Public ledger. [volume] (Memphis, Tenn.) 1865-1893, 1879-06-27
A STRONG CASE.
The Ganows Will Likely Catch
William Parker.
His Trial Drawing 90 a Close,
with Good Prospects of
Conviction.
Prosecuting Attorney Turner weaves
the Web and General Gordon
Tries to UHraVel It.

Great Interest in the Courtroom, Etc
The prospect to-day is better than
it appeared yesterday to partially
ayenge the diabolical murder of Mrs
w. G. c. Foster, who was so cruelty
slain by having her head crushed at
her house, near the fair grounds, dur
ing a dark Sunday night in January
last.
The trial of Charles Duncan, alias
William Parker, now progressing in
the Criminal Court and likely to come
to a close this evening or in the morn
ing, has developed into one of the
most remarkable cases of circumstan-
tial guilt in the history of crime. A
complete web of testimony has been
woven around Parker, and the pros
poets are now very strong in favor Of
his being convicted.
A deal Of interest has been aroused
in the case, and this forenoon the
Criminal Court room was crowded
with spectators, white and black,
Parker sat before the bar Of justice
industriOusly chewing a quid Of to-
baccO. lie is a black man, with
closely-cut kinky hair, rather thin
vissage and stout built; not a bad
looking nan for a darky, though his
general reputation is very cloudy.
Attorney General Turner made a
powerful argument for the conviction
of the prisoner, excluding in toto the
worthless and conflicting testimony of
the lying yellow.skinned female Maria
Alexander. General Turner claimed.
during the course of his argument.
that the State hid proven the pres
enee Of Parker at Mrs. Fosters from
Thursday previous to the Sunday
when she was killed also that Parker
had about that time a tender
toe-nail, and that he left at Mrs. Eos
ter's a pair of shoes, one of them cut
on top to protect this toe. This shoe
fit Parker's foot exactly. Parker
also stated to two parties, while in
Jail, that he aud Charles Woods had
killed Mrs. Foster, and that they
struck her three or four ticks with a
hammer or top.maul. The prosecu-
ton has proven this, as we'll also as
that Parker left Mrs, Fosters on the
night after the murder, and that he
wandered about until finally he landed
10 Jail on a charge Of petty larceny
also that while in Jail and when Woods
was absent at the Supreme Court in
jackson, Parker manifested an intense
anxiety to plead guilty and get away
to the p%enitentiary before Woods
could return from jackson. When
the latter got back to the Jail and was
confronted with Parker he turned
ashy pale, if a darby could do such a
thing, and was frightened nearly to
death, in fact shook like an aspen for
half an hour and was unable to oon-
tain himself or speak for some time
after. Parker denied ever having
been at Mrs. Fosters house, yet
he has been fully identified
by a number OF reliable witnesses.
Since the murder he has changed his
appearance by shaving off his mus
tache, cutting his hair and otherwise.
All Of these facts we're fully shown
and the general opinion is that he can
not escape a verdict of guilty. The
prisoners council, General G. W.
Gordon, was making al earnest
appeal in behalf of Parker at
noon, and he seemed to be
doing his best to rebut the almost
positive testimony that had been
offered against him,
II will, indeed, be a hard thing for
the red-hahded murderer of the in
offending Mrs. Foster to go unwhipt
Of justice, and the chances are now
good for the bloody scoundrels to
receive their proper reward on the
gallows.