Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1873-04-04
ON TRIAL Fer HIS LIFE
IHE CASE or TOM WRIGHT.
The killing Of Roserski. the Peadler.
Proceedings I'm the Criminal Court


Yesterday, after our report of the trial of
Thomas Wright on an indictment charging him
with the murder of Samuel Rogerski, the ped
dler, closed
Le1ris W. Reagan was sworn, and testified that
he saw the peddler about IL O'Clock the Monday
morning before Christmas going into the house
ss-examined:-witness was fifteen wears of
age; knew deceased was peddler because he
before; was skating on a little pond next to
Wrfght's house; remained about fifteen minutes.
John Brdrton, sworn.-Witness was with Rea-
gan, and corroborated his testimony.
Charles N. R0biRsOn, sw0rn:-Witness is a clerk
IN Began & Wylie's store, on It'll street; a jew
peddler was in the store on the Monday morn
ing before Christmas; has sold deceased shawls,
bed-tickirg, jackets, and other articles of dry
goods. 1.-The package found in Wright's yard
was here exhibited, and witness identified one
shawl and three balmoral skirts contained
Cross-examined:-I Identified the articles by the
trade marks of the firm on them; put the marks
on them himself, and could not identify them
otherwise.
Lieut.. James w. Gessford sworn:-witness has
charge of Precinct No. 1; arrived at the station
about O'Clock on the night of the murder, but
nothing was done that night; the next d "
Detective McDevitt called on him, and on re
night Of the 25th Of December they proceeded
to the house in the alley and arrested Wright,
Margaret Woods, and two other persons;
searched Wright and found that he had on two
paIs OF stockings; one pair were new and cor
responded with pair found in the package;
took the new ones away from him; proceeded To
examine the premises, and found in the yard a
package and in the house several spots of bloc 4;
looked under the bed and found a Ratchet,
(hatchet exhibited on which he found some
hair hair exhibited) and several spots of what
seemed to be blood; the Ratchet had the APP
pearance of having been showed into the fire;
found large amount OF blood ON the floor of
the closet.
Cross-examined.- Detective Mcnavitt OHs
GERS Hughes. Leach. Lewis, and Sergeant
Pierce were in company with witness when the
arrest was made; the prisoner offered no resist
ance when he was arrested; there was snow on
the ground on the night of the Sd of Decem-
Der; the snow was not deep, but frozen; dscov-
cred blood stains in the closet under the stairs
looked like it was new, and could not easily be
broken into. Witness had to move a pile OF
lumber before he got 20 the earth under which
he found the pack. spade was also found
alongside the lumber.
Mr.. Harrington said he desired to call the at
tentiOn of Gen. Henke to the fact that he would
contend that the socks taken of Wrights feet
were odds, and that each of the odds cores
IOrded with two like odd socks found in the
peddler's pack. IL would be seen (hOlding up
the stockings) that one of Wright's socks was
long and the other short, and that one of the
odd socks found in the pack was long and the
other short.
st $40 p. m, the court adjourned.
Third Day.
The prisoner was brought over from Jail
shortly after nine O'Clock this morning, before
the usual crowd had collected on the street. and
the jury having been brought from the Cont
mental Hotel, the court was opened promptly
at ten o clock. AT this time there were but few
spectators present, the bailiffs obeying orders
to keep out all attracted by curiosity only
During the morning the number OF spectators
increased grs fually, and by noon there were
fully a. many present as on the previous day.
The FIRST WITNESS THIS MORNING,
Tulip Cohen, was sworn, ana testified that
he saw deceased on the morning of December
25d. His business was that OF a peddler: witness
occupied room with the deceased. He had
500 that morning. The small hand trunk and
effects were exhibited, and witness said that
trunk was not EOgcrski's. Mr.. HARRINGTON
That is Wrights.] Witness identified WOODEN
jacket as having belonged TO deceased, as also a
shawl. The deceased was new in the business
and witness bought his goods for him. The
straps were shown, but witness could not swear
that they were those which belonged to de-
Cross-examned:-Witn enumerated the
articles that deceased carried.
Mr.. Henkle.-Look at Wright's stockings
Wright, hold up yopr leg. The prisoner did So,
and witness looked at them and said: ..They
are dirty, but are like some he had in the pack
witness was cross-eXan' ned at length as 10 the
jacket, and stated that IT was a brown one,
with "A little Iming on the edges; could not state
exactly the color OF the lining. Is positive the
bslmoTal and small black and white checked
WOODEN shawl were in the pack. Also identified
the table cloth, which was ordered from New
York. Witness saw the pack on the morning of
the day Rogerski was killed at the room on .
street, between Sth and 9th. Saw deceased
count out his money that morning.
WEIGHTS MISTRESS ON THE WITNESS STAND.
AGTgdrst Wood was next called, and Wright
looked at her very seriously. She was given
seat, having been sick; She testified that she
BY Mr.. Henkle:-Had been in jail as witness
since Christmas.
General Henkie asked that she he instructed
that sac need not answer any question which
might criminate herself.
Mr.. HaIrington.-It is her privilege and not
General Henkle's.
General Henkle.-Perhaps she don't know
what her privileges are
Judge Macarthur said that he would instruct
her generally, and so instructed her.
General Henkle asked that the court instruct
her that II she knew Of the crime she is access
sory.
Mr.. Harrington asked if she had made a vol
untary statement as & the homicide, and being
answered in the Affirmative, witDe proceeded.
She said she saw the peddler the Monday before
his death. ard bought a shawl from him, on
which she owed him 25 cents. Wright saw him
leave the house, and asked what she had bought,
and she told him, and that the peddler said he
was coming again the next Monday. Wright
said that he did not know but he would rob
him. The next Monday she went to wash for
lady, and came back about II o'clock.
TESTIMONY As TO wIIGHT's CONFESSION OF
THE BLOODY DEED.
LON SAID: II have been cleaning the hOor,
and you can finish it," After dinner she tried
to wash it, and saw some spots OF blood, as she
thought. She said something about the blood
and he said he had robbed the peddIer-that he
had killed him. A sensation in COURT She
asked, ''What did you do with him?" and he
replied, 81 put him in the cupboard" Tom
said he put the Pack out OF doors, in the wood
shed. Don't know what became of the valise
of the deceased; don't know that he had valise
there. Tom said that the pack was up stairs.
Witness told him that she did not want the
goods III her house; don't know when the body
left the house. About . X O'Clock Tom got up
and went out; witness was in the back room at
the time. When he came back, Wright said,
Il have carried him away out in the field"
Tom got up Tuesday morning early and said he
wanted to see his brother cat the Capitol); did
not see what be took with him. Don't know
that he carried valise away with him the
wooden jacket was exhibtedl; had seen Tom
with coat like il; he said that he got il from a
man who owed him. Did not see ANYTHING that
came out Of the peddler's pack. When he
came back Oh Monday night he had on a new
coat. He got q new pair of shoes on Tuesiay,
and when he came back he said he left the old
ones at q store on 1 street.
ANOTHER SENSATION.
Did you ever have any conversation as to
what he killed the peddler with?
The witness held down her head.