The daily exchange. [volume] (Baltimore, Md.) 1858-1861, 1858-11-08
THE MURDER or ROBERT M. RiGDON.
ADDITIONAL FACTS AND PARTICULARS.
TESTIMONY BEFORE THE CORONER'S JURY.
INDICTMENT OF THE MURDERERs
ACTION OF THE CITIZENS.
THEFUNERAL oBsEoulEs.
Incidents, &c.


inquest was held in the of officer Robert NJ Rigdon
whose cruel and cowardy assassination in his own house
has greatly startled and alarmed the community
it impossible to prepare in time for publication in is
of Saturday anything like full and detailed account
Of the particulars attending this horrible tragedy Th
omission We supply today.
THE MURDER.
The deceased eight O'Clock on Friday evening lef
the Western police station for his home having been pre
viousy cautioned by CAPTAIN neyeayer who had bearf
that threats had been made against his life Oh hi
guard and to remain at home until the excitement attend
ing the rendition of the verdict against Henry Gambri
had subsided-the feeling against the deceased and thu
threats OF vengeance upon him having grown out of his
having testified positively in the to the guilt
Gambril The deceased had also heard of these threats
again his life from other parties but stated that as he
was unable to trace them to any reliable direct source
he considered them only idle bravado. Upon leaving
the station house however he proceeded home and hat
been there but short time when the assassination
piece i'll the sitting room of his house in conversation will
his wife, who sitting by while a small child
whom he had found in the street and taken into his fami
y was playing at his feet Within two feet of where hi
was standing small window opened into the yard in the
rear of the dwelling and the had gained access
to the yard by way of the alley and fired through th
window the weapon used being old fowlng piece Gu
down to length of about eighteen inches and heavily
loaded with slugs. simultaneously with the discharge
the weapon Rgdon exclaimed Il shotl' instantly
fell to the floor; the only subsequent signs life that he
gave being the uterance of single groan of agony.
| ARREST OF THE MURDERERs
AT the time of the commission of the murder policeman
Jno Cook was opposite to the dwelling on Baltimore
street. and hearing the report Of the pistol across
but before he had reached the premises o
the alley running with revolver in his hand and upon
twice at him. without effect when he again started at full
speed up Baltimore street Officer Cook followed in pur
suit and after being thus fired drew his own revolver
ana also hred two shots at the fugitive AT the ntersec
tion of Baltimore and Pine streets the again turned
and fired at the officer, which shot, the latter returned
but again without effect. This exciting chase
tinued until they had reached Penn street. where
his pistol Officers Jamison and Higgins here up
and aided in conveying the prisoner to the Western police
| Corrie, butcher residing the Hookstown road.
Intelligence of the murder having been communicated
to Mayor Swami and Deputy States Attorney Pink
ney, they proceeded to the station house, where Mar
sha Herring had already arrived and made the necessary
arrangements for examination. Upon the prisoner be
ing araEned before the Mayor he stated that he would
make full confession of his participation in the horrible
tradegy when he protested that he did commit the
murder but had gone the place with Marion Cropps
who fired the pistol he having waited at the mouth of the
alley whilst Crops had gone up to the window and fired
the fatal shot The MayOr thereupon issued warrant
for the arrest of Crops the murderer
Core thereto, and also upon charge
| having attempted to shoot officer Cook.
An examination of the hat of Corrie showed one
the balls fired by Cook is supposed had passed through
The Mayor next proceeded to the Middle district police
station, whittier Crops had been conveyed by Lieut.
Carmichael and Sergeant Charles McComas who had
feced his arrest at the tavern of Erasmus Levy Ho
day street Baltimore The accused was aragned be
fore the Mayor who fully committed him await the
ton OF the Grand Jury.
THE CoRONER'S INQUEST AND MoRTEM EXAMINATION.
Coroner Greenree about eleven O'Clock Friday night
proceeded to the Western police station to hold in
quest in the case and summoned the following citizens
jurors:
Caleb Doty, tforeman) salesman No $50 German street.
Bernard G. Reed teacher residence No. Josephine ST.
Robert Hamilton, carpenter, residence No 1l3 Vine ST.;
James Moulon residence 4S2 West baltimore street:
John Tucker, Street Commissioner 4s5 W Baltimore
William Weir, confectiOner, No 523 West Baltimore st
Green daguerreotypst No l46 East Madison street
Michael ~ Ege, iron railing dealer 374 W. Baltimore ST.
Joseph X Minor clerk No. Is North Schroeder
Samuel H. B. Merryman, salesman, Gen. Wayne Inn;
Albert Bell hackman, No. South Green street; John
Penn blacksmith Baltimore street near Green John Butt
residence not known.
The jury having been sworn it stated to them that
Marion Crops, one of the accused murderers had few
days previous, exhibited number persons the
of Baltimore and Green streets several bullets with
which he declared he intended to kill policeman of the
Western district The jury decided that was
important that post mOrtem examination should be
made, with a view to the ascertainng with what the
weapon used was charged
Dr. Geo Farnands, ofthe surgeons at the Amshouse
accordingly summoned for that purpose, and the
jury for an hour to await the result of his
animation.
After probing the wounds of which there were five
upon the left side of the chest doctor proceeded
fully and kully to raise the heart bone of the
so as to allow the hand to be easily used among the
tines The chest found be filled blood
violent internal hemorrhage. Scarcely any blood flowed
from the puncures caused by the entrance of the balls
1t was found that the percardium sack around the
heart penetrated and the life itself slightly
grazed The ball that made incision in the heart
tered at the nth rib passing up in obque drec
ton through the pericardum grazing the heart and bury
ing itself in the superior vein blood vessel which
passed directly through the sixth rib the lowest ball
tered between the eighth and ninth ribs The lungs
the deceased found to be perfectly rddledno less
than eleven uncture being discovered in them Six holes
found in the left, and five in the right lung Only
two balls were discovered in the body mbedded in the
left lung and the other the liver, lying loose in the
cavity of the right chest. Both the balls found were
leaden and notlarger than buck shot The post
examination showed the deceased to be in perfect
health and in the prime fife and vgor.
At the close of the past mortem examination which
late home of the deceased and occupied
hour a FarDandis md he
returned the station house and the examination of wit
nesses before the jury commenced the evidence adduced
being follows:
DR.. Geo C. Farnandis testified that he held the post
orem examination upon the body of the deceased officer
Rigdon that he had discovered five balls to have entered
the left side of the deceasedfour of them penetrating the
lungs and entering the percardium and grazing the
heart Either of the four balls that entered the chest
would have caused death. One ball found imbedded
in the lobe of the left lung another in the right cavity
of the chest. One of the balls necessarily fatal
having penetrated the large vein which leads to the
heart.
Miss Sarah Hall, sworn.-shortly before the murder
which witness stated took place at fifteen minutes past
eight O'Clock gentleman entered the and enquired
if she had anything like knit shirts for sale he
some time with witness, and also with Mrs Rgdon; he
seemed to be considerably intoxicated and occasionally
glance towards the place where deceased stand
ing; Rigdon standing the time in a small room in
the Of the store and it is separated therefrom by
door with sash work in the upper part after convesing
with the man Mrs Rigdon proceeded and talked with her
husband seeing that the much intoxicated she
went to ask Mr. RgdOn put him out only three four
minutes elapsed from the time that the left when the
cioNS
him frequently Baltimore street, Mr.. Rgdon him
whilst he in the store; he standing in the back
room leaning against the manel piece; the fellow looked
towards the back several times Witness here
planned the jury the several positions which the parties
occupied She again stated that she would know the
cused, she has certainly seen him many times Balt
street, has been the employ of the deceased for
two years and three months the accused was much ntoXi
Gated lit here suggested that the prisoners in the
back should be produced in order to whether
witness could identify the accused The suggestion
acted upon and half dozen exhibited to the jury
who had been arrested for various msdemeanors during
the night Witness Immediately pointed out the accused;
she knew it him; he had a glazed cap the
cap which he when he in the store THE fellow
had wild haggard look and his had been bleeding
profusely.)
John Cook, sworn.-Is policeman Of the Western
district; few minutes previous to the affair stand
ing on Paca street conversing with friend and had
started down the with the intention going
the Holiday Street Theatre when he heard the report of
pistol he Baltimore street at the time and seen
two parties running from Rigdons house, witness started
in pursuit and about fifteen feet off the prisoner
when the latter shot him. witness then drew his revol
yer and fired at the prisoner several times he then got
him Penn street. the other side of the sidewalk
thinks he has the prisoner oen he almost di
recty opposite the house of Rigdon when he first
him. witness shot at him on Baltimore and on Pine streets
when COrre shot him. Corrie shot him twice. witness
would have returned the fire sooner but prepared
he not able to draw his pistol from his pocket both
the men who from Rigdon's house good sized
men, witness is sure that the with the glazed cap
(Corrie was the man. as he never lost sight of him.
Franklin Dennison, sworn-Is police officer of the
Western district; he in German street Pine,
when he running, and also crowd as if in
pursuit witness also heard shooting and following the
parties first took hold of Corrie Cider alley he made
resistance exhibited weapon there two other
officers up and crowd of citizens around them did
not any pistol or bullets.
Sergeant Hough, sworn-Exhibited pistol which he
had found shortly after the murder had been committed
directly underneath the window of Rgdon's house, the
back window near which Rgdon had been standing; the
cap empty exploded; there no load in it. had
an army on it, and its bands had been cut off for
venicnce sake ten minutes previous to the murder wit
Crops and Corre engaged in conversation
the of Baltimore and Green streets after they
went into public house the Western police staton
there not any other parties with them; it just
twenty minutes after o'clock when witness
them in the public house.
Witness here showed the jury how easy it for
to conceal the pistol by placing it up his coat sleeve
wihsanding the weapon large and heavy, and about
eighteen inches length had also Crops and Corrie
at halfpast five O'Clock, at the Lexington market when
of them appeared to have suspected that it
pistol it Crops who had it, and witness
the butt of it, he had it his coat Sleeves when he first
them witness standing the edge of the Lex
ingon market and the fact that Crops held of his
in such attracted the attention of Witness
he mentioned the fact to friend certain that it
either pistol knife; he then lost sight of him. and
saw him afterwards.
Officer Higgins testified that his evidence the
officer Cooks; that they in company and had
gone into house Rgdon heard the shot and rush
ed out Cook about Is yards ahead of wi ness; fol-
lowed the pursuer and pursued till the latter arrested
Penn street. Cider alley, by officer Jamison;
witness grabbed hold of pistol when he the
that had gathered about the prisoner did not know whose
pistol the weapon erkcd OF witnesses hand
before he had time find owner; it dark that
witness could not who jerked the pistol from him:
first Corrie the opposite side from Rigdon's
house
Officer Jamison testified that he was the first man
who laid hands the prisoner he German
Pine when he first the man followed by the
crowd; thought it a mob following him; stepped
Is mr.