Saint Mary's beacon. [volume] (Leonard Town, Md.) 1867-1983, 1875-04-08

SPOUT 4 clock, went 70 sleep when ne
was awakened by his father who told
him that bis brothers house was on
| FIRE, went to the FIRE, was the first one
there, saw no one about the building,
saw the tracks Of one horse, didn't no
tice abort the coal oil, was thinking
about the FIRE, building was on IRE on
the roof and at each gable end when he
got there, noticed the horses track par
t;culariy, measured it, it was IA small
clean track, shod before and not behind
tracked the horse to Peters Ditch
through Charlotte Hall, then to Chap
tico, then through the farm of Aquilla
Burroughs, and then to the home Of
prisoner, gave up the search then, went
then to st. Clements Bay, then to Thos
P. Guys, and then to Tippetts, . Jus.
tice of the Peace, to procure writ for
the arrest of prisoner, saw the same
track upon the premises of Thos. p
Guy, very pleasant weather, rained al
mig int the night of 3rd of January, could
easily track horse. Cross-examined
by Defence. Rained off and on allnight
roads were very muddy, took the pub.
lie road in tracking prisoner, the road
from Charlotte Hall to Peters Ditch il
a public road, met on that road one car.
rage, road much travelled at times, got
to Peters Ditch about 10 o'clock in the
morning, stopped there 10 or Is min
utes, doesn't know the distance between
Peters Ditch and Chaptico, took the
public road, it 10 not uncommon to see
a horse With small feet, and one shod
before and not behind, didn't examine
the horses feet, asked the brother OF
prisoner where the horse was, his broth
er said he had gone to the Head of the
Bay, can identify his own horse 8 track,
got to Tom Guys about shutdown on
the evening of the 4th of January,
measured the track there again, meas
ured with a stick across and length
ways, peculiar track newly shod, is con-
fident that the track he saw at Guys
was the same as at the burnt building,
was riding in pursuit at a fast gait, in
gallop, there are numerous roads run
ming into the road travelled by him, no.
ticed these crossroads very particularly
Philip Love, jr., sworn. Was clerk
for E. S. HALEY ON 3rd January, 1872
prisoner bought from him on that even.
ing a pint Of coal oil and some matches,
borrowed bottle and put the oil in it,
had his horse fed, prisoner said he was
going to Peters Ditch that night to q
frolic, prisoner returned the bottle tie
next morning, seemed to be drinking,
was drowsy and had nothing to say, got
there about 8 or 9 o'clock in the morn
ing, didn't appear to lie much excited
on the evening of the 3rd of January,
or didn't seem to bctroubled about any
thing, had been drinking a great deal
J. J. Cough, sworn. Prisoner PASSED
through Chaptico on the evening of the
3rd of January, bought pint of wits.
key from witness, said he was going to
Bryantown to see Mr. Moran on bust.
ness and would probably go to Wash
ington, wanted to know if there were
any accommodations in Charlotte Hall
saw him again the next morning as he
returned, was under TIE influence of Ii.
quor, doesn't know which way be went
on leaving Chartico on the evening OF
the 3rd of January.
RoLt. Catlett sworn Was clerk for
Ballenger & Neal at Mechanicsville on
the 3rd of January, 1872, was aroused
late in the night on the Ord of January by a
man whom he had never seen before
who bought from him pint of coal
oil and two boxes of matches, said he
was going to Washington and wanted
the coal oil and matches to build fire
! To warm himself, the man gave witness
the bottle to put the coal oil in, when
lie left took some waste paper with him,
thinks the prisoner at the bar from his
general appearance is the man he saw
on that night and who bou;; hit the coal
oil and matches. Cross-exanlined BY
defence. Can't swear positively to the
identity, the man wore dark clothes on
| that occasion and dark hat and had
dark moustache.
Aquilla Burroughs sworn. Prisoner
passed through witnesses farm on the
morning of the 4th of January about
8 or 9 o'clock. coming from the direc-
ton of Chaptico, rode a small horse
knows prisoner Very well, has always
d yOOu ittct
John A. Russell sworn. Prisoner
borrowed witnesses overcoat on the Bird
of January, returned it to him the mex,
day, it smelt then of coal oil, was a
light coat, has known prisoner from
childhood, he is industrious and hard.
working and has always borne most
exemplary character, never thought be
would do any one an injury.
Finders Lathrom, sworn. Had some
conversation with prisoner about the
lst January in regard to Burch's house
STAYED ut the house of VIM. Burch OF
the night of the 3rd of January, 1872
was at the building when burnt, accom-.
panied ferdinand Burch ard Jane:
Ward in the pursuit, there were many
other tracks besides the one spoken of
couldn't identify the horses track ant
often had trouble in finding it, doesn't
think horse could be tracked TWEEN
ty miles. Cross-examined by defence
Has known prisoner well 8 or 10 years
his character has been as good as any
ones, saw prisoner two or three week,
before the burning of the house, prisonei
ALWAYS wore light clothes, diau't thinl
it was unusual or strange for the pris
oner TO ask about Burch's house, pris
oner was very deeply in love with Mis-.
Estelle Guy and wis deeply affected b!
the opposition of her parents, his hab
its changed very much, he becam,
gloomy, particularly so about this time
prisoner told witness that he though
Miss Guy loved him, witness though