Daily Republican., 1878-12-10
Prom Yesterdays ists edit. n.
QUE COUNTY COURT.

Tho Harr1e- Hopklas Murder Cass
0n Tsiss-Exam1nasien or Wltnes
sea.
Correspondents Of ths Republican. atl1
| New CAsrLE. Dec. 9th, 1878.
Court opened this morning At ten o.
clock, with Judges Comsgys, Woottsn.
Houston and Wales on the Bench,
| The case Of State W. William Harris,
for the murder Of colorsd man, named
Isaac Hopkins, in Appoquinimink Hun.
dred, came up. ...-Es
After calling the witnessss for the
State II was discovered that quite a
number Of important ONES were absent
some discussion occurred AZ to the ad
visibility Of going to trial; but ~ the
Court had, on Saturday, ordered the
case for this morning, at the earnest 40.
licitation Of the Attorney General, they
didn't propose To defer II any longer.
and so the action was ordered for trial
The prisoner was brought from his
coll and placed in the dock. H- Is .
colored man, stunted in growth. short
neck and OF an expression nlorose and
dogged. Beneath his heavy brows
t~inklrd pair Of dark eyes that ap-
peared to discern everything that oc-
CURED pertaining to the trial before
him.
The jury drawn was As follows:
David Morrison, foreman Elwood p.
Mckee, Samuel J. Mccall, Lar.nzo D.
Ginn, Thomas c. Murphy, Joseph
Henry Hanson, Andrew Wahl, William
Morrison, William Jerome Eliason, Jas.
Powell, Richard s. Martin and Jesse
James. These gentlemen were drawn
from twenty-three jurors called. Seven
OF the remainder were challenged and
four had expressed an opinion. vii.
liam Harris was arrested according to
the indictment, having been moved
and seduced by the instigation Of the
devil, shooting on tha 18th of Decem.
her, colored man named Isaac Hop
kins.
A. p. Robinson and II. r. Penning.
ton for the State. Benjamin C. Nields
Tor the defence.
Isaac Cork, colored, sworn Was
present at Hopkins funeral; | saw the
body and saw the place in his breast
that looked like as though it had been
lone by shot; didn't seee Harris at the
funeral
James Gates, colored, sworn Saw
Hopkins lying on the floor Of s. Gates
louse; he was in very bad condition;
'aw wound on his body; didn't know
1t was a gun.shot wound; .
aw Harris in his own yard before the ,
hooting.
Mary Price, colored. sworn Saw
hopkins after he was shot; Hopkins '
Old me that he was shot, and that it ,
would be the death of him; didn't saw
Who shot him.
DIR. John H. Parvis, sworn Il was !
allied in to see Hopkins on the 18th of :
december; found him lying on some :,
ags, pnlseless; next day | found him
lead q
AS the Doctor was in some doubt as
whether the sick man had expressed !, II
lear that he was about to die, the :.
'onrt would not accept the confession a
the dying man made to the Doctor I =
The Deputy Attorney, after this rul- a
ng by the Court, stated that the State II
,as under a disadvantage through the W
hsence of its witnesses and could not
rove the crime upon the man. ~
The Court then intructed the Jury to = :
eturn verdict of mot guilty" and :, :,
ne prisoner with his face wreathed in '. VI
miles OF qualification was dismissed. v, :"
Mr.. Nields then stated that he had "
lfiiclent evidence to show that the '" W
risoner had not committed the deed, '. !"
r which he was accused and that he ~
ade this public statement in order r.
lat wrong impression might not be ~ s'
ablished to the world against the =, ~
'isoner. St