The daily gazette., 1874-12-01
PROCEEDINGS; Of, COURT,
Woodward's Trial,
The Evidence for the Defence.
The Speech Of Mr.. Spraance

Sullis e. Stidham swOrn:--Live en- Lam
caster pike two miles from Wilmington
Mr.. Woodward is my brother in-law; usually |
see my. sister once day living but half |
mile from her; was at Woodward's house /
Oct 9th; he had been to Centreville; came |
home at 9 O'clock that morning; he came In |
the parlor and gave us description Of his l
visit, then went out; saying ne would not
be back until dinner; lew minntcs after
saw him crossing the second field from the
house; i saw him returning in few minutes
in the sans field; he seemed 10 be in haste !; 4
at the same time saw boy 60 up to the
chestnut tree, and put his hand up as If |
taking something down; recognized the
boy afterwards when he came to- the house
as Spe6kmdnt there was a notice to troy
passers on thut tree; l saw 1t the evening
before and on the morning of the 9th about
8.3o O'Clock; l did not see it there In the Of
ternoon; l always looked for 1t because the
boys were in the habit Of tearing 1t down;
there were three notices in that field; Mr..
Woodward came directly home, set the gun
down and said to one OF the boys were hurt;
he went directly out TO call the colored
man then working in the field; he said he
was going TO send for doctor; Mr.. Wood
ward and his colored boy harhessed up the
horse and wagon and went TO the field and
brought Luktns into the house; he picked
the boy up himself and took him In the
house; Mr.. Woodward did everything for
the boys comfort, bathing him with balsam;
l prepared heated bags Of salt and put them
upon his stomach; lie said they lessened his
pain; Mr.. Woodward sent for Mr.. Derrick
son; Mr.. Brown and Speakman came to the
house; the boy wanted to 20 home.
The Doctor did not arrive before
Lukens was taken home straw two
blankets, a patch work quilt and a
pillow were put into the wagon that
| took him home; Mr.. Woodward had
had gangs of boys there, doing most
everything and carrying of all his
fruit, tearing down railings and max
| ing use Of firearms have known him
spend all day Sunday in driving OIL
bows, coming in at night so tired that
he could not enjoy the comforts of the
home table he has fruit growing near
the house they would come almost to
his door and steal he always kept the
gun in the sitting room the gun was
always loaded after the occurrence II
was taken up stairs out of sight; nc
one has called for it; he never went
cunning.
Cross examined :-''All persons art
forbid tresspassing on this property
with gun or dog" was upon the notic'
board was not in the same field whel
saw this notice Mr.. Woodward sell
milk and usually leaves home about
!. o'clock in the morning; Mrs. Wood
ward takes fruit, eggs, &c., to market
| he keeps two men on the farm, but ~
| is always at work with them. '' Z
Henry Du Pont affirmed Il knov
Woodward have known him for 2
wears he was tenant for me for
wears other persons has made me nc
/ auainted with his character he Isl
peaceful man, q law-abiding citizen
of good disposition and q hard WORK
, ing farmer.
II Edward Woodward affirmed :-lliv
in Christiana Hundred am brothe
to Aaron X. Woodward he is .
\ years of age he learned the trade
/ carpentering he has been a farme
for nearly 10 years his farm contain
4 about 100 acres there isa good deal
= fruit on it; Woodward depended, q
!: the growth and sale of that fruit ft
his subsistence was there Octobt
10Th, after this occurrance know u
!. chestnut tree the colored boy, Joh
t Williams, pointed out the spot whel
J, the boy Lukens lay the tree is abo'
l. I1S inches round and is 40 feet high
n the distance from the tree to whe
:, Lukens was found is about 13 yart
a towards the woods, 55 yards from ba
u to tree and 175 yards from bars
Fl where the road turns VIM. Dcrric
son made the measurements with mt
the hedge is about feet high, clos
thick hedge; / visited that chestn
!, tree two or three days after and foul
the gun wads lying near it, all
.,picked out small bird shot from q
!. Wilmington side of the tree , the dl
Of tance from the tree to the woods is
to yards Woodward's house is in vie
70 of the tree he has notices to trespf
- sers all over the field have seen the
on this tree; they have been to
4. down several times.
VIM. G. Derrickson affirmed Am
farmer residing in Christiana Hundre
g. am well acquainted with; the premis
10 of Woodward know him /; Twas wi
&; Mr.. Edward Woodward the morni
Of when he took the measurement ;
~ 40 agree with him; / noticed shot MAJ
III in the tree.
II. Adjourned until Monday mornii
sHh This witness still ON the stand.
New CASTLE, Nov. 80, 1871
IS, Court re-assembled at ten O'Clock
= Judges Wootten, Houston and Wales
:, the Bench. 49,
VIM. Derrickson sworn The bou:
n on the chestnut tree commence seY
y feet from the trunk the diameter OF
to shade of the tree is about Is or 20 fe
a the grass in the field on October 9th '
!, about two-and- @ half feet high; '
IA. sent for on October 9Th to go to Wo
B. wards house, his negro boy came for
and went immediately and found tn
in the sitting room; they seemed to
! trying to relieve the boy. Mr.. Mo
!. ward and his family were there. Wo
ward was bathing him; they made pr
nd arations to take him away; the boy wa
70 ed to go home; q carriage was then
ipi pared with straw, two or three qu
'he and a pillow; the colored boy, drove
nj wagon, Speakman going with him.
nts Cross-examined-Have been in t
40 field many times; think the grass
six six not been moved during the past ye
% -: there is one other chestnut tree in t
er. field; saw the marks of shot abou