Wilmington daily commercial. [volume] (Wilmington, Del.) 1866-1877, 1874-10-19

The Devines-Dopuiy Murder Trial

AcQUIrrAL OF THE NEUTRALITY-SUSPICIOUS. or THE
AooUIrrAL-scENE IN THE COURT ROOM.
The Devines-Deputy trial, which was begun
in the Sussex County Court, sitting at George
town, on Thursday last, was concluded on Fri
day with verdict of acquttal. 1t will be re-
membered that the murder was only committed
at Milford on the Friday previous, (t was re-
ported in the COMMERCIAL on Tuesday, 30 that
the commitment, Indictment, arragnment, trial
and acquital we're all accomplished in less than
week from the hour Of the commission of the
deed
The evidence in the case was not lengthy, and
was all given in on Thursday. From this evi
dence it appears that Thomas Devnes had been
living in constant dread of his victim, Abraham
Deputy, and upon several occasions has been
subjected to cruel and unmerciful beatiugs.
This has continued, according to the evidence,
for some time past, and ever since Devines was
the principal witness in case in which Deputy
was defendant, he having been sued by the
plaintiff to recover damages for boat which he
had destroyed. The amount of the damages
was fixed, it seems, according to Deputy's own
valuation of tho boat, repeatedly made to De-
vines before the suit, and clearly given in evil
dence by him at the trial. Deputy lost the case,
mainly through Importance of Devnes' tostimo-
ny, which so angered him that he let no oppor-
tunity pass to beat Devines, and being a much
stouter man he accomplished the task with much
seeming pleasure. On one occasion Devines
was severely injured by being beaten with an
oar.
1t was also offered in evidence that on the day
of the murder Deputy had followed Devines
about to pick quarrel with HIM ; that he pur-
sued him from the wharf on the Mispillion, in
Milford to Front street in the same town that
instead of turning off here and going to his
home in another direction, as was his custom,
he continued to follow Devines, applying
abusive epities frequently, until he finally
| caused Devines to stop and the two approached
each other, joined in a struggle, and in
the midst of it Devines drew an Ordinary
| barlow knife, and with it inflicted wounds which
| terminated fatally ON the second day after the
occurrence. Tho fact That Deputy was IN no
danger of his life until after he had passed
Front street, in Milford, and provoked the quar-
rel and encounter with Devlnes, thereby losing
his life weighed with sufficient force upon the
jury to bring in verdict of acquittal. The case
was given to the jury at II O'Clock on Friday,
and the verdict was rendered in an hour.
There was strong feeling OF sympathy for
the prisoner not only in Milford, but throughout
Sussex county wherever he was known, and
when the verdict of the Jury was announced the
crowd which had thronged the court room
pressed eagerly about the prisoners dock and al
most overwhelmed him with their congratula-
tions.
Devines is a Southemer by birth and residence
until about ten years ago, when be removed to
Milford, and found employment under Deputy
in the oyster business. He subsequently, en-
gagged in the same business on his own account
and to this source is attributed much of tina ill
feeling which Deputy is believed to have con
stantly entertained towards him.