The daily exchange. [volume] (Baltimore, Md.) 1858-1861, 1859-01-25
Ia w INTELLIGENCE.
TRIAL OF PETER CORRIE
AT TOWSONTOWN,
FOR THE MURDER OF POLICE OFFICER
RIGDON.
TENTH DAY.

TENTH DAY
TowsoNrowN January 24th, 1859.
CIRCUIT COURT FOR BALTIMORE CoUNTY.-IIon JohI
H. Price, Judge. Richard j. Cuttings, ESQ., States At
torney prosecuting Assisted by Arthur L. Machen, Esq
| William ?. Preston, Esq, for the defence.
State Peter Corre indicted for the murder OF polc
officer Robert NJ Rigdon, by shooting him with pistol
on the 5th of November last
On the opening of the Court this morning, Mr. Preston
who had not concluded his argument before the jury
when the adjournment took place Saturday and
said:
May it please the Court.-Gentlemen of the Jury
have to congratulate this bright beautiful
sunny morning do not know what effect the viciss
tudes o. the weather have had you but for myself
say they have had no beneficial effect upon me- We
have been engaged rather unusual length of time
in the investigation of this cause and confess that the
confinement to which you have been subjected the ardu
task in which counsel have been engaged the changes
in the temperatures of this court
pressive heat, and at others very low temperature
1.-THE temperature in the court this time at
about degree above freezing poin-a these are well
calculated to effect our physical as well mental
dition.
At the time of the adjournment of the Court on Saur
day, said Mr.. Preston, the defence had made pro
gress in reviewing the remarks advanced by the ad
unct counsel for the prosecution when making the
ing argument for the State Mr. Preston then referred
to the large of testimony trials
said that he had considerable difficulty arranging the
proof and harmonzing the evidence. 1t rarely that
more complicated Of testimony than is present
ed in this In the trials said he, eightytwo wit
have been summoned and in the of Peter Cor
re alone sixtytwo of them have been examined Upon
calm investigation, he had known more extraor
binary conflict of testimony than presented in this
proof When you come to take the folly of one man
upon the vainy of another you find difficulty in sep
aratng the from the other. The line is nicely
drawn between the two that in dividing them often
mistake the one for the other
Mr. Preston then referred to the difficulty of making the
defence and said that the prisoner was at
He had opportunity of replying to the argument
of the adjunct counsel for the State but the views
which the attorney would advance would be
conjecture his part Mr.. Cuttings may as no doubt
he WILL present another aspect of the the minds
the jury and the prisoner therefore abored under dis
t1n hoct
the case.
Mr. Preston here said that attempt had been made
oy he state 10 snow moye on the part OF the prison
er for this murder but they had failed to do the
sci have tried identify him with the Plugs prov
that he connected with that association and there
fore that the motive began when the order of things
the counsel termed it, commenced in Baltimore
murder of Benton. They have utterly failed he again
sad to identify him with that lawess gang. There must
be motive for this murder and the counsel must show
it, or it would be motveless murder which could
be; let them produce to show where motiveless
murder had been committed He said he conceded that
horrible murder had been committed, and all
the evidence he could not the connection of this prs
with it, The counsel for the State had exercised all
their ingenuity to show motive, and have done
They well but lay down false premises OF
witnesses examined here twenty-five of them police
officers whose business was to take notice of certain
characters they had Milton Whitney here and Frederick
and Hanna was here, who knew of the Plugs dongs and
out of all them but three officers testified his having
any kind of an association with the Plugs.
If the motive for this murder because Corrie was
Plug they have failed to impcate him. Captain Line
weaver is the only man who identifies him with that
gang and all the officers brought here but four
them him; it most extraordinary idea said Mr.
Preston, that the State wished to prove him member
the clubs and that this therefore was motive on his
part for this murder The fact that the prisoner was so
little known among the police speaks volumes in his fa-
vor it is perfect exemption from anything like rowdy
officers.
Mr. Preston continued to argue this point for some
time and contended that the State had failed
the prisoner with these gangs and there
fore that the motive which attempted attributed
to him for this crime account Of such connection
not proven.
Mr. then referred to the authorities cited by the
counsel for the State to show that Corrie being
and abettor in the eye of the law equal guilty
with Crops, and contended that the of his client
dissmilar all the which had been quoted by
the Stat He said that to prove Corrie equally guilty
with Cropps the State must show that he had
of the malicious design of the party firing the shot which
they had done They had construed his actions into
malicious design but the jury said he be very
cautious and not convict man by the constructive
ideas of guilt.
Corrie was upon the night previous to the murder
upon the night when it committed, and said
though he conceded that drunkenness for
crime, yet there condition of the mind when the
intellect prostrated by drunken debauch which
the surrounding circumstances Mr. Preston here
to the of Price charged with the shooting Camp
bell where the Court instructed the jury take into
sderatlon the condition of the mind whether it in
that state to commit offence which requires
should be premeditated and malicious killing.
Mr. Preston then referred to the passages by Mr.
MacAen In Judge Prices charge to the grand jury, and
commented upon them at length The State said he,
again has sgnaly failed in the attempt to show mo-.
tive the part of the prisoner this murder the pr
soner he contended, dupe unconscious
srument in the hands of designing to do atrocious
act; he did not deny that he had been with Crops
upon that night he free say ought not to
been he appealed to the jury not say his client
was guilty unless they satisfied that he had know
edge OF the motive or was possessed of the malice
sary to the commitment of so great crime.
Mr.. Preston then said he had answered the 4argu-
ments which the State had put forth, he would
view the authorities appca BILE to the and present his
views of the matter to the consideration of the jury
1t being two O'Clock the Court took for three
quarters of an hour.
AFTERNOON SESSION
On the assembling of the Court O'Clock Mr.
Preston again arose and continued his argument.
He said that he designed to review the evidence
in the and connect with the evidence some de-
csions bearing upon it. He then referred to the ndct
ments and read separate counts contained therein He
said upon this indictment Marion Crops
ycted and the State asks for the conviction Peter
Corre Mr. Preston then read from the books con
stituted murder in the first degree verdict for which
demanded by the State
He then referred to the circumstances connected with
the murder of Rgdon and the locality where the crime
was committed He said Corrie charged with the
murder it necessary to look at his antecedent
ments and back two three days previous the
mission of the crime. He referred to the excitement
tending the trial of Gambr Of his being seen at the
court house then spectator his condition on the
4th of November in front of the Holiday Street Theatre
think he was in his right mind to the testimony of
Mrs. Wilson, who stated the facts which have been
unimpeached or uncontradicted by the State What
he the condition of his mind when the murder was
committed-was he a responsible agent? Was he not in
condition to be made the face instrument of anoher9
1t is to how man, with intellect PROSTATE
from the effects of drink be led by the hands wick
ed men.
Mr.. Preston then argued that Corre was not in con
dition Of mind to commit such deed with design and
malice, and therefore was entitled to an acGuittal
1t not enough he remarked to say that Corre with
he man no red the sho you must know that the mind
then capable resist the artce of those who drew him
into the affair Mr. Preston then authorities from
the book in support of this point.
Mr.. Preston then reviewed the that
Corre led about by Crops night; that
he does his bidding and CALL that he was but
clay in the hands of the potter and argued that from the
testimony, it was shown that he not responsible
agent but but tool in the hands of the who had
the design of this murder at heart.
Mr. Preston then referred certain portions the
tmony relating which had place pre-
vious to the murder of the interview the
and Baltimore streets with the Messrs Welsh Kaylor
and officer Mcdonald to the Cherrys
at Cudneys and said that the testimony given by the wit
neSscs did not to the facts and said this would
naturally doubts to arise in the minds the jury
to its correctness and if such doubts did arise ps
oner was entitled to the benefit of them.
He then spoke of the pistol said have been found by
Waltenscheid and referred to the attempt identify
Corrie with that pistol He said it was impossible for
Core have had that pistol concealed about him with
out its being seen by person he contended that
Crops and another man had and taken that
pistol from Waenschedt they had placed it there that
some one who knew the game which playing, fired
that pistol there and Corre the ignorant dupe was to
State to spin web of circumstantal evidence and
deavor to wind it around the prisoner if there
gle flaw in it, it falls to the ground.
Mr. Preston then referred the arrest and
also at the station house, and cautioned the jury how
they received the confessions of the prisoner testified
to by Capt Lineweaver After reviewing the Captain's
testimony he said that the question was whether accord
ing to the facts in this this individual compe-
tent in mind to pemedtate and combine for the perpetra
ton Of this offence
He may have gone into the store and done things as
testified to- by witness but. said Mr.. Preston you
are now looking at the mental condition of the
time you are trying the mind and il you think that the
mind was competentto commit this murder, then my