The New York herald., 1879-07-03
JOHN ARMSTRONG.
Died June 81, 1879.
Anad % Hanna

Aged 32 years.
Many females were present and burst into tears as
they passed by the bier of the dead. After the mass
the assemblsge dispersed quietly.
Meanwhile, in Newark. the Coroner's inquest
resumed ut the Court House and continued until Ave
o'clock, practically finishing the far the
taking of testimony is concerned. When the ad-
journment was taken till this morning it to
afford constable opportunity to find Ophelia
Dyer the servant girl who. it is understood. is
ready to go to Newark and testify. Ophelia and
one other witness the only ones to examine.
that the will go to the jury early to-day.
The inquest was held in the large Common Pleas
Court room. The attendance was not large. Joseph
A. Blair, the prisoner was present. were also his
wife and Miss Rebeccs Draper, young lady who was
visiting the Blars the evening of the shooting Mr..
Blair is TALL slender. well knit man. OF thirty
three or SO; has good face. well shaped head with
brown hair. cut close, and long neck. His wife is
six or seven years younger. of pleasant but plain
features. and was attired very modestly in dark
clothing. She sat beside her husband.
THE TESTIMONY.
Holland Lees, farmer. who worked on Tuer's
place, adjoining Blairs and heard the noise of the
shooting and hastened to Blair's place. testified that
he arrived at Blairs gate. where lady asked him to
go In. saying that man had shot Mr.. Blair; went In
found Armstrong lying shot and Blair showed re-
volver and said the man going to shoot him
with it, had only revolver. aud Blair said he did
not intend to shoot Armstrong far up. but in the
legs; heard no oaths or vulgar language. Herman
Enderlin. another young workman on Tuer's place,
gave similar testimony
Miss Rebecca Draper. young lady Of Montclair.
apparently of great self-possession and resolute
countenance. next called. She testified that she
was spending the evening at Mrs. Blars; rode with
Mr. and Mrs. Blair from the depot and took tea with
them; after tea Mr.. Blair won't to the barn and wit
ness heard loud and profane talking out there saw
thing in his hand. Colonel Abeel. the prosecutor
took the witness in hand. She said:-At the tea
table told Mr.. Blair saw John beating the horses
and him go lager beer. saloon; Mr. Blair said
he would out and speak pleasantly to John about
it, he intended to speak pleasantly because he knew
Johns dispostion he said that the night before in
the Kitchen, John gave him wicked look. as If he
could do something bad; saw the man beating
the horses in Elm street. the station; he struck
them dozen times; couldn't that the horses
were doing anything deserving Of beating Mr. Blair
"ot n tne gave
the lawn and Mr.. Blair went to the barn; we could
see the barn from the hammocks and went to them
partly in order to see what occurred at the barn;
ohm was in the carriage room, and could not see
him. heard part of what he said: the conversation
between the men lasted two or three minutes Mrs
Blair said. II will go out and ii my being there
won't stop John swearing so; she went to the barn.
but the swearing continued; Mr.. Blair came to the
ran to me and said 'Come, Miss Draper. and bring
the children to the house: L am afraid John is
then Mr.. Blair came out of the barn. and Mrs. Blair
said
"Joe. what is the matterY'
81 DO IT"
"Mary, couldn't help it; had to do it; shot
John; IL hadn't would have been . dead man;
this is the pistol he was going to shoot me with"
He had pistol in each hand. his own in the right
hand; he told us to get something for john and we
got brandy; the servant Opheiia took it out to
John; after the shooting Mr. BLAIR said to me, Miss
Draper as true as there is God in heaven, IL
hadn't shot john he would have shot me; did it in
self-defence; he also gave the particulars of the
shooting: he said he followed John up stairs; as
John went to the door with his right hand Mr..
Blair grabbed him with his left hand and told him
not TO open the door, but he opened it and reached
for a revolver, and Mr. Blair then shot him; John
turned half around and pointed pistol. aud Mr..
Miss Draper gave her story reluctantly, fearing to
trust her memory. she said but the foregoing was
drawn out by the prosecutor.
80 WILLIAM DRUNKARD."
DR.. r. Y. Hewlett. the county physician, next tes-
and taken the following ante-mortem statement
Believing that am about die. and that have no
hope Of recovering maze the following my
arose out Of my sending for glass Of bse did
Sos with home the TE
and Jumping and kicked, and them or three
ss' s Y'S me-
s,ss % n% :' s% @ .sp 1s With ss:
whip and that 1 had glass Of beer. but that I
's @ ss' a.'% sc s.
pay me said would make him pay me- me- lie Was then
sparring up 70 as u he wanted me to strike him
VIE ,hsa told him 9 iiif ssn@ think
house c then came out and ,oa me to cosr
ssid hs would give money then waited for fs"
ethsrone way the other then up stairs the
room sleep lee I'M IIo followed mo up stairs had
BY the collar with his er, hand aud shot in tho
'Ss s:s
IeS he went down stairs and followed him down ana
the door
was aiot They they heard the shots
pe .Ss'
brandy sSs %S up stairs, 5 y. then ~. ,ad they would send
long time The pres, said he would send carriagc to
tho i% Te
Le,e kSoY tho rest after came here am going before
that did moi threaten him in did have any
he lad Waited fo~ would
been inside the door and oil sish. IT., h an minute
.ninh 81 doing 50 There Was pistol in tho room iIe
20 Of ro
e my % ds az n ssass' psa %s
does not hnew how ~ use man When | was doing
always had do days work In the garden never mind
what else had 20 do I told him 70 give ms money
with him when gave him notice was going to leave.
rus was last saturday morning. when told him was
going 70 leave He discharged whom had the fuss
last night and told him would When ho gave
money. JOHN ARMSTRONG;
wiine~-Amos Young. G. NJ zch. r. Y. Hewlett
Up TO the sentence II am gong before my Cod
Armstrong told his story without being questioned,
DR.. Hewlett said. He added that for o man of his |
station Armstrong was particularly polite, thanking
any one Tor the slightest attention and begging par
don II by accident he touched ply while toss
Ing his arms. The wound in the back might have |
been given when Blair on q lower level or when
was on the floor.
Judge ntsworth next examined the witness aud got |
young gentleman to posture before the Jury in a |
bending position so as to illustrate how the balls
might have taken the course they did.
ANOTHER PHYSICIANS STATEMENT.
After an hours recess DR.. Charles Young who at |
tended Armstrong in the hospital testified concern
ng the condition OF the patient; narcotics were
sivcp him, but in such small quantities that his