The daily exchange. [volume] (Baltimore, Md.) 1858-1861, 1858-09-30
Ia W INTELLIGENCE.

CRIMINAL COURT-Hon. Henry Stump, Judge
Milton Whitney, Esq, States Attorney prosecu-
ting, assisted by J. d. Hamilton, Esq. o F. Hack,
W. C. Cowan and William r. Patterson, Esqrs, for
the defence.
State u.s. William G. Ford, indicted for the mur-
der of Thomas H. Burnham, by shooting him with
pistol on the 18th of July last
On the opening of the Court yesterday morning,
the Clerk read the indictment to the Jury. After
which the States Attorney opened the by
short address to the Jury, recaptulatng the
rences connected with the murder, and stating the
facts which the State intended to prove and upon
which they expected a verdict Of guilty.
The examination of the witnesses for the State
then commenced The first witness called was
William W. Webster, who was sworn.-I reside
in Baltimore; resided here all my life live in Charles
street near Barre; am constable of the 18th Ward
acquainted with Ford; known him personally
four or five months; by sight; nine ten years.
Squire Spies Office; that is my place of business
Ford came in and went to the back part OF the OF
flee and laid down, he vomited over the floor, he
was drunk; got up and asked him what was the
matter; said he had been out in a hack with
Bob Coulson and Suter that afternoon; that
they went to the house of Mary Smith in Vine
street; that he sent Coulson and Suter into the
house ahead Of him. and that if Tom Burnham or
anv body else had been there, they would have been
killed: Ford said he sent them in to see who was in
there; didn't say whether he went in; met Ford
again that night between and o'clock; he was
lying on cellar door at the corner of Conway and
Sharp streets; he was drunk; he said Caroline Dud-
ley WlSDeu 10 see me dI llldI HOuI III sliCCI
went up there with him: in going up we passed
Thomas Burnham, standing at the corner of Cam
den and Sharp streets, talking to two men, named
Myers and Hemming; we went up to the house;
Caroline Dudley out of the allev way, and
met me; was standing in the middle of Vine street,
Ford went up the steps and raped at the front
door; Mary Smith opened the window and told
Ford to go up the alley way, as she had left the key
at her sisters in Hill street; while he was talking
Burnham came from opposite side of street and went
up the alley; Ford came down and went up the al
lev also: afterwards heard a kind of noise con-
fusion in the house.
alley while Ford was on the steps? Ans. Yes sir
Examination continued.-Heard Ford call out my
name about four times; standing opposite the
house in Vine street; heard one report OF pistol;
then heard the exclamation "Oh YOU s-n OF a
b-h" then heard three more reports Of pistol
would not swear positively, that the exclamation
was in Ford's voice; not very intimate with him;
he done business at Justice Spies office for two or
three months; | rented house in Vine street, for
William Ford: Mary Smith and Caroline Dudley
occupied it: nobody else lived there, have been
there several times did not go in the house on the
nipht in question: went off with Caroline Dudley at
ter heard the firing; did not wait till Ford came out;
do not know if Mrs. Smith is sister Of Burnham 5
wife.
Cross-examination by Mr.. Cowan-l rented the
house for Mr.. Ford and gave him the key; nobody
paid the rent as months rent had not accrued;
they lived there two weeks; | visited the house
pretty often; Ford slept there every night, and
took breakfast there Ford usually went home about
nine O'Clock at night; when passed Burnham,
RECOGNIZED him and the men with him; don't know
if the men accompanied Burnham to the house; was
at the house about two minutes when | saw Burn
/ ham going up the alley; when Ford was speaking
to Mrs. Smith at the window, his back was towards
the alley: Ford had Just about time to get into the
! house when he heard the scui1le; Ford called out
'Bl" four times after that. heard the pistol shots
and the exclamation; Mary Smith lived previously
| at house on Hill street, corner OF Comb alley.
/ maid
Objected to by Mr.. Whitney, and objection sus-
! tanned by the Court.
By Mr. Hack-Only connection between Ford
! and witness was in 4 business way; we shared the
commissions fees, &C.; when he heard first pistol
! fired walked away; saw no 90 in or come out
of the house; can't swear positively 1T was Ford
voice I heard make the exclamation, "Son OF a
bitch,'' somebody hallOoed it out; the voice winch
called nv name was Ford's Caroline Dudley heard
! the whole of it.
| John Bishop sworn-Reside in Baltimore;
detective police officer; was member OF the rolce
! Department when this occurrence took place: was
| in Vine street, opposite the house OF Mrs
| Smith, between nine and ten O'CLOCK
on that night heard report of pistol also heard
! tussling: heard woman scream-took 1t to be 2
i woman's voice; heard moving of chairs; hearc
| some one halloo out 'FGot you now,' or something
to that effect; crossed the street, and went up tho
alley; when within four or five feet OF gate, me-
Ford coming out; when first saw him he had one
hand on gate post and the other on the fence look
ing back into the house; then spoke to Ford, ant
said to him, "What's the muss hereT he replied
tNothng but little disturbance; he then passe'
me and went down the alley. ! advanced to thu
gate, looked round it, into and through the house
saw a man lying on the floor in the front room
then followed Ford, and overlook him as he wa
turning from the allev into Vine street; took holt
of his arm; as he tu ned to me, saw blood on hi
face from his nose down; told him L wanted
him to go back and see what was done; II
remarked, 81 suppose you Will let me get my ring
as have lost it," we started up the alley way, ant
| infO he pistol
his hand and said, 'This is what he tried to shoe
lse with" [The witness here produced tn
pistol. 1t is a two-barrelled pistol, both barrel
loaded and capped, just as when in pos
session of the prisoner We turned into tn
; pate and entered the house; Ford wa
ahead; after getting into the house about tnre'
feet, Ford turned little to the left and halted
if looking for something; asked him to come int
, front room to get the light went in; saw ma
: living on the floor; did not know him at that time
: he was on fire; stopped down to put II out; ma
, did not breathe shirt open; the fire was d
recty over a bullet hole; saturated the shirt wit
blood from the wound to extinguish the hre; the
f made the remark to Ford, "Well, you have kille
him good;" Ford replied, ''if did, did it in sci
defence;" took the lamp and we went into the bac
: room; Ford halted at the same spot he had halte
. when we went into the house, it was about thre
feet I'M saw the ring first and Ford picked it up
i, when | turning from the body, noticed a r.
yolver in the coat pocket of Ford, the left side
. when returned with the lamp to the front roo
saw the body on fire again; took the revolver tro
e Ford in the street, he seemed surprised when too
It it; took him to the station house, then returned
It the house on Vine street. where the coroner's IL
!. quest was held. Examined the house; on gable en-
. behind the back door, discovered splash OF blood
the wall about four feet and a half from the Hoo
about three feet from floor found bullet hole in tt
e wall; found bloody print of mans hand draw
e over panel of door, extending eighteen inches fro
:. preston preston Of the palm of mans hand ar
h fingers on the edge of the door; -four
bullet in the jam of the door, on the let-hand s