Baltimore daily commercial. [volume] (Baltimore, Md.) 1865-1867, 1866-03-09
MS PREPARED FOR THE CoNFEDERATEs SUPPLIED
TO THE FENIANS.
H1Ur4sor of the ROOsR Eanily-The Evil


The public will remember case of almost unex-
ampled horror in the murder of family in Ohio some
and half years ago; the perpetrator of which,
up to the present time, has escaped detection. 4
telegram in ourlast issue, merely stated that Sam
Coverta man lately arraigned for the awful crime
has been conpicted The Cincinnati papers contain
elaborate reports of the trial which has been
ing of late and from the Commercial we give the fol-
lowing excellent summary of the points upon which
the wretch was convicted. Another signal instance
after so long escape of the truth Of the old adage
that murder will out"
SUMMARY OF EVIDENCE.
Briefly stated, the important points of testimony
insths case of wonderful crcumstantial evidence
the points which cannot fail to have their due weight
with the jury, are. for the State as follows On the
night Of the 18th of December 1864, the burglar and
murderer entered the house of John NJ Roosa, near
Deerfeld, and with hatchet murdered Alice Bell
sins, and terribly wounded Mrs Roosa. None but
the mem bers OF this family and the murderer knew
of the deed unti6 O'Clock of the morning of the 26th
AT clock on that morning, Samuel Covert at the
residence Of his sister Mrs. McNea, in Middletown
eighteen miles away, related the story of the murder
with some details, to his sister and Miss Shafer and
about O'Clock he t0dit to his br0ther-in-law-Sta-
| ting that an acquaintance had told him. He at the
time said that he had been out to ball or party
all that night, had ridden horseback, and felt ID
stlh. Later In the day he met acquaintance with
whom he had made an engagement to go to a ball in
Mlddletown the night before and explained in ex.
cuSlng himself by stating that he had gone to ball
| at MorroWtown instead There ball at Nor
rOWtOWn that night, On the same morning there
found in a stable adjoining the saw-milI in
which Covert worked, mud-spashed horse, which
had been put IN the stable in pretty, good order
the night betOre and on the same day, Covert
borrowed a handkerchief to wipe off his m0ustache
after drinking at the bar, stating that he had losl
| his the night before. In the yard of the Roosa
House was found a red silk handkerchief, closely
corresponding, in its dirty appearance and smell of
burned oil, to that which Covert had been seen
to have. A few weeks after the murder. Covert.
finding that Keever, the first party arrested, had
been dismissed, Immediately swore out warrant
against David Hicks, of this city, testifying that
/ Hicks had confessed to him the entire thing.
| Hicks had no difficulty in proving an abb,
and Was hGa0TadPy fo0nd ot 3Hquitted while Covert
| FIVE years in the penitentiary for perjury.
| Several times Covert had stated that he knew or
thought he knew, who did the murder. No telegram
was sent until ten o'clock Of the 9th and no news
| paper publication was made until Wednesday morn
| ing. The marks of bloody left hand with fingers
and thumb complete, were found on the sill of the
window through which the murderer made his escape
| from the house. and the side of the window sash
the imprint in blood of right hand which had left
right hand, This point Of testimony was ruled out
by the Court it being offered as rebutting evidence
] when it was really original eviden8, Some of the
blows indicated that the murderer left-handed.
Covert Is as handy with the left hand as with the
/ right
THE DEFENSE.
/ Mrs. McNeal and two of her boys swore that Sam.
4 Covert slept at his home in Mddlerovn the entire
night OF the murder; that he did not use red silk
| pocket handkerchief, and had none of that kind;
after the murder and that COvertsa nothing about
the murder This evidence seemed very strong in
proof Of an abb until it was knocked in pieces by
the rebuting evidence produced by the State yeSter
| day. and reported in this connection.
Upon these points the jury is now to study and rem
der verdict.