Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1858-01-09
LOCAL INTELLIGENCE.


terdaY, the Count was engaged in empanneling
jury In the case Of the United states u.s. Benis.
min Woods, charged with the murder of a free
negro man, named Samuel Brown on the 18th
day OF September, 1857. The following iury
after some time time passed in putting the usual
questions to the jurors, as to having formed or
expressed opinions in relation the guilt or in
noCeDce Of the prisoner about to be tried and as
10 conscientious scruples in relation to capital
punishment, was sworn viz Theodore Bou-
cher, Edward Tolson, John n Crockwell, Ben
jamn ii. SothoTon, George w Talbot, Henry
M. Hurdle, Lewis Brooks, W illIam Sanderson,
James W CoombS, Alfred RAY. and John F..
Neall. Mr.. Maury the acting District Attorney
in the absence of MIR. Key, stated the case TO the
jury at some length. Mr.. Bradley, jr., for the
defence, stated that they would defer any Ks
until after the W tnesses for the United States
should have been examined
Mr.. Maury then called for the prosecution
RRgh Regain, sworn-Mr. Perry, Charley
Sharp and W Gods came to Witness house on one
Sunday evening in the fall; IL about night;
they had a glass Of ale apiece; then they had
some conversation together about how Sharp had
travelled through the country; in a few minutes
Brown came in the back way, and asked witness
TO give him glass Of brandy; witness gave it to
him; then W Gods had Bible in his hands and
said il was IN pretty large print; Brown said he
had i've numbers OF the Catholic Bible, and
would like to get the rest of the numbers from
MI Perry; he said he was no Catholic, but be-
longed 10 the Odd Fellows and F rec Masons but
that his parents were Catholics; at this Woods
gave the grip TO Brown to see il Brown was
speaking the TRUTH at this w Gods shook Brown
on, and told him to 90 away, black son of
bitch; then he struck at him. and Brown went
out of the back door; as he going Woods
picked up drinking glass and made IL 10
throw 10 At Brown but witness caught his hand
and detained him: Woods then pulled of his
coat and followed Brown ont witness heard no
more for Il few minutes, at the expiration Of
which Woods came back, with Browns hat aud
piece of his coat, saying, 'the black son Of a
bitch, he had got that much ont Of him. saw
fhl Of nAaf. Led b., ~
Brown had on, and filed the rent In the coat he
had on when in the room; TIE hat was like the
one Brown had Oh when witness saw him leave
the house; Woods went to the back kitchen. and
tearing the bat in pieces threw il out Of the back
kitchen window; witness more of Brown.
but Lew Davis and Bill Brown took tea with
witness that night, and went away; witness saw
knife in Woods hand at that time; il was like a
spanish dirk; the knife was closed; this in
the county of Washington, and on Seventh street
this side OF the Park Hotel
CrOsS-sIGminsd.-Witnes is certain the knife
was closed; was examined at the Jail in relation
to the matter, one at that examination asked
witness about the knife; witness did then tell
that he did not know the kind OF knife, or its
size: witness recollects the matter better than
he did at that time; witness said at the time that
he saw something shining in Woods hands;
WitnesS's wife was not in witnesses store at the
time, but in the back roOm witness had not
drank anything that night; knew Sharp before;
Brown had been at witness's house before, some
two or three times; Woods used his rig ht hand
when about to throw the tumbei; when he re-
AFTER going Out, ne had tie ldt and knife
ia the right hand and the piece of coat in his left
hand; witness knew the knife, having il
many times before; witness could not say whether
the ends Of the handle were Of silver brass,
having never scrutniztd il; one end Of the han
die Of the knife was visible, not being concealed
by his hand.
H,"ry w. Perry, sworn.-Witness went into
Ragan'S with Woods and sharp; w GODS called
for drinks. and all then drank; II was on Sunday
evening, about X O'Clock there a candle
lighted In the blr-room they went In the side
Rrnxu
afteIwaTd; lac asked witness ii he could get him
The Bible in numbers, saying that hr wanted the
Catholic Bible for his mother, she having already
nve numbers; witness asked Brown his name,
he wrote and gave to Witness who was examn-
ing il when he heard w Gods and Brown talking
about Odd Fellowship; Brown was claiming to
be an Odd Fellow; " GODS and rown exchanged
grips by shaking hands, Brown said that w Gods
mad not given the right grip; they shook hands
occurred W oods sPrang up, saving .syou son Of a
bitch, III kill YOU" Raglan and witness took
hold OF W Gods on either side, and held hini
Woods jumped entirely out of his coat, and
Brown left the house Woods followed him in
In that manner; witness tLen went into the kitch-
en- and stayed till IL WAS all over, and then came
In again. don't know If sharp went out At all;
Woods and sharp soon came in; Woods came in
the Kitchen with piece Of the hat in his hand
and part OF the coat; witness lid not w Gods
when lie returned To the bar after following the
negro out; Woods said that lac had got that much
al The negro saw not nin@ else in his hands; saw
the negro no more; Woods spoke in jocnlar
way he did not seem 10 be in anger at all, but
elated; Woods said h. had cut Brown i'm the
skirts OF his coat; witness started TO 90 home
IND GODS told witness to 90 home with MIN
(Soods) for Tear tue culoTed people would attack
lin or whip him witness refused and went
home by himself; witness saw W Gods pick No a
fumbler but he didn't throw it; il was three or
four IIinhtes after w Gods went out before he re-
turned
f|Oss-sraniHsd Witness don't know what
became of Raglan after witness went To the kitch-
en-; witness was In the three lower roorns but
don know how many lower rooms there are TO
The house, could not describe the rooms; there
was an old man in the Kitchen smoking a pipe
witness had been to tie house but once prryi.
ous!y; sharp was with Woods when he returned
TO the Kitchen, after coming coming back from
IolowlnS the negro; Witness had taken but one
drlnk; witness met Woods first that day at the
Park; witness saw no knife in Woods hand at
The uine he came In the kitchen.
Or. Nm b. Bun, swo'n.-Saw Brown on the
night when he was cut; about halt past eight
O'Clock Sunday mig lat; was sent for to SIC him:
he was lying in front Of the door of Il house oc-
cunled by one shaw; looked at him, and il being
DARK had ll2 hts Produced, and then examined
lin; his clothes were saturated with blood and
on the left side of the abdomen WIS a wound
through which the bowels Were protrudny; the
wound was about half an inch in width; the IN
struInent with which il was done had penetrated
fts inner coating Of the abdomen; visited him
afferward. and lac died the following Wrdnes-
DAY; In the opinion of witness, he died from the
effects Of that wound was not present when he
died when found lac was lying wooden plat
form in front Of the door of Shaw's house; il is
on the west side OF Seventh street, between O
and X ST. Gets, witness thinks about two souarrs
this side OF the Park, and from ~ to 100 Yards
fiOm Rayan's house; when witness first saw the
negro he had on a summer coat OF striped cloth
CTOSy-srGbGts>d.-The wound was not uece,-
sdTlly fatal; made post item examiuat ON:
If 50 could have spoken with more certainty;
without a post mortem examination IN such cases
there Is always some degree of uncertainty a. to
the wound producing death; (witness here cited
several cases where wounds of that character had
been supposed TO be- mortal, but which post NOR
TEN examinations had afterwards proved to the
rontrary;) wss present at the Jail when Raglan
was examined.
Dorothy ShGtc. swOrn-On SUNDAY night be-
tween and O'Clock in the month of S~ptem-
Der. Blown raped at Witness door; witness
beins IN bed did not get up; heard men saving
that man was stabbed; got up and looksd out
and saw men with liz hts carrying the wounded
man oil; about half hour afteTward some one
came ia a great hurry and rspp-d violently at the
door, and finally came in at the side gate; wit