The sun. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1833-1916, 1878-09-09


snid when he went out VI the house after s1p-
per he started up The Hill back Of the houscto
fnrm The hill was so slippery that he
camne buck 10y way Il, inc H sdSr,h
ol n measure. to use in saing his cattle
He accounted for tine track on til" threshold IN
the plea that the wind had 9lown obfn tnr ir1h,
measure in the wOOdhouse. he took one from
the carriage house As the wnil'ing was bad
he hiichc.l IN his horse and WAGON ana drove
out past the window and banking house. whcrn
the clerk and Mrs. Curtis saw him. out on the
Justice W,shburns house. He drove up tho
Hill. leaving the gate open. He htched his
trance OF the lane and saw that II big tree in the
cornred ON the left had been blown down. He
walked over and looked at the tree md came
back He wore tight-lting rubber boots. and
found the field very soft and muddy. On his
h nd Been m blown o down. As he was afraid the
cattle would get into his oats. he went To- Held
nearer thc river To- IND hammer AMI n9x OF
He could not find them. and cnnc back to his |
horse. He drove M the lane twenty-ilve rods |
further. and saw that there WIS more fence |
down than two men could put NJ in two days. |
He took the salt box under his arm. aud walked |
twenty eight hcnd in different places; then
went half mile To- see the colts and sheep. and |
sailed them. On returning TO the wagon. he
| turned the horse around and drove carefully
% wes very bnd II" then w Went To iustic" wash
| burns house. md was shocked To hear what
had happened to his wife. The detectives
| found the tracks out to the tree and back.
saw traces Of his search Tor the hammer;
discovered tho fences down ms he, had
he had sailed his cattle. Blu, it is a. question
whether he had time to go up on the hill. come
| back through the garden search through the
wooihouse Tor salt pan, return 90 the burn.
hitch up his horse. and drive out OF the yard be-
| tween the time when he left his house and was
seen by sherman driving out q the yard. Sher-
man declares that he did not have time To do
| this hut thinks it was ten minutes before he
! i'm rtx M ~ he theory u
| the District Attorney is that hr put thr carhinr
IN the wagon. drove ON the hill. sailed ms cauie.
! went ~ the fallen tree ON his way toward tho
| house. saw that his Trucks in tho corn field would
b'tray him. turned round and walked back to
! the wagon. went down tn" lane To- a clover or
grn-s field. crossed these folds to the open road
back %; his house. came down through the gar
watched his wife from the cover ~ the door. and
finally stepped up to u bush dotted with yellow
roses and fired the fatal shot. Hethcn ran back
M the hill roid crossed over the grass fields To-
his wagon. turned his horse about and drove
to Justice Washburn's.
ON June 5. sherman the clerk looked for the
carhinr IN the it'll" room of the hall over the
store. II was missing and was niicrward found
In nm old unused well thiry i'rt from the spot
whore Billings hitchcd his horse when he says
he weni 10 salt the caitl" The exploded shell
remained in the curbinc, ana may vel prove q
turning point in the evidence. for II Mr.. Bill
lrgs Is guilty he must have secured the cart
ridge between sunday and Tuesday evening.
| The theory of the prosecution l. that h. bought
it in schuyerville or during his Fort Edward
The strongest evidence in Mr. Billincs's favor
is the question Of time. The prosecution Will
endeayor To- prove thn, We n@rdIr wds som
will put witnesses on the stand to prove that
tn shot was fired At or after qu,nri.r To- NM.
burn Is one Couklinc. who was visiting neigh
Dor across the river directly opposite the Bill
l linGs mansion. They had talked until they
4. were tired, when ConkSllns drew his watch from
flred Mr. Washburn s ,;,, beiore the Coroner
that he looked at his watch in Billings's
n2re aTa 'N Started T home pqMr''r haG
, not gone thirty rods before the shot was
O'clock. ma his wife. son ana daughter mr., as
: positive TINT Billings vas ~ the house twenty
minutes before. II the defence can convince
the jury that the shot was ilred Mt So and that
Billings WINS III Washhurn's house ten minutes
. their client and II the prosecution copvinr,s
them that the shot was fired before ga. and Bill
minutes before the Justices return. the case
, must look dark for the accused
, 1t il said that both his daughter and servant
girl saw man run behind "A lumber pile on III"
a bank Of tho river when they ran 10 the door hut
: there is no evidence OF this on record D.iec-
, tive Markham Saws he saw the tracks Of rubber
= boots in tho yard OF house on the right Of the
/ Billings residence. II he IS not mistaken. and
a.. the defence can prove that the daughter and
, servant saw n mysterious. hatless man dodge
a | behind the pile Of lumber. they will undoubtedly
, connect these tracks with that disappearance.
1t is barely possible, but hardly probable. that
. the murderer could nave Jumped into boat IN
= friends and relatives Of Mr.. Billings and the
, | Assistant District Attorney objected to them.
, The Coroner discharged them. and second
n | Jury was mpanelled. but the District Attorney
D. says that there We're relatives OF the accised
among them. Singular as II may seem the Dis
trict Attorney Is himself related 70 Mr.. Billings.
| His wifc's brother married Billings : SISTER.
I | There were also relatives on the Grand Jury.
: but they unanimously found an Indictment
. | against the prisoner. The Coroners jury de-
a | cided that the murder was committed by some
/ ! person or persons unknown.
/. | The daughter attracts the greatest Interest.
{ She is about IS years old. OF pleasing address,
!, | and has fair education, Since her mother ;
Harris. Her aunt. and in fact. all her mother :
= | relatives. believe Mr.. Billings guilty, and are
= | doing what they can to bring i'm To the scat
, fold. One Of the trial Jurors il brother OF the
/ murdered woman, and another was a member
/ | Of the Coroners jury. Mr.. Billings has been
/ taking an active part in the prayer meetings
/ | held In his cell by a BallstQn clergyman as
sisted by several young people, lie frequently
speaks OF these meetings, and 81 the comfort
. | and hope he derives from them. In his letters
and he expresses the hone that he will be nr-
quilted that he may return to her and ENJOY tho
, | comforts of home once more.
Mr.. Billings will be defended by Charles
| Hughes Of Sandy Hill j. =. Butler of Saratoga,
r d. T. Potter. Of Schuyleryille, and J. l.. Iamo-
/ prosecution District Attorney Isaac {. 0rmsby
. | Of Waterford will be assisted by y. c. Moak OF
/ Albany. and l.. b, liike and John Foley Of Sara
: toga. The presiding Justice will be Judge j ),
;; | on the bench County Judge j, W. Crane and
, Justices OF the Sessions rallmGdge and Bogert
/ The trial will undoubtedly be prOtracted filty-
| eight witnesses have been subpHnaed by the
people and the defence.