The daily exchange. [volume] (Baltimore, Md.) 1858-1861, 1859-01-22
La W INTELLIGENCE.
TRIAL OF PETER CORRIE
AT TOWSONTOWN,
FOR THE MURDER OF POLICE OFFTcER
RIGDON
EIGHTH DAY,

DAY.
TowsONTowN, January Dist 1850
CIRCUIT COURT BALTIMORE CoUYTY-Hon Job,
H. Price, Judge. Richard j. Gttings ESQ.,, States Al
tomey prosecuting Assisted by Arthur L. Machen Esq
William F. Preston, Esq, for the defence.
state Us Peter Corrie, indicted for the murder of polio
officer Robert NJ Rigdon by shooting him with pistol
| on the 9TH of November last.
On the opening of the court this morning. Mr. William
H. welsh, who was being crossexamined by the State
the adjournment OF the court yesterday evening
| called to the stand by the State.
Witness continued.-This interview Paca and Balti
more streets took place about O'Clock; witness did no
hear anything said after Corre and Crops the
witness did not hear Crops say come on Peten wtnes
! was nearer Crops than Corrie.
Mr. Gittings-"when Mcdonald went off, did you hea
| him say there is something out I? ;"
Mr. Preston."I object this question as suggestive
animation " ' "a
The Court said the question could be asked the witness
Witness continued.-Witness don't recoect the exac
words, but there observation made about iookn
out for ourselves that night.
Mr. Preston objected the evidence about the
sation between Welsh, Mcdonald and Kayor after tn
prisoner had left the corner irrelevant.
The Court admitted the evidence.
Charles Welsh, sworn.-On the evening of Rigdon'
urde was on the of Paca and Baltimore streets
with Mr. kayor, officer Taylor and witness BROTHER
Ihe witness here reiterated his evidence given tn
trial of Crops
| Cross-examined by Mr.. Gttngs.-The man who wa
with Crops said who says murder first degree
witness thinks it was said in threatening manner wit
ness was nearest to Core; witness did not hear Cropp
say come on Pete;'' did not hear Mcdonald say ether
somehing OUT Mcdonald started right after the men
when the men got to the other side, the officer
tween witness and them there might have been some
thing said there which witness did not hear.
BY Mr. Machen.-Winess and his brother stopped il
the street few minutes conversing with Mr. Kayior hi
attention was not attracted to the men.
ofhcer Bailey, sworn.-Am police officer am on tn
same beat now as the one Rgdon at the time O
his death; my beat at the time of the murder wss th
sationhouse beat took one side of Baltimore street from
Pearl to Paca Paca to Lexington street. alons
Lexington to PEARL and back the place of beginning
was on this beat between and O'Clock the day of Rig
IONS death witness day officer at the time of thu
murder; is now day officer witness passed through hi
beat number of times that day; passed the cor
ner of Paca and Baltimore some four times tina
evening" was there as late six o'clock; Mcdonald
there about 20 minutes after O'Clock and also az ty
o'clock saw officers Cook and Higgins also about three
o'clock Higgins was not duty that day. don't thinl
Higgins was in uniform but Cook was; when witness
saw Cook that afternoon he took him be about hal
drunk and Higgins not much better Cook is man unon
whom 1t IS hard to detect drunkenness.
Mr. Cuttings, soto uoce-I believe the counsel is going
to make every body drunk
Cross examined by Mr. Gittings-aWitness did not SCI
COOK and Higgins after O'Clock, until he them at the
station house after Corre witness Cool
and higgins on Lexington street Diamond street
stopped and talked with them about ten minutes wher
witness saw Cook and Higgins the station house h,
IKE they did in the afternoon could have noticed
they had been drinking without he knew them; they
knew well what they were about their drinking did no
lncapacitate them from attending to their duty"
J. Marshall Hanna, sworn-Witness wa. the reporter
for the Sum- who reported the evidence the coroners
quest Rgdon's body aso reported the fact of tn,
murder don't recolect what was officer Cooks evidence
witness could tell if he his report Of the evidence h
report was shown witness witness thinks that repor
contains substan TALLY what Mr.. Cook said
Judge Prce-State what your recollection is about thu
evidence, not what the report contains
Witness.-O1cer Cook testified that he fired two shot
at Corre, and that Corrie fired one shot at him tina
is witness recollection; Cook testified Corre fred
him with revolve distinct in my recollection tha
Cook said he he fired two shots Corre and also thn
he said Corre fired shot him. but is not positive
Cross examined by Mr. Gittngs.-Cook said he fire,
his revolver at Corrie and said that Corre fired revove
at him.
Mr.. Gittings.-"Look at this report, maybe it will re
fresh your memory differently; handing the witness
copy of the Erchange
Mr. preston-"I object to this that is not his owl
Witness-The term revolver is often used to designate
pistol Cook said in his evidence that Corre fred
revolver but about the number of Shots witness, reco
lection is ndistinct
By Mr.. Preston.-"When officer Stinchcomb testified
before the Coroner witness recollection is that the ex
Presslons made use of by Crops and Corre tha
Cropps asked Rigdon if he not always square witt
him and that Rigdon said pretty square towards me
and that Corrie said, Gambrill's innocent Rigdon."
Gorrle did not say BY Cd, Gambrilfs, innocent, Rig
DOM witness thinks that if that expression had been
made he would have noted it down.
by Mr. Glttings.-Am reporter for the sam generay v
report accurately have confidence in the accuracy of
reports from that confidence witness to what he
has, witness also has confidence in his recoecton since
the trial of Crops and Corre witness
over several times his report before the Coroner witness
rie fired shot, witness when looking at his report JUS
found that he had reported it that Cook said two
Shots that makes difference of shot, about
as much difference in that there is between the term
revolver and pistol the expression referred to took place
in front of Blanks witness has in his report embodied tbs
conversations both in front of Blanks Cudneys wit
ness did not take account of the drinks took that
night; witness was not under the influence of liquor then
witness recollection is distinct about that
Capt. Lneweaver and Capt Brown have not complain
ed Of witness reports being Inaccurate they have not
threatened to deny witness any informaton they
charged witness with coming the station drunk
and making inaccurate reports witness recoects that
one occasion when he had made a report Of
some Plug Ugly doings they complained of its naccu
racy.
Dy NJ, Maoirn-roes not ~ hand, ..,.e
down all the main points can't take down every word
without practising phonetic short hand
By Mr.. Preston.-Wituess not more under the in
uence of liquor that night the States Attorney is
now reported the inquest for the next issue the
witness does not report every word spoken witness can
quote the expressions used from his recollection without
looking at his report
Joseph B. Thomas, sworn-[This witness reiterated
his testimony given the trial of Crops. +
He related that he saw Crops and another man whom
he did not know his store the night of the murder
that man appeared to be drunk and the other Cropps
did not seem in the condition
Crossexamined by Mr.. Gittings.-It was about 7%
O'Clock when witness the his store wit
ness was in his store then; little ahead of the
other witness took them to be in company did not hear
any conversation between them saw them before that
time earlier in the evening" Crops spoke witness very
pleasantly at that time Miss Hall to witness store
to get OIL witness looked after Miss Hall until she got
back to RigdonS witness heard the shot which killed
Rgdon Immediately after he saw Miss Hall 90 in Riqdons
stores it about half minute after Miss Hall entered
Rgdons when he heard the discharge of the psto wit
ness stood about half minute at the door, went
shot.
Joseph H. Amey sworn.-Witness house is on the east
side of Green street. adjoining the station house, reco
ect the night of Rgdon's murder Crops and Corrie
came into witness house little after O'Clock that
night Corre appeared to be under the influence of liquor
when they in Crops held open and Corrie
passed in under his into the bar and tried to
light cigar he then threw himself into chair ana held
his head down; Crops came in and went towards the
oyster box and then came back and sad 'come Cor
re they then went out about half hour after witness
heard the shot, they did drink in witness house; wit
would hat nj
they both looked pretty hard Corrie appeared more
intoxicated than Cropps there good deal of confu
sion outside the station house when Corrie brought
here witness heard the noise of the crowd Baltimore
street. and went to the door and the prisoner as they
were putting him in the door, witness did hear any
expressions of chang him. Chang him. witness has
heard that such expressions were used but did not hear
them himself.
Cross-examined by Mr. Gittings-Witness did not no.
tce which way the after they out neither
OF them said anything there was no conversation between
Mr. Preston here stated that he wished the prisoner to
put on black frock coat which he held in his hand
Corrle got up aId put the coat desired
Mrs. Wilson, sworn-The prisoner is brother of the
witness; recollecs about the time of Rigdon murder
the prisoner two or three days before the murder
debauched condition; his actions very strange he
seemed crazy he had been drinking prisoner was in
very commanding way about the house very unusual
manner for him. the general appearance of the prisoner
very strange, it not such been witness
noticed the unusual manner of the prisoner after the
time of the prisoners confinement in the Jail his
brought over to witnesses house; it in very dirty
condition and torn there blood upon the appes
house.
Mr. Preston desired the prisoner to take off the coat
which he had previously put on and handed the coat to
the witness.
witness-That is the coat referred to-
Cross-examined by Mr. Gittngs-The coat was brought
from the JAIL witness did the prisoner go
day of the murder that is the only the prisoner
at that ime witness does not know how her brother
dressed when he went out.
George Shaffer re.caled-Wness saw the prisoner the
day previous to the MURDER the prisoner then what
witness would call crazy drunk he appeared to have no
memory to forget every thing; he had singular smile
he not in his right mind his condition was en-
trely different from that in which witness has seen him
BY Juror-His actions Indifferent; he and
Joked sometimes then he would appear depressed spirits
the impression made witness the time
RE was not in his right mnd witness put prisoner an
omnibus the evening previous to the murder thea
tire about the time the doors opened his condition induced
witness to send him home.
Cross s-e1amned by Mr.. Gittngs.-On the evening pre-
vious the prisoner did not recognize witness at the thea
tire at first, not until witness caught hold him. witness
walked with the prisoner from the theatre Baltimore
street and then put him in omnibus.
James Kirk, sworn.-knows the prisoner; have known
him several years; his general character humane
kind hearted good; the neighbors all thought he
was very fine young man.
Cross examined by Mr. Gittings-Wtness lives at 2SS
Pennsylvania avenue the prisoner worked for witness
on this spree all thought well of the prisoner; the
prisoner was in the habit of drinking witness has
heard reports that when the prisoner drinks he quarrel
some he supposes that he was.
Mr.. Preston objected to the evidence.
Judge Price said this question might be put "What is
his genera character when drunk ?''
Witness does not know have heard things from Young
men, after the occurrence
Mr. Preston objected and said the evidence was nad-
mssibe, as 1t only reports heard after the occur
renee Mr. Preston went to argue in support of his
objections, when Mr.. Cuttings said he would withdraw
the question.
Mrs Doctor Corrle sworn-Recoect the night of Rig
dons murder witness resides in German PENN
witness attention was attracted that evening by hearing
several shots coming from German Corrie