National Republican. (Washington City (D.C.)) 1872-1888, 1878-03-16
WHO STRUCK FRED COLE I
a MYSTERY DEEPENED ny THE AC-
QUTTTIL or BERy4RDINf.
No Light Thrown Upon the Murdcr-",yhen
Man Is struck with q Blackjack He
N.x.r G.t. Nv.n.

No Light Thrown Upon the Murder-"yhen
n Man Is struck with q Blackjack He
Never Cots woil."
Tho trial Of vincenEo Bernnriini alias Vincent
Dcrnsrdini, alias Bon Vincent q saloon keeper In
East Washington, indicted for the murder Of Fred.
erlck Cole, the 18th OF December last by hitting
him over the head with club. was contnucd be-
fore Justice wylis yesterday. The Government
continued It's testimony.
Zacharlnh Beach started to go up In the city on
the 18th Of December last lie was on n street
south near BcrnardnIs saloon. Three mel were
standing near, and something was said about
drinks, and the large man said Damn you, will
let you have iti' and struck Cole. He recognized
the prisoner as the proprietor Of the place. but
could not say that he struck the man. Another
person, ths, Cole called John and his partner went
to help him up OFF the sidewalk. Anor that he
staggered across the street, falling two or three
wherc he steadied himself The man that helped
Cole up WAS a small man, who went away as soon
as ho did II.
Gross. STANDARDIZATION he flrs, saw the three men
they were hftcen or twenty feet from the house,
near the hydrant. and the witness was In the mid
not a acquainted with any he psrie. lie saw
the white man come out OF the door Of the saloon
and go down TO the place where
THE TWO MEN
were standing by the hydrant, who had previously
come out Of the restaurant. As soon as the blow
was struck the white man went up and closed the
blinds Of the restaurant When Cole was struck he
foil as gnick as II he had been shot. He arst got
| Gcoryianns cole the widow Of the deceased, was
called aud testified that Frederick was brought
home Gitcr ten o'clock. lie was then in bis i,ii
scnses, and he died on the Thursday following On
Monday night he became insensible, and did not
| speak again. She knew that he thought he was
going to die although he did not tell her In 50
many words. lie said, when a man gets struck
with q blackjack he never Receivers" ON sunday
! aNa NO al Ia IN
lini's aud called for liquor, which was put up, and
he drank It and ran ont: that he Cole took his
| drink and started out. lie said that Vincent fol
lowed him out struck him by the hydrant and
for while
He said Il II had not been for Mr.. Cowcll he might
have been drowned. lie saw John Garner aud
treated him. and kept the resi- Of tho money To pay
hiS sister for the shoes that no bought OF her On
his way down to pay her ne met John Garner at
restaurant aud he invited Cole to come IN and
drink with him. He said that Vincent
STRUCK HIN WITH BLACKJACK.
ShO asked what that was, md he told her II wa,
| made out of piece OF iron. npa when man wa,
struck with II he never got we'll.
CrOS,-cxamlncd-lt WAS when they were bring
Ing him home that she thought he had Leen drink
ing. lie said he had not; that Ben. Vincent had
struck him, and the bar keeper hit him first. IIc
husband told her that John Garner was with hiu
In the restaurant when hc va, struck.
Frances Jewell (cOlOrch cole was her brother
in.law. She was the last one lie talked to befUr,
I lie died lie said that II they did not do sOmethin,
I
and went for his wife. When she came back h,
was raving mad and never spoke any more.
The Government here rested.
| Tho frs. witness for
THE DErESsE
was Gsndcndo Rlani lie was har.kceper for Vim
cent Bcrnsrlini in December last when two col
orcd men came into the Salo)a. They asked for
drink. which WAS given othem; then they wantet
they had no money. Then they commenced ours
Ing and went into the street Vincent came to thu
door Of the middle room and told tho witness to G,
aud look for a policeman. lie went out aud two
men were coming, and he said They are coming
now !" but when they came nearer he saw tina
they were not policemen and said so. Vincent tol,
him TO close up and as he reached the door he saw
Vincent sitting by the stove In the middle room,
lie was not In tho baT-room at all. The cOloret
men went out at the tins he did, and at the tim
the two strange men came up the two colored mel
were standing between the trce'box and hydran
talking and curSing. He closed the house, am
cused was arrested the day cole died Ho was a
tho bar and In the house all the time after the aiai
occurred. Joe Laurenkl was with Bernar,lini IL
the middle room that night
t. .CrOss-examincd-H did not strike the colore
man, or see anybody strike him.
joseph Laurenzi kept small grocery OH n stree
northeast, In the rear Of Beruardlnis. lie kney
the accused. He was talking with the witness i
the middle room when the two men came In al
made noise. HIS testimony was corroboratiye G
ACQUITTED.
The court at this point inquired III was wort
while TO take up any more OF the time of the
II seemed to him that che Government had nj
made out case. for there was such discrepancy /
the evidence. The strongest point Is the dcclars
ton made by the vile, but the sistcr-in.law do,
, not concur In her testimony, and there is som
! doubt Al to whether the evidence should be T,
| ceived as the dying declaration. Then there
Garner, who; suddenly disappears, and there is II
explanation OF his conduct, except by the thcOr
that he was the man who struck the blow. lie su.
gested that the jury find verdict Of Gcquitta
which was done, and the accused discharged.