Cleveland morning leader. [volume] (Cleveland [Ohio]) 1854-1865, 1860-08-16
The Seneca street Murder.

] me preliminary eAhLAluhtloll VI AAogSAN
and Richard CaufFer, for the murder Of John
salmons, on Seneca street, on Thursday
night last, was commenced yesterday morn
ing before Judge Lawrence, at the new Court
House.
The prosecution was conducted by y. B.
shervin Esq, Assistant City Attorney, and
L. C.. Thayer, Esq.
Messrs. S. E. Adams, Joseph Adams and
NJ. S. Castle, Esqs. appeared for the defence.
The large courtroom was crowded as soon
as the doors were opened, and the greatest
eagerness was manifested to see and hear
every thing connected with the trial.
The accused are two good looking brown
negroes, with good features, looking as well
as the average of mulattoes. The mother
and sisters of the prisoners were in Court
and appeared much affected. The prisoners,
on the contrary, were very careless and non
chaIqnt, taking an oc casionel chew Of tobac
co and looking about the room.
Mr.. Piekersgill was first examined. His
testimony was the same in substance as that
given before the COroner's Jury. After
speaking of the conduct of the negroes in the
house, and of his putting one of them out,
he said that as he pushed the smaller one
out the deceased was passing out and was
I Mr.. LitchueTuj WHO WIS ff'7F'seJ S'''''''
arook out, Pick, he's got a knife" He did
not see the deceased do anything after he
was struck. Thought he was struck in the
Iaft side or arm. 1t was at the time too dark
ontside to see plainly. When he afterwards
nut the other negro out Of the room it was
40 dark that if the deceased had then been
living across the street, he could not have
seen him. After they had ran down Seneca
street after the negroes and returned, Mr..
Roston said that the man was lying down
. scross the street They went to him and
Gabriel said he was either drunk or cut
, Pic,,erscill went to the saloon for a candle
and then found the man was stabbed in the
breast. It was probably three minutes from
the time he was struggling in the door with
the smaller negro, and when the deceased
was struck with the knife, to the time when
N he found the deceased lying on his face
II across the street, fifty feet distant. The
body lay on the ground probably an hOul
or an hour and a half before taken away b.
IS tae Coroner. The witness had seen the Pris
oners at the city prison the next morning.
p The smaller one Henry had said to Mar
A. sbal Craw that no remembered being at tn
ir saloon the night before, and having scuflie
to with the woman in the bar room. He ais
< remembered that some men were sitting
n a table playing cards, and somebody hit MI
pe in the nose, beyond which be remembers
ho nothing more. !,
q At the time the blow was struck, the d.
"a ceased was about two feet at the right
air the door, outside, having passed out at Il
", right of the witness who stood in the doc
ba wsv at the left hand. The smaller negr
who struck the blow, was two feet to the K
of the door outside and wheeled to the left
he struck. Witness was afraid the other W
,ss. was inside would come at him, and SO
turned inside to look at him.
u DR.. Hartman (Coroner) was next called
son He was called to the body about Il o'clo
,sr. and found it near the gutter opposite 4
PickerspilPs. He testified to the wounds
DA' the body and its general appearance.
IT," Judged the person must have been standl
md, when the wound was given, and the strc
0iysn downwards. The blow near the
Dor nipple was necessarily fatal. He did not
v;. how person, after receiving such wOu
could get across the street before falling
5te. i1te. The wounds were all given by sharpe
- ting instrument.
les VIM. Boston was next called, his testiI
sins, nv being substantially the same as that
I. en- by him before the COrOner's Jury.
saw negro come out first and afterw'
'tco strike the white man. This, he thinks,
peak the larger negro. He seemed to strike
Inc his fist. When the two negroes were
pre- thew both took hold of the white man,
very pulled him of the step upon the plato
nade then saw the larger negro shove knife
the his breast on the left side. He stepped
not the platform, staggered across the street
EVl, fell down. ,-i,5
last The examination was not coneluaeu
terday. Several witnesses were exami
-Oises all of whom had previously been beiOr'
j this COroner's Jury and there reported by
o the All but Boston testify that the smaller
may did the stabbing. The case will be resi-
em- this morning.