New-York daily tribune. [volume] (New-York [N.Y.]) 1842-1866, 1865-12-15
TuK HOMICIDE OF POLICEMAN
wALKKR,
Trial Of Jeha Ward. the Alleged Mar.
derer-Evidence Token Yesterday,

The readers Of THE TRIBUNE have already
been Informed through these columns that Oh the
morning Of the 10th OF August last. Police Officer
Thomas Walker was killed by pistol shot f-eG at hun
when IN the performance of his duty ia Seventoenihst
near Seventh.aye., under circumstances Of a very
aggravated nature The trial of John Ward the party
yesterday commenced in the Cont Of General sessions
The prisoner lii quite young man. agod abonl % not
OF repul,ive cast Of countenance. hut with some
what vacant and changeable stare Of the eve which
renders his face far from pleasing
The was called on about ll1 o'clock. District
Attorney Hall conducting the case on behalf Of the
people The prisoner is ably defended hy Charles 5.
Spencer esq.
Considerable time occupied in impanneling jury,
several Of the panel being challenged by the prisoners
ious scruples against finding verdict of guilty in
case whero the punishment is death. The Jury was
finally formed as follows: Peter II: Dyman; Foreman;
Samuel Chele IT, Jacob Dryer, John Erskins; Anra'
Patrick Gibney Joseph Munson, Lewis l.. Meyer John
Ryan, Louis Darmstadt.
OPENING TOR THE PROSECUTION.
District ttorncy Hail addressed the jury in snb
stance as follows: As they had understood already
from the nature Of the challenges made 10 the jurors
the Indictment now 10 be decided is one charging the
prisoner the bar with the crime OF murder IN having
malcously killed. the 10th Of August last Patrol
man Thomas Walkor on Seventeenth.st near Seventh.
Fortunately, this case was dennded OF many tech
uicaties that characterized Che trial OF other homi.
cides Questions Of law could not arise in this exana
ton. Whoever killed Officer Walker. murdered him !
the question to be decided was simply one Of fact That
question was; Did the pistol shot which killed tho de-
ceased from the hands Of the prisoner ard The
only fact TO weigh in their minds Do the crcum.
stances point TO John Ward MS the author Of thi. kill
in9t The evidence which would be adduccd before
them was entirely circumstantal. Mr.. Hall then pro.
ceedcd to nairac the principal points Of evidence that
the prosecution expected TO elicit in regard 10 The
homicide.
PHOTOGRAPHS OF TIL SCENE.
Mr. Hall said that in order to Tighten the labor Of the
examination he had cnused TO be made photographs of
the of the tragedy, taken from various stand
points. Their correctness had been agreed upon be.
tween himself and the counsel for the defence and
primary proceeding he desired TO offer them in cyl
dence. NO objection being made, the photographs
were admitted as evidence as TO the location {! the
shanty aud lis surroundings
THE EVIDENCE FOR THE PEOPLE.
Mr.. Hs called the first witness the par. OF the
prosecution DIR. Thomas Robinson deputy Coroner
who testified that he made pos,morcm examination
Of tho deceased at the Jews Hospital on The 10th OF
August, in the forenoon; the Of death ps
toshot wound in the head; found the wound TO com.
mence in the upper portion Of the right ear; entering
there the bail passed into the sku over The right Lem
sphere of the brain and mbedded itself in the brain
on the opposite side Of the skull nearly opposite the
point of the entrance found powder imbcdded in the
skin OF the head
ssexamincd-The sho. must haze been fred in
nearly direct line with the deceased; IL mus, have
started within distance Of less than five feet from
where deceased stood, deceased could not have re-
NAMED standing instant afer receiving tie shot:
the pistol when fired must have been held nearly
even with the point OF entrance, as described by Wit
ness
surgeon Of the jews Hospital deceased was admitted
there O'Clock in the morning of the 10th Of Augts
he died at about O'Clock on that morning; heard the
Of DR.. Robinson, the last witness agreed
with ii in every particular to the cause Of deceaseds
death.
Officer Arthur Eourke was the next witness lie
testified 10 having been in company With deceased on
the night in question: heard cries or Kind o. choking
screams proceeding from about the locality where tho
shanty in question stands Officer Walker and himself
went to the door OF the shanty on hearing the noise
two persons leave the door AT times the partly
stihed screams APPEARED 10 cease; deceased informed
those inside that policemen at tho door;
he asked what those inside were doing With that
woman" witness was standing in front OF the door;
deceased was nearer to where the door opened than
witness with his right side toward witness; witness
hardly rad bis hand on the door when q man rushed
ont OF the shaniy past hun inns man ,urn.S iossn
and pistol shot fired; prisoner Immediately ran
out; not ten seconds elapsed between the time when
the first out and the egrcss Of the prisoner
the pistol was fred from the inside Of the shany lear
the door witness Immediately ran after prisoner; lie
turned the Of Seyenteenth-s witness continued
off his bat coal and vest witness lost lis club in the
chase; a citizen informed witness that two men Lad
been killed at the shany came back TO Sevcnieents
with the prisoner; deceased lying sensooss on the
sidewalk in front Of the shanty his feet toward
the door; his head toward the curbs0De; his pistol
was clasped on his breast and his left hand pointing
toward Sixth ave eleven minutes time would cover
all the time witness was away, from the time he started
till his return.
On being cross-exanined witness said tina, about
half dozen prisoners had been arrested for completely
in this murders about 80 feet from the shaniy when
he first neard the screams did not fire his pistol
nor did it go off accidentally before any rushed out
of the shanty while deceased and witness were at the
door.
The examination Of this witness having been con.
cluded the Court adjourned I'll u o'clock this friday
morning