain who be
was; also, u silver watch, breast-pin and porte
monnaie containing a sl0 gold piece, five
gold dollars and 81 bill on the Fox Lake
Bank. Articles produced and identified.
JoHN M'CHARTERs, sworn Keeps the
Eagle Hotel in Pittsburgh; identified Fox
Lake Bank bill as one he had given in change
to a man named Norcross in payment of his
bill Hotel register of the Eagle Hotel pro-
duced Norcross came to my house on the
l4th, had his name registered, and also, as he
said, that of his friend David Mckinney. of
Philadelphia. Saw Norcross and defendant
in company frequently When former paid
the bill saw a $40 gold piece in his possession
and other money.
SAMUEL MCMA MAsTERs, clerk Of the hotel,
testified to seeing Norcross and defendant at
the hotel in the morning after coming out
from breakfast That McKim leaned over
the counter and told him confdentially that
he bad great trouble with Norcross that he
was subject to fits, and at times it would take
two or three men to hold him; that the night
previous he Norcross. had slipped out Of
bed, and awoke him-the defendant-by at
tempting to beat his brains ont against the
wall. Witness was further informed by de-
fendant that he was taking Norcross from the
West to his friends in the East and that he
had great trouble with him as he made every
endeuvor to commit suicide while laboring
under one of those fits.
JACOB SHINBo, the ostler at the Eagle
Hotel testified to taking the baggage from
the Pennsylvania and Ohio baggage room in
in Allegheny to the Penna. depot in Pitts
burg, and to seeing the men at the depot in
Pittsburgh, and to seeing the men at the
depot in company. He does not recognize
Mex i'm, but remembers the trunks.
JosHuA CREssoN, sworn.--Was baggage
master on the express train which went down
| on the 10th Of January, and the trunks now
in Court were not called for on said day.; gave
| them i'll charge of the baggage MASTER
ID. h GARRET, baggage agent at Pbladel-
| phia. testified to receiving the baggage from
| Cresson. AT the request of the prosecution,
unssRr sR htSefs tef tnass Atqd Esqa Sad ID ha dk
had been in his possession ever since. The
trunk of Norcross he had delivered to Mr..
| Poland, q relative Of Norcross.
The cross-examnatiou for the defence ell
cited nothing new.
For the prosecution, the trunk marked Nc
X i'm was opened, and the contents were ex-
posed to the Court and Jury.
MAY 2.-JosHUA CREssoN was the first
witness called tits morning, He test fed to
The manner of wing ont checks, and dent Fed
| those upon the truRks Of Mckim and Nor
cross. Saw the former frequently in the
baggage room in Philadelphia. and always
observed the original check on it as placed
there by him. In the cross-examination he
| explained the manner of knowing his checks
but would not say that he gave them out in
Pittsburgh. lie could not recognize McKim.
JosEPH GRANT, sworn.--RecogDizes the
| prisoner at the bar. Knew him to work on
Thurlow's job on the Pennsylvania Railroad
q miles above Altoona, as boss carpenter
in 1854
MOSES DoUrr, Esq, was recalled, and tes-
tilted TO seeing a club with knots upon it,
The wound on Norcross looked as il made
by this club.
- PURCELL Engineer, was sworn, and
testified to the finding Of the body.
GEORGE CRAMER, sworn.--Testifed to tax
ing charge of the body Of Norcross.
DR.. G. A. LANDS testified to having made
posi- mOftcW examination OF the body O
N"rcross. The body was of medium size
probably not exceeding 5 feet 6 inches in
height-conIormatio rather delicate. Or
external examination Of the hody. the most
remarkable thing was the wound on the bead
and the face very much swollen. The first
wound was on the throat, in length A inches
this wound divided the skin ana cellula,
tissue, exposing freely the upper portion O.
the wlnd-ppe the carotid artery and jugula,
vein were untouched; the wound presented
the appearance of having been produced b,
a sharp instrument; another wound was OBJ
served on the inferior maxilary bone, neal
the china lacerated, confused wound abou,
an inch long, Upon further examination,
discovered the inferior maxilIary bone frac
tured Another wound was observed on the
left side OF the face, commencing at the angle
of the jaw, and extending along the base an
inch, or an inch and half The wound was
evidently produced by a sharp cutting instru
ment. Another wound was observed com
mencng above the external angle of the