Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1873-04-03
ON TRIAL FOR HIS LIFE
The CASE OF TON WRIGHT.
The kiIliDE Of Regerski the Pedler.
Proceedings I'm Criminal Court To-day

Criminal Court, Judge Macarthur, this morn
ing. Long before the hour OF opening the court.
numerous applications were being made for adj
mission to the court room; but as was the case
Yesterday, none were admitted but those who
had business in the room. Many OF the eighty
talesmen drawn yesterday were early on hand.
Along the street from the City Hall to the Jail
large numbers OF persons. mostly colored, and
many females among them, assembled to see
the alleged assassin. Lieut.. Kelly with Sergeant
Clements and squad OF officers escorted the
prisoner from the Jail and into the court room
about 1oA O'Clock. The prisoner appeared to
be as Indifferent to the proceedings as he was
yesterday. The first question he asked the
officers on leaving the jail Was as TO which one
OF them ii was who had the piece published
about him (wright) having
INsULTED WOMAN.
The officers asked If IL was not true. Wright
replied YES" and viii do it again. wait
until i get down here, and II i see any good
locking gal I'll have something to tell her."
Further down he said, s'Oh -, they are as
ugly as n" The officers, accustomed as
they are TO all kinds of rough language, were
SHOCKED AT HIS BLAsPHENY AND oBscENITY.
One man remarked in passing that he ought to
have his neck broke, and Wright replied, "You
in the dock conversed lightly with all who
showed disposition to talk with him.
The jurors selected observation-disclosures Frank
f frooks, samuel m .; Magr9dsr, Geo: r: Bohrer,
Vim. Il. Solomon and John west-haying been
chartered at the Continental hotel were brought
INTO court at lU.41 O'CLOCK.
THE COURT WAS OPENED
promptly at IL O'Clock, and after the jury had
been called the clerk proceeded to draw the
names OF those summoned as talesmen, the cOun-
sci for the prisoner, Messrs. Hinkle and Inger-
soil, having in the meantime, with the prisoner,
taken seats at the green table.
THE FIRST NAME DRAWN
was Peter Durnin, and he was sworn on his rOir
dire. lie had formed a decided opinion, and
was set aside.
George A. O'Hare had an opinion, which he
had expressed; set aside.
Edward Ambush had formed no opinion had
no scruples against capital punishment; ac-
cepted and sworn.
Lewis II. Baker had formed an opinion, set
aside.
Charles f. Hulse had formed no opinion;
had no scruples against capital punishment
challenged by defence.
Charles L. Wright absent.
one; set aside.
Geo. b. Coburn had formed an opinion, de-
cided one; set aside.
VIM. t. Payne had formed and expressed an
James L. Gadsby had a decided opinion; set
Samuel I. Acton, non est.
John l.. Clark had decided opinion; set
Geo. o. Barron, absent
Joseph i. Dyer had a decided opinion; set
aside.
Daniel +. EeaIley had an opinion, but not a
decided one; had read the accounts of the muir
der and notices OF the defendant, and formed an
opinion theIefrom. and the prisoner would
have to prove himself innocent: set aside.
Hallet Kilburn had formed an opinion; did
not think that he could give the prisoner fair
trial; set aside.
Stephen r. Gill, nog est.
Robert +. Martin had formed no opinion nor
bad any scruples against capital punishment.
Mr.. Martin claimed exemption, a postmaster
az AnacoSti9, ami was told to stand aside.
Robert L. Fleming had decided opinion; set
aside.
Andrew b. Tinney do; do.
Luke Madison had TO opinion nor scruples;
hal not read the hewsia per accounts; accepted
and sworn.
William Budd had formed an opinion; not a
decided one; had nO bias could believe him in
nocent until he was proved guilty beyond a
doubt; had al the papers; saw nearly all the
notices of the homicide and the prisoner: could
not lind a verdict without evidence; would have
sworn.
James II. Days had decided opinion; set
aside.
James Fergusox had no opinion or scruples;
William Cole had decided opinion; set aside.
William ii. Fugitt do; do.
Perry Coleman, do, do.
Charles NJ. Cole non est.
Dewitt w. Fowler had decided opinion; set
aside.
Alphonso NJ. Boswell had an opinion; no bias:
by defence.
Charles II. Burgess had no opinion or bias;
accepted and sworn
THIS COMPLETED THE JURY,
which is constituted as follows Frank Brooks,
Clark, Chas. q. Ball, AMI Charles IL. Burgess,
white men; Edgar Banks, VIM. T. solomon, II
John West, Edward Ambush, Luke Madison,
and VIM. Budd, colored men.
At II O'Clock the names of the Jurors were
called, and the clerk, calling on the prisoner TO
stand up, placed him in charge OF the jury, to
whom he read the Indictment.
The witnesses were excluded from the room,
and
MR.. HARRINsToS OPENED THE CASE, 4
stating to the jury that the caution in selecting
the case. He urged that they should believe
that Thomas Wright was innocent until he was
proved guilty. He stated that he was sorry TO
say that he would be obliged to present facts to
the m to prove him guilty of murder, beyond the
shadow Of doubt. There was no use of draw
ing nice distinctions, for whoever killed the ped
Ter committed murder. He then recited that
the deceased, Samuel Rogerski, left the store
of Began & Wylie, and taking a It'll street car,
got OF about eleven O'clock, at the
corner Of Maryland avenue, and entered
night two little girls found the body lying near
Nright's bOuse; the officers visited the house
and found blood on the floor, on the bricks, and
IN the closet. They also found the pedler's
pack buried on the premises. They would
show that Wright's boots had blood on them,
that he had on pair of socks taken from the
pedler; that when the woman came home he
said that be had KILLED the id old pedler;'
that he tied the body with the straps of the
pack Of deceased, and took the BODY out and
cast il down like that OF dog. He did not
wish TO try the case by public clamor, but by
the scales OF justice. With this brief opening
he would produce
THE TESTIMONY.
George N. NetcBtdn, sworn:-Witness lives in
Burch's alley, about 300 yards from the resi-
dence of the deceased, who lives near the cor
ner of 10th and T. streets. Witness attention
was called by little girl TO some one who was
lying on the commons; got light; found the
body; blew a whistle, Officer Leach answered
and the body was placed in a cart and taken to
the station house. This was on the night OF the
I'D of December.
Cross-eSamined:-Witn explained the loca-
ton OF his premises, and pointed out where the
body was found, the residence of the prisoner,
&c. Witness, after a rough diagram of the
square had been made, explained the relative
positions in the square which is bounded by ID,
T., 9th and 10th streets. Witness said there was
an opening on 9th street, and there was cOnsid-
cradle travel on that street. On the south
side of the square il is not built
up to any extent. Witness was not
at work that day; the girl informed him about
sK O'Clock that one of his drivers was living out
near his carts. Is certain that it was about 81
o'clock; the night was q starlight one aud very
cold. There Is no gaslight at the corners OF 9th
and + and 10th and Z streets, and the nearest
Is at the corner Of 9th and streets. Don't
know that white man who lives in Virginia,