Wilmington daily commercial., 1873-06-04
pRANpYwINE MILIs QuoTAT1oNs TODAY.
THE WEST MURDER TRIAL.
Progress of the Case, Yesterday.
A JURY OBTAINED-W EST'S CONFESSION
PUT IN EVIDENCE.
Specially reported for the Commercial

/ Especially ItpUTbeu lOE SOlulueTClhll
Dover, June Sd, 1873.
As l informed you by telegraph earlier in the
| day, special session of the Court of Oyer ana
| Terminer was convened here this afternoon
| called for the trial of Isaac G West. for the
| murder of Henry Turner colored man, on the
| evening OF Monday Dec. 4th, 1872.
AT an early hour, every available seat and va
| cant chair was occuwied by eager spectators.
Before the Court had met the mother of the
| prisoner, accompanied by some friends was
brought into Court and seated on bench within
the railing of the bar, near the prisoners dock.
general movement of heads took place upon
the entrance of Hon. Willard Salisbury, counsel
for the defence. The ex-senator looks feeble,
and came in leaning upon the arm OF his nephew,
John Salisbury.
The Court being called, the Chief Justice Or
dered the Sheriff to bring forward the prisoner,
who had heretofore been arraigned on two
counts-murder and arson In a few minutes,
the deputies appeared, leading between them
the prisoner, which was sufficient cause for a
lively commotion, everybody anxious to see
him Mr.. West looks rather thin and pale,
and was dressed faultlessly in a shining
white shirt bosom, dark coat, with
light pants and vest. He wore a nous
tache and goatee, very dark, and appeared very
calm and collected, under the gaze Of the crowd
cd throng His entrance to the box affected his
mother to tears and sobs
After calling the jurors and witnesses sum
moned the defense asked that the jurymen be
called and sworn AS he had heretofore formed
and expressed an opinion about the case at is
sue, (thought he should be punshed), this juror
was dismissed.
The counsel for the defense then addressed
the Court in reference to the polling of juries in
cases of opinions being formed and expressed.
Attorney General Lore replied addressing the
Court on the some subject, after which the poll
ing OF the jury was continued, and, to the sur
prise OF all full jury secured in less than
two hOurH. FlftV-Oue namag Halln0 Of whom
l6 were challenged by the State and twenty-three
dismissed for cause The following are the
the names OF the jury empanneed, who are TO
decide whether the prisoner be guilty or limo
cent: Foreman, Henry Harrington; W. G. Long
fellow, Nathaniel Harrington. John w. Graham
Lewis Shaffenger, Obediah Voshell, James II.
Sullivan, Benjamin +. Graham, William NJ, Sat-
teriied Benjamin F. Hurlick. john W, Jones
and Phlemma Scotten.
The jury being sworn, the clerk read the in
dictment. after which the Attorney General oG-
cupied nearly half an hour, and spoke in refer
enee. particularly. to the statement or confess
sion made by West, at the time of his incarcera-
tion.
The examination of witnesses for the State was
commenced, and Stephen Cats was the first
witness called and testified as follows | was
Coroner of Kent county, and held an inquest
over the todY of Cooch Turner the prisoner
made voluntary statement recognized the
document by his signature on being cross eX-
amined, said he recognized the paper by his own
handwriting had not seen the document before
to-day bot was confident it was the original
statement made by West, who corrected some
errors after the paper was printed; the state
ment made was voluntarily on the part of West
did not remember OF any particular questions be-
ing asked him at the time of writing.
Mr. salisbury not having seen the paper,
asked permission to read it, which was granted
George b. Dickson sworn-I was the clerk at
the Coroner's inquest took down the state
ment, and recognized it by his own writing
The alterations in the statement were made by
me. according to Vests dictation it was his
voluntary statement the prisoner was interro-
gated by the Attorney General after the confess
sion was made saw West sign the paper after
all the corrections mad been made and handed
him
The confession wasthen read by deputy Atty |
General b. Bates, when at 6:15 the Court ad- |
journed
The press reporters were assigned seats on |
the Judges raised platform, and are very COM
fortably located
Miss Anna f. Dickinson, her mother and |
brother, occupied seats to the left of the Judges
during the trial This is Mrs Dickinson's origi- |
nal home, she having been a native of Kent |
county.