Delaware state journal. [volume] (Wilmington, Del.) 1870-1883, 1873-01-18


the blow was struck l was In hearing
distance; do not remember seeing any one
have hold OF him very soon after he was
arrested he was taken out OF the door on
Laurel street.
VIM. McKim, sworn-I was at Davis
hotel on the 18th of August saw the
fracas there Mr.. George Davis came to
me aud asked me to wait on the table |
was setting the table In the new dining
room, when spree was kicked up In the
old room saw u man who looked like the
prisoner he struck him with his fist, on
left side of the head; ! was soing out OF
the new dining room into the old one
diagram of the room exhibited TO wit
ness Il saw Lewis Beckhardt, Charles
Stevenson and James o. Rockwell there
went up to the parties Sweeney was
going out of the door when | got by
Charles Davis went up to him when
Sweeney began to move out saw n man
STRIFE a blow at Charles Davis he was a
small man; | took hold of the man who
struck Charles next saw the defendant
in the street helped to arrest him with
George Davis; think the man | saw strike
George Davis is the same man helped to
arrest Il; il was about five minutes after
when the arrest was made he was arrested
when we got out as far as the hotel come.
Cross-examined--I was in the new
dning-room when | saw the blow struck
was coming out the distance from the
new dining-room 10 where the blows were
struck was only about twenty feet the
people had risen from the table In great
confusion some had gathered around the
persons who were quarrelling; saw Mr..
Rock well at the end of the table, the
4 - RnnlftUpl1
went toward them George Davis took
hold of the prisoner; there were others
who took hold, but do not know their
names think they took Sweeney out of
the dining room the prisoner resembles
the man who struck Davis, but would not
positively swear to IL.
Samuel I. Strong, sworn-Am one of
the police officers of this city was po-
lice officer on the 18th of August was in
the hotel shortly after the fraeas occurred.
and saw the defendant In the dining-room :
he was on the opposite side of the table
from Laurel street there seemed to be a
general row there saw the prisoner there ;
did not see the prisoner strike any one ;
did not take hold of him in the dining
room; / was ordered to arrest him by
George Davis I followed defendant out ;
Ioflcer Vansant was there George shortly
came out and told us TO arrest him; Swee-
new was close enough to hear II he resist
ed and did net want to go 10 the lookup /;
ii was about Ave minutes afterwards when
he was arrested he was ia his shirt
sleeves; do not remember what kind OF a
vest he had on there was crowd around
when we went TO arrest him they were
trying TO get him away they were moving
down Laurel street to where the boat Law.
Cross-examiued-Sw did not say
why he resisted he said we could not
take him there il we beat his brains out
he would not go he was very much ex-
cited had conversation with him when
we brought him over to Jail he said they
undertook to drive them around like damn
dogs, but they could not drive him
George saw his face when he said Sweeney
was the man who struck him George did
not seem to be much excited when he told
us to arrest him officer Nansant had hold
of him then.
Robert Vansant, sworn-Am one of the
police officers of this city, and was suct
on the 18th OF August was present aftel
the fracas occurred ; | went over as soor
as could heard the dishes rattle saw
the defendant there pushed him asidi
to get hold of man who had chail
raised arrested Sweeney short tint
after this he was with five or six other
who were going toward the boat JOIN
Davis came when had hold of Sweeney
by the right arm George Davis CAM
then and said that was the man VIII,
struck me twice, and / order You to arres
him 20 / arrested him and took him to tn
lookup, and kept him there till about
. O'Clock, when / brought him over to Jail
had considerable difficulty In getting hin
) to the lookup; said when l was takinl
him to the Jail, 81 hoped you were goin
to get away without having a fuss !" h
. said he and Il friend of his were not goin
. | to be used like damn dogs when ! arrest
! ed him he had On a blue vest and was in HI
' shirt sleeves some Of his friends brough
I TO the lookup dark blue Chesterfield
} coat there was girl who had hold c
u MIN nearly all the time till he got to tn
: sign post.
q Cross-cxamined He gave no reas IN f
y. not going to the lookup; he was great
excited ! know man by the name
,e Warren Roork; am certain that &c
or Davis ordered the arrest Sweeney said
" was getting friend to the boat when
IN took hold of him ; did not hear him say
.. was not the man Warren Roork W
IN present George said Sam, that is Il
a | nhn-l uenanu MS ARREST
ID John Davis-Am one OF the cOnstabl
Mt of this county; heard George Davis t.
the officers to arrest Sweeney Geor
,s came up and told the officers " | demal
AZ that mans arrest !" Sweeney might ha
heard il, for had hold of his arm.
a. Cross.examined-Did not let 90 of hi
! when the officers came up; Sweeney d
Nc not say he had hold of the wrong ma
m Sweeney was talking all the time at IA
h. dom, so that he might not have hea
de- Davis tell the officers.
an Robert Merritt, sworn-l live in Bride
ton lived here on the 18th Of August, I
IA. day of the Wilmington excursion was
'ot the dining room after the blows W,
10. struck saw the prisoner the crowd W,
il, trying to push Sweeney out of the W
dow heard him say he meant businel
at he was trying to pull his sleeves upi 81
IN Geo. Davis then he was three or four f
Dot away there was no one around SSecr
nd but the police they had not arrested b
m then followed them out of the DIM
an, room he was in the middle of CONNIE
street when he was arrested, and v
standing on the corner; saw no bio
'"S struck.
-. xamined-Sweeney was not
guy rested within did not sec Mr.. ROokw,
u" Charles Stevenson, sworn-I resided
chi Bridgeton on the 18th of August was
saS the hallway at the time Of the afiri
my heard the noise of dishes when | got
49,, the dining room Sweeney was engaged
u" an alteration with officer Vansalt /;
on' struck Nansant once there were 4
re- chairs raised; | grabbed one chair; tn
Ne9 It across the room; did not hear Swee
tle make any remarks.
,lus CrOss-eKamined- was back of
, la9 crowd when the chairs were raised he
Aeu George say that was the man who str
~ him Sweeney was then In an altercat
neS with Yansant ! recognised George'sv
auu heard him say put him out - saw Gee
Nh Nh immed aiely afterwards | helped him
s.lu the defendant out the confusion
Nv great.
rose DR.. William Elmer, a1armed-I al
ole practising physician and surgeon
1 i BridgetOn, and have been such since Is
y 70 was called to see George Davis on the
llins of August, between and 3 O'Clock 70
,' eh him in his room on the bed in parti
'ncn e0matose state he seemed to recOg
"as me; he was lying in comatose condil
ao with occasional vomiting he gradu
uen became unconscious be died that n
about II O'Clock, shortly after lief
psed made post norton examination by d
now ton Of the Coroner found no exte
re l wound after removing the muscles fC
the a depressed fracture of a star.ike cha
Jung ter; found a clot of blood nearly /
was enough to Ill an ordinary size lea
the could cover the fracture with my thu
the II was the temporal bone; that porto
saw very thin IN all heads death resulted
ON that fracture examined the body
'ssed found all other organs healthy; WAS pre-
after al the pY humatiOu of the bofV of O.