The daily gazette., 1878-12-09
FIFTH EDITION.
OUR COUNTY LOURT.


on the bench.
The case of State VS.. VIM. Harris for
the murder of a colored man named
Isaac Hopkins, in Appoquinimink Hun
dred.
After calling the witnesses for the State
IL was discovered that quite number ,
of important ones were absent. Some /.
discussion occurred as to the advisbility !
of going TO trial but as the Court had !
on Saturday ordered the case for this ,
morning at the earnest solicitation of the !.
Attorney General, they didn't propose to
defer it any longer, and so the action !
was ordered for trial.
The prisoner was brought from his
cell and placed In the dock. He is
colored man, stunted In growth, short
neck, and with an expression morose and
dogged. Beneath his heavy brows twink
led pair of dark eyes that appeared to
discern everything that occurred pertain
lug TO the trial before him. The Jury
drawn was as follows : David Morrison,
foreman; Edward L. Mckee, Samuel j.
Mccall, Lorenzo ID. CHM. Thomas G.
Murphy, Joseph Henry Hanson, Andrew
Wahl, VIM. Morrison, VIM. jerome Ella
son, James Rowell, Richard s. Martin
drawn from twenty-three Jurors called.
Seven of the remainder were challenged
and four had expressed an opinion. VIM.
Harris was arrested, according to the in
dictment, for "having been moved and
sedueed, by the instigation of the devil"
shooting, on the 10th of December, a
colored man named Isaac Hopkins. A.
p. Robinson and ii. X. Pennington for
the State; Benjamin c. Nields for the
defence.
Isaac Cook, col, sworn Was preser
at Hopkins funeral, saw the body and
saw place in his breast that looked like
as though it was done with shot; didn't
see Harris at the funeral.
| James Gates, COL, sworn: Saw Hor-
kins lying on the floor of S eve Gates
house; lie was in very bad condition,
saw wound on his body; didn't know
whether it was gunshot wound saw
Harris in his own yard before the shooting
Mary Price, col, sworn: Saw Hop
kins sfer he was shot Hopkins told me
that hs wss shot aud that 1t would he
the death OF him; didn't say who shot
him.
DR.. John II. Parvis, sworn: l was
called in TO see HOPKINS Oh the 10th OF
December found him lyiDg on some
rags pulseless, next day | found him
dead.
As the Doctor was in some doubt as
to whether the sick man had expressed a
fear that he was about to die the Court
would not accept the confession of the
dying maU, made TO the Doctor.
The Duputy attorney, after this ruling
by the Court, stated that the State was
| .f..r a ut.fa q al.
sencn ofits witnesses and could not prove
the crime upon the man.
The Court then instructed the Jury 70
return verdict of mot guilty" whieh
: was done, and the prisoner with his face
wreathed in smiles of qualification was
dismissed
, Mr.. Nields then stated that he had suf
: ficient evidence to show that the prison
er had not committed the deed for which
he was accused, land that he made thi,
public statement in order that a wronl
Impression might not be published TO tn,
s world against the prisoner.
n In the Harris Hopkins case already
b mentioned, from the evidence taken a
70 the Coroners inquest, IL appears that
murder Of the most atrocious kind wa
perpeirated.
= The sworn evidence of Mrs. Harris
n the wife of the prisoner, who, Accord nI
to the law. could not be used as viii
~ ness either for or against The prisoner
Is as follows:
"My husband, William Harris, and IN
W were at festival on Saturday night W
in came home about 10 o'clock; we wer
together all the way home when W
~ got home Hopkins was asleep. III
a boarded with us. took my clothes o
aud my husband took them and hid theI
to keep me from going to church on Sur
H. day. He and had fight about it whe
In n hrtnl . 10. Nr.
20 threw it at me, and then fired at me wit
~, a pistol The noise awakened HopkiI
a. and he says TO my husband, you wi
* Kill your wife
io My husband said TO him, "you -
do you take 1t up for her?" and told hit
= to go out of the house. Hopkins said h
q would as soon as he put his boots ol
> My husband snapped his pistol at hir
twice but II did not go off. Hopkins pl
his boots on and was going toward I'll
door. lie was walking backwards whe
my husband took up his gun and sh,
him in the breast | never knew hil
and Hopkins to quarrel about me.
never quarrelled with my husband abol
Hookins. | did not come home fir
from the festival, my husband came wit
me"
The defense, however, proposed to T
but this evidence by sufficient proof
show that in the quarrel if quarrel the
- was, the deceased was shot by the priso
er In self defense. This proof was also
state that Harris came home that eyel
ing and found his wife undressed and
criminal relationship with the decease
n and hence the sho oting.
~ The Dodson case being called by d
court, Messrs. Gray aud Lore counsel t
the prisoners asked that the case be DO
poned until Tomorrow morning at
o'clock The reason assigned by N
Gray for the application was that thr
OF the most important witnesses W
nj were to arrive on the noontime train b
IN not put IN appearance. II these witne
es do not arrive tomorrow as Mr.. CIR
stated grounds will be laid by the ,
fence, for continuance, until next tor
AS the State acquisc d the court gra
ed The applicatl on, and the members il
general were discharged until to-mofr
IN at 10 o'clock.