National Republican., 1879-09-26

The stone Murder Trial
ras trial Of James Madison Wyatt Stone,
iN NH'isd for the muldcr of his wife in october
inally got fairly under way yesterday
"A.N8yor Matthew G.. Emery being accepted
IS. Zoe twelfth juror. His Honor stated that
h. order 10 expedite the trial rs much as pos.
iHis he court would take an hour recess at
l''''o O'clock, aud on rcasscmbing sit MS long
s daylight lasted. Assistant District Attor.
p.' II. II. Wells, jr., made the opening address
o. i've jury. rcciting the circumstances of the
J.iuc and promising to prove that it was n
ct.r q deliberate murder II thiS was done
h' 'hould ask for verdict Of guilty at their
htub-. The defense reserved their opening.
THE SISTERS STORY.
Lrnil Pitcher sister of the defendants
Srr was tho dlst witness called. She tcst.
'i'l hat Stone aud her sister were married in
,is rcHr 1874: they lived at the house Of
Alfred Marshall in August, 1873 Mrs Stone
lei, here ia September and went on Nine.
" NTH, between VI and y streets northwest
tNa remained there nearly u month the wit.
uass sud Mary Coleman lived there with her
here were three rooms Oh the first aud two on
| tis s-cOnd floor Of the house, aud u back yard
.l H.: IL was on Saturday night ia September
iaao ler sister was killed Stone came there
Iw- eu and > o'clock in the evening on that
cry Nheu he first came the witness and his
e we're talking together, aud ho said, "Ber-
liz. Ia YOU ever intend to be my wife
r4,m" She said, NO. Stone; you know
| Ia YOU that If | intended to
}e rour wife l would meet you at
Snibcr lohusons, and | didn't meet YOU"
II. aid, "Wcl, if you will not he my WIFE,
r1u sail not re anybody's else" She said,
| cont be your wifo nor anybody else Mrs
--lat then left aud went TO look after her
cln,hes; he went away aud came back about
9;:'b clock the same night. He knocked aud
told The witness to open the door. She an.
-v=raA that it was hali.past nine. and that she
'-,u'' not let anybody in lie knocked II
second time, aud the witness said she would
not omen it, but his wife could do as she
.lc.D.d. The wife, who WAS up stairs refused.
liu then rushed against il and broke open the
j.or At that time the witness was
81 Wd,ng in the door between the lower
rooua, aud between tho front door and
stsirvay. She walked toward him aud
| said. Stone, what are you breaking in this
| b"a-r for? Let me out of here" He said
| Chat ne would not; he grabbed her, and she
! ,oralmcd ho cut her throat with razor she
/ sCuamed Murdcr.' Mrs. Stone Iau down
aii'. and said, Stone. let my sister alone {:
che rs not doing anything to you" lTo then
ul and caught Mrs. Stone, threw her back,
! lc.uihg her head against the window, aud cut
! h"g tGroat with thn same razor; Mrs. Stone
r.r Jlt the front door and fell on tho ground
! tb- fitness ran out the back way, and StOnn
| -t.f her she ran on the hill. aud lie followed;
b. kHuCkpd her down and cut her again,
! 10 vCr down than the first time she never
syw lcr sister after that night, or Stone after
| ~. cpl the witness after tho second cutting
| sh- ran out to the front, where Mrs. Stone
~es md fell beside her.
lrhe witness here exhibited to the jury the
| seas on her throat. Ono was wide and long
| .ag,"ing that the injury had been very serious
al oh ip I'm
brj been bad cuts.
| On Cross-cXaminatiOn the witness stated
ilnt ,hc was nineteen years Of age aud came
90 dis city ia 1873 from Virginia to live with
MIS- Cuomes. She went to live with Mrs.
tone at her request, she saying that her hus.
h,nd was continually quarreling, and she eX.
pectcd that some day he would kill her. The
ntaoss never had any trouble with Stone,
and lid not know that he objected to her liv-
u2 = C his house. She had never been arrested
The examination. was very thorough
bu, .hc witness did not vary from her first
s's.slent.
THE DOCTORS STATEMENT.
Or Robert Royburn testified that he was
called to attend Mrs. Stone on the evening OF
OCto9er >, aud found her and her sister lying
on i5a floor in the back room. 1t was between
g::.0 and 10 o'clock. Mrs. Stone was bleeding
terribly from an incsed or cut wound of the
throat. II was through the larynx aud almost
com pietcly divided 1t.
| LNindpipe, preserved in alcohol, showing
lhs cut, was here exhibited to the jury.
| II was u clean cut, and evidently done with
% sh.ep instrument. Mrs. Stone drew the blood
iu,p he wind-pipe, and it gradually stranged
Icr Tho cause of death was hemorrhagc and
obstruction to the lungs, resulting from the
wounds received. The sister was suffering
rrou two severe wounds, but they wero moi
deep enough to 90 through the wind-pire. lie
attended her for two weeks afterward. Th,
witness made the pOst.mOrtem examination O
NirH Stone on the next day.
No cross-cXamnatitn
Clarence l.. Compton testified that he knew
, ths prisoners face. Ho lived at the time o
her cath next door to Mrs. Stone. The first h,
heard was tho cry of 4" Murder" Murder
lie ran to the house aud saw the prisoner com
ins out, aud told hinI to stop. He was then IL
, hi, front room. Stone would not stop, anL
lau ont, with the witness after him, aud ht
/, lin1ly caught him with tho assistance OF John
Body and he was taken to the statiOn-hOuse
/, Tho witness did not see Mrs. Stone and hei
sister until he returned from the station.
] John Body testified shat he was about gOiu.
; lg bed when he heard the scream Murder,
End ram to whero the cry came from uliI
Nineteenth street. getting there, he me
, C.nue coming out OF tho house, followed by
Mr. Stono and hor sister, crying there h,
catch tho murdcrGr-he has killed us :
Ia then followed Stone, and finally, with Mr.
Connton, caugh him. aud they took him t.
J he police station.
AN ADMISSION BY THE PRISONER
Iv.Loutenant w. S. Hurley testified that h
we N charge of the Fourth police precinct II
J tuo lime the decd was committed he SAW th,
prisoner 1T the station on the night of the 81
! Of October in one Of the cells he visited til,
houco NO. lli7) on the night of the murder
and found two women lying on the floor witt
To- their throats cut he won't into the yard ant
> found a razor lying on pile OF ashes near tn
s4frumo end Of tho yard this no carried 4
tho station aud had n conversation with tn
yrtg0ner about il near / o'clock the same oven
ip1; he asked Stone how he got into such II i'll
uIity; he replied that his sister.n-law ha,
cauesd him good deal Of trouble, and in
duccd his wife to leave him. and he went thor
y and did the deed tho witness then askc
: him what he did it with, a knife Or razor, an,
bo said razor he said that it was wooden
haudled razor, aud recognized tho one th
v,itnuss had as the weapon.
Maria Compton testified that she heard IN
rni.e us If something was breaking, and tho
, cry of "murder;" she lived next door an
% wont into tho back yard there she saw StOn
holding Lavinia Pitcher by the fence and oul
Nuq her with razor he started to jump tn
) f,rC. aud come into her yard, and her 50
2 drove him back with an uplilted AK Ston
/ then turned, went through the house and on
a.. Fr,,,t vuy aud when she cot thprn fla