Delaware state journal. [volume] (Wilmington, Del.) 1870-1883, 1873-06-07
Full Details of the Horrid
Butchery.
THE DEFENCE INSANITY
Ths Testimony for the Prossoutloa
and Defense In Full.

defence. The ex-senator looks feeble, and
came Ia leaning upon the arm OF his nephew
Johu Salisbury.
The Court being called the Chief Justice
ordered the sheriff to bring forward the
prisoner, who had heretofore been arraigned
on two eouhts-murder and arson. In few
minutes the deputies appeared, leading be-
tween them the prisoner which was sum
Client cause for alively conversation, every
body being anxious to see him. West looks
rather thin and pale, and was dressed fault
lessly 10 shining white shirt bosom, dark
coat with light pants and vest He wore a
mustaehe and gotee, very dark, and appears
very calm and collected under the gaLe Of
the throng. His entrance 70 the
boz affected his mother 10 tears aud sobs.
After calling the jurors and witnesses
summoned, the defence asked that the jury
men be sworn voire dire, and WIN. p. Thtmp
son was called aud sworn. As he had here
toiore formed and expressed an opinion
about the ease At issue, Thought he should
be puniHhed) this juror was dismissed
The counsel for the defence then addressed
the Court in reference TO polling OF juries
In cases Of opinions being formed and ex-
pressed. AttorneysGeneral Lore replied,
addressing the Court on the sane subject,
after which the polling of the jury was con
unued, and, 10 the surprise of all, a full
Jury was secured in less than TWO hours.
Fifty.one names were called, Of whom 10
were challenged by the State. and twenty.
three dismissed for cause.
The following are the names Of the jury
cmpaneled, who are TO decide whether the
prisoner be guilty or innocent: Foreman,
Henry Harrington, W, q. Longfellow.
Nathaniel Harrington. John W. Graham,
Lewis Sehzifenger, Obedlah Noshall, Jas.
II. sullivan, Benjamin y. Graham, VIM.
NJ. Satterheld, Benjamln r. Hurliek, John
W. Jones and Philemina Scotch.
The Jury being sworn, the Clerk read the
indictment. after which the Attorney Gen.
eral occupied nearly half an hour, aud
spoke In reference, particularly, to the
statement or confession made by West at
the time of his incarceration.
The examination OF witnesses for the
State was commenced, and stephen Oats
was the first witness called, and testified as
follows: l was Coroner Of Kent county,
and held an inquest over the body of Cooch
Turner; the prisoner made a voluntary
statement; recognized the document Of HIS
signature on being croaa-examlned said he
recognized the paper by his own handwrtt-
Ing had not seen the document before to-
day, but was confident It was the original
statement made by West. who corrected
some errors after the paper was printed (;
the statement made was voluntary on the
psrtlof West; did not remember Of any par
tieular questions being asked him at the
Mr.. SALISBURY not having seen the paper
asked permission to read It, which was
granted.
Geo. b. Dickson, sworn-I was the clerk
| at the COroner's Inquest; took down the
statement aud recognized II by his own
writing. The alterations and the abatement
were made by me according to Vests dieta-
ton; 1t was his voluntary statement the
prisoner was Intercepted by the Attorney
| General after the confession was made; saw
West sign the paper after all the corrections
had been made and the paper handed HIM.
The confession was then read by Deputy
George II. Bates, where, at OILS, the Court
/ adjourned.
The press reporters were assigned seats
on the Judges raised platform, and are
very comfortably located.
Miss Anna Dickinson, her mother and
| brother, occupied seats TO the left of the
Judges.
DovKR, June 9Th, ls7s.-Court met at 10 4,
M, prisoner was called to the dock and the
examination OF the State witnesses was con-
The prisoner being sick asked through
his counsel for chair which was not
| granted.
SamI Leatherbery, sworn-said he knew
/ OF the location Of a house In Dover, known
as Kirbinla building. DIR. West occupied
the second story front room thereof. Hs
described by the aid Of plot made at hi
| Instance, the positions OF the various door
&c. He described the position OF Turner's
body and the hole In which the powder wal
found, and of the gas retort- On the morn
ing Of the tth of December he heard thu
cry OF fire. Hearing II he looked out and
saw the light; he then dressed and went e
the building there were a number Of PEG
pie already there. lie stood 10 tho street
until the Dire WAS out then went up. Somt
one called for light, which he then got and
with 1t he went up into the room. Heard
some one say that there was the body OF Wet
with his head blown OF. He saw a hole II
the floor saw "a lot Of paper, old clothes sc.
In n BOX, the whole being saturated will
coal oil. The smoke and stencil were sc
great that he, THE witness) felt very sick
from It. He then went home, changed hi
coat, got a lantern and went back. Saw
some one searching through the room who
asked for the lantern. Handed him th'
lantern and looked at the body. He thei
saw that the head and hands were OF.
CrOss-exAmlned as to the plan OF the IN
terror of the building and the coal oil on thu
papers and clothes, which brought out nj
new facts.
Jacob Levy. sworn-On December 4th las
lived In Dover, next door to the buildinl
mentioned In testimony of last witness
He heard the cry of fire aud jumped up from
his bed heard the cracking Of the tire ans
told his wife to get the children out h'
| came down stairs with his pants in hi
hands some one called upon him to hell
put out the fire, he then hastily put on hi
pants and tried to get into the door OF thu
, building where the DIRE was he found thu
door locked; he and another man then burs
open the door aud ran upstairs to the
room from which the smoke WAS coming
, he found that door locked and some dr.
coming through the cracks; he and auothe
man then broke open that door with al
on fire laying against the other door ldoO
10 partition between thls aud an AdJOinina
{ room Rep.l Took hold Of the box to n
: move 1t and found II too heavy, Turned
e over and In doing so felt something CIV
E way. The windows now caught fire. The
! were slut. lie broke out the lights. The
i. water came In and the fire WAS put out. II
1 then broke open the door leading into IN
! other room to see II there wal any. hr
3 there, and also went Into the third AOr
e aud found no fire there. He had not yet see
: the body. He then went home for 3 fey
n minutes. He came back and saw the bod
e that was found in the building II had n
p head, no hands aud no feet. Was very niue
7 mutilated. lie saw some old clothes all
g paper In the room which were saturate
with coal oil.
a The CT oss-examin ation brought out nothln
Il Unsuh Leatherbury-Was In DIR. West
e room on the night OF the hre, but not unit
Il after It was out. He saw no smoke, bu
II saw body which looked AS II II had bee
II skinned. The hands, head and feet wei
q cut off, He saw the old clothing, rags an
/. paper They had coal oil on them. He sa
n the paper which WAS said to have contalnt
n the powder saw II taken out OF the hole
1 the -loOr. The hole was about i've fei
m from the dead body. There appeared to
g about half pound. He Judged from u
b sire OF the bundle. II was wrapped in col
I. mon brown paper. The bundle was funns
N shaped. There was newspaper In the no
E. when witness fret saw 1t, but the fire hi
W not reached the hole, or burned down
the powder.
4. Chandler EvAns.-On December 4th Las
10 was conductor on the mixed train goii
en- south from W llmingtOn to Delmar, leayiI
Al Dover at 4 a m. Uu that morning a ms
b got on the train at Dover Station. lie HI
&c dark clothes on, and had the collar OF b
De coat turned up aud the rim Of his b
4 turned down. Witness went to him to o.
le lect fare man said he wanted to go to No
Is folk told him that the train only went
be Delmari he then made the ensnge tor y
m fare but did not see whether the man HI
On money IN his pOeketbook or not at the Of
d. of the route, the witness notified the mi
" that the Il ain went no further, when q
III man asked the distance to Salisbury o.
or started In that direction down the tract
m, while at the Delmar Station the witnt
We asked the man If he was sick, having be-
* lead to do SO from his action, but the m
he said that nothing allied him except that
he During the trip he kept his hat down al
TX collar up. He was very quiet. Rather
as clined, the witness thought, TO keep
ID, face from being seen. He had bundle q
a up with rope, but the contents ther'
he witness could not tell.
eh Cross-exAmined-Dld not remember I
III state OF the weather, but judged from
70; season of the year that Il was cold. h
I'LL often seen men go with their collars up
on keep from being cold, but had never that
ere remembered seen men turn their hats do
'tll for that season.
jobs r. LOuman testified that he wa
ART brakeman on the train and had seen
he bundle spoken Of by last witness At DO
the station. aud that 1t was on the plato
ate when train ran up. That he had eNamil
ISL Il some Ia company with other men on
Hn train that there was pair OF boots tn
for that while they were looking at IT,
80 strange man came up aud claimed II
Ill, got on the tram; he did not know exa,
ing where he came from, but he thought I
the - cra.vIad under the train from fha !,