The daily exchange. [volume] (Baltimore, Md.) 1858-1861, 1859-01-21
TRIAL OF PETER CORRIE
AT TOWSONTOWN,
FOR THE MURDER OF POLICE OFFICER
RIGDON
SEVENTH DAY.

TowsoNTowN, January Goth, 1859
CIRCUIT COURT PoR BALTIMORE CoUNTY-Hon. John
Fl. Price, Judg. Richard J. Gttngs Esq, States
toney prosecuting Assisted by Arthur l.. Machen Esq.
William p. Preston, Esq, for the defence.
State Peter Corre, indicted for the murder of police
officer Robert N. Rgdon, by shooting him with pistol
on the 5th of November last.
On the opening of the Court the witnesses in all cases
except the one now on trial were discharged until next
Tuesday morning.
ness knew Henry Gambrill; Gambr recognized
one of the "Plugs' witness always the prisoner in
company with those persons recognized the 'Plug
the Plugs generally went with the Mt Vernon Hook
and Ladder Company don't know if they members
or not
By Mr. Preston-Have seen the prisoner almost every
day since his return to the country with the party usually
known as plugs"
Officer Cook recalled by the Sate-Witness had on his
full uniform on the night of the murder.
Officer Hough recalled by the defence.-Wtness saw
the prisoner in Market street the night of the MURDER
witness struck the prisoner in the face with his
had nothing in his hand when he struck prisoner
Mr. Cuttings here announced that the State had closed
its except for rebutting testimony.
Mr. Preston then requested the of the witnesses
for the defence be called which was done by the clerk
There witnesses summoned for the defence
twenty FIVE of whom answered when their names
called.
The first witness called for the defence was
Henry Whitehurst, who sworn.-Wtness knows
the house where Rgdon formerly ived witness that
house about halfpas eight O'Clock a moonlight night
Mr.. Gittngs.-"Do you mean on the night of the
der?n
Mr. Gttings.-"We object, what is the object of the
testimony?n
Mr.. Preston.-"There have been many witnesses
duced by the State who have stated what they
at certain time about the premises the
evidence to test the capacity of those witnesses for
ing what they have testified The State objects the
testimony would like to hear the OBJECTION
Mr. Machen-We object to it because it is unprece
dented mode Of impeachng the testimony of Witness
the State has proved certain facts by certain witnesses
and the defence bound disprove these facts by the
binary legal modes.n
Judge Price said he would allow the evidence to go to
the jury for what it worth.
Witness continuation the night mentioned gentle
/ m p;,,ao
house; witness Immediately opposite; witness took
two positions, opposite and the other below portion
of Mrs. Rigdons window closed and lady stand
ing In the door, witness could not recognise the gentle
the street, witness knew the gentleman, but
witness did not know that he acquaintance when
he trying identify him. it about half past eight
O'Clock on last Thursday night it was moonlight night
but the moon obscured by thin cloud if the
had not been up witness could not have dscernsd objects
| SO well.
rossexamned by Mr. Gittngs-Dr. Corre, Mr. Bennett,
Dr. Mcpherson and others with Witness witness did
not start there to make the experiment. he did not
know that it to be made all the party started from
DR.. Cores and went around to Mrs. Rigdons witness
thinks the at its zenith; witness does know
whether the street lamps lit not; believes they
don't light the street lamps when the moon is up; witness
standing opposite Rigdons little west of Blanks
he thinks; don't recollect where the pump is;
lamp lit the side where witness was; it was
tween Pine street and Witness the person who witness
tried to identify standing the pavement Of
Rigdons facing across towards witness don't know how
the man dressed; there light shining in the
mans face; one of Mrs. Rigdon's windows partly
closed was the window near the man. don't know what
kind of light there in Mrs Rgdon's sore the
observation witness made when he standing fur
ther east; the had his face towards witness, but
ness could not recognise his face witness don't know if
the placed there purpusely to try their expert
ments heard so afterwards; there was experiment
made by placing the directly in front of Rigdons
| windows; the man was not placed in front of Blanks
house; witness never tried if he could identify
| across the street in the day time.
To the Judge.-"Witness has good eyesght; imper-
| fections in his organ of vision"
Mr.. Cuttings s-"Can you tell whether the pendulum of
| that clock is in notion
Wtness.-"Itis not in motion"
The clock about fftyf feet from witness. The
pendulum referred not in notion had it been
for the last eight days
| Mr. Thomas Brady sworn.-On this night week
ago witness that locality favor Dr. Corrie
who friend of witness; it about half past eight
O'Clock when witness took the positions described before
Mr. Preston-'State now your capacity for recognizing
persons the other side of the street. from the position
| in which you were standing at that time"
Mr. Cuttings objected to the testimony irrelevant to
the ISSUE the experiment has not been made upon
same kind of night as that upon which the murder
committed they have made this experiment taking
positions in which the witnesses for the State have
to seeing Core If the defence wants to contradict the
testimony of the State let them impeach by ontradicns
facts and conne the experiments to similar circumstan
those under which the States witnesses have test
| fed to-.
Mr. Preston contended that the evidence was admiss-
BILE and should go to the jury not for the purpose of at
tempting to impeach the States Witnesses but to show
that there possibility of the witnesses being mis-
taken in the identity of the prisoner
Mr.. Preston argued at length upon the admssibty o
the evidence.
: Mr. Cuttings argued that the experiment made las
Thursday night had nothing to do with the guilt or limo
of Peter Corre To introduce the testimony of tn
witness now on the stand the defence must show som
relevancy to the guilt innocence of the prisoner Som
between the testimony in relation to the