Alexandria gazette. [volume] (Alexandria, D.C.) 1834-1974, 1871-08-18
LOCAL NEWS.

r,nort Of the proceedings of the Corporation
r1nrt closed yesterday, the case of the Com
,U,onwcalth vs. Jas. r. Jefferson, charged with
.ho murder of Silas johnson, was III progress,
: :"I Cant. Eli Petty was on the stand. Capt.
u testified that he knew prisoner; saw him on
ia nirht johnson was drowned, in witness
s Luz saw McCracken Jefferson and Now
Ia together they all drank; they did not seem
- n, angry about anything; they stald in wit
Msss' bar-room about two or three minutes;
aftcr said parties went out heard some one
inside say lets kill him." don't know who
Sa;I il; witness afterwards heard of the drown
;nr and saw a crowd have Jefferson under ar
rast. heard no conversation between McCracken,
IaHrrson and Novel; in the barroom; didn't
bcar apy one ask McCracken what caused his
,natrcr before the Mayor; heard all three talking
inside the door; it seemed as if McCracken
,.ss detailing some grievance; witness heard
,rcs of murder down toward the shlp-yard, and
went out to sec what was the matter
Henry A. Simonds testified: Is waterman;
knows jefferson witness vessel was lying in
the cove near the ship-yards, on the night OF
the Goth of June; McCracken syessel was about
=; rards off, witness was on his own vessel that
n;.ht pIaying an accordeon; while there heard
:, noise on McCracken' S vessel and saw man
20 overheard from it, and saw him try to catch
hold of bob-stay; saw man get OFT McCrack-
IN vessel into a yawl boat, untasten IT. shove 1t
reward the man in the water, and heard hln
twice ask the drowning nlar to seize It: the man
who went overheard could not swim, at least he
,uade Door attempt to do it; saw two men on
McCracken's vessel at the time; one near to the
bow and one near the stern; the man went over
hoard from the stern: he could have reached the
yawlWhich was pushed toward him if ne had not
iu.cn 90 near drowned; he had then sunk twice;
the two men that witness saw on McCracEeu
vessel cot into yaHl and went ashore alter the
man went overheard; they lett IN about TWO
minutes after the occurrence; there were
treat many persons on the shore at the time.
James Punch testified Is nearly ~ years
old: knows jefferson lives IN Alexandria; saw
Jefferson the night johnson WAS drowned; saw
the body aft4r il Was recovered; witness went
to the Ship-yard on the night referred to-, Ill
Tending to ~ Oh board McCrackens vessel to
sleep but did not 60 aboard because ne Knew
that Jefferson and Novel; We're going there to
whip johnson; saw Jefferson and NOVEL; get
:. l,oat and row out to McCracken ycssei; one
II Them went on it; saw man jump overheard
tr,ru said vessel: heard jefferson and NOVEL;
,ay. at Capt. Petty'S, that they would give
johnson il whaling Witness is McCrackens
brother IN law.
Llw<Dn Wilson, cvlored, testified: Lives in
Alexandria uear the tunnel; don know Jetter
son, but helped to arrest one whom they called
Jefferson; on the night of June Both witness
f,.ard cry Of murder out on the river, and
went down TO the water to see what was the
matter: saw a man drowning; afterwards saw
boat leave McCracken vessel and 60 toward
the lower ship-yard; I man was III IT, witness
went to ship-yard to intercept him; shortly
thereafter Jefferson was caught
William Lee, colored, testified Lives on
MON street opposite Hunters ship-yard; has
often seen Jefferson on the night johnson was
drowned heard :; man holler (sic) murder
three times the sound came FROM Nice. s YES
sci: went down to the shore and saw three men
on said vessel; heard some one on the vessel
LAY overheard you s|of 4 b.; a man
then gent overheard; heard him strangling;
saw Jefferson shortly afterwards leave the yes
eI land in the lower ship yard, and run to
wards Battery Rodgers; the crowd, including
witness chased him. aud caught him; when
captured he said 1t was mt me; McCracken
made raid on all of us; he came along with
the crowd peaceably; none Of the crowd OF col
urcd men had any weapons; neither did they
throw any stones.
Thomas Shelton, colorcd; testified: Lives on
Union street near the tunnel; has seen Jeffer
son many times saw him on the night Of June
Goth; witness was down on river shore near Nc
e. vessel that night, and saw four men going
toward the cove; in short time heard the cry
of murder" saw two men at that time on the
vessel; saw both leave it and row to the lower
ship-yard and one Of them ran through and
over the commons toward Battery Rodgers;
chased and caught him and found it was JEFF
itrson; Nightingale twice snapped pistol IN
witncss-face, and tried to get the prisoner
away from him and the crowd; when Jefferson
was caugh: he said ';'Twas' mt me boys; the
Captain made raid on all of US; none of the
crowd had any razors or other weapons, and no
stones were thrown till some time afterwards.
Here the Commonwealth rested.
James Punch was then recalled on part of
the defence and testified that McCracken and
johnson had 4 pretty stiff (sic) fight about sun
down June 30th some hours before johnson
was thrown overheard, and during which Ohm
son hit AIcC over the eye with 4 stick.
The defence then put upon the stand James
NOVEL;. one OF the prisoners, who testified as
follows: On the night of June 30th McCrackcn,
jefferson aud witness were at Petty 3 and took
4 drink; all then went down to the ship yard,
and witness and Jefferson went out on McC. S
vessel johnson was lying on the deck; Jeffsr-
soa asked the negro johnson, if that was McC.
vessel he replied that it was; johnson then
got right up, went aft and jumped overheard;
witness told Jefferson to do all he could to save
him and he did accordingly do all that he
could: they did not go aboard for the purpose
Of hurting or killing the man; their object
WAS to sleep there that night witness did not
say we will give him whaling, but advised
McCracken to whale him; never gave Punch
to understand that they we're going aboard to
give johnson whaling witness never said
word to johnson while on the vessel; after he
fell overheard jefferson jumped in boat.
showed it out toward him, and told him to hold
III: he cried murder VIXEN he fell in the
water; Jefferson was at the other end Of the
vessel from the one over which johnson fell;
the water was about s. feet deep; witness did
not try to save him because ne was SO drunk
,'dat he was afraid of falling overheard himself
il 'e made the attempt.
,ja ues Punch being recalled, testified IN re-
tuual that prisoners did say they were gong