The daily gazette., 1879-11-18
TIL EDITION.
OUR COUNTY COURTS,
THE DOINGS AT THIS MORN.
ING'S SESSION.

MURDER CASES BEFORE THE GRAND
JURY--rHE CASE OF JOHN $. WEBB
AND HIS LITTLE PISTOL.
Specially Reported for the Gazette.
New CASTLE, Nov. 1S.-Court open
ed At 10 o'clock this morning, with
Chief Justice Comcgys and Judges
Houston and WoOtten on the bench.
After the Grand Jury had retired the
witnesses In the homicide case of vii.
liam Brown, col. for the killing of Sam
uel ID. Batson, and Hugh Dugan for the
killing Of Richard II. Rowe, were called
and sent up for examination.
The Attorney General called up the
case OF Harry Brannop for rape, In order
to givel Jas. T.. Vailandigka,n, Esq,
who had been assigned To defend the
prisoner, an opportunity 70 make any
statement he might wish 70 communi-
cate. lie stated that he had subpenas
issued for witnesses and that ne could
possibly be ready on Wednesday to try
the case.
(ln tie case Of Edward Gallagher,
charged with larceny, the jury, having
retired $50 o'clock yesterday, nturned
al I oclcck last night, with a, verdict of
guilty.
State vs.. John T. Webb, col. H. c.
Turner, Esq, for State; II. X. Penning-
ton, ESQ.,, for defense. The ofIense
charged was assault with intest 70 kill
On George w. Riggs, colored preacher.
1t was charged that Aon July Is, 1879,
about 10 O'Clock, p. m, Riggs was walk
irg up Union street, In the western part
Of Wilmington. He was overtaken by
Webb at Sixth street, who passed him,
and walked . few rods ahead of him. He
had heard that webb had made threats
against him aud he was fearful Of receivss
Ing injury at his hands.
| The man continued on until he met .
carriage Al Eighth street when he turned
and came y alking down TOW ard him very
rapidly. Fearing that the man intended
| to harm him he imbed the fence and
| walked short distance into the field,
when Webb ran up 70 the fence and
commenced TO fire q pistol q HIN. The
inst bullet came close TO his head AM
others were fred too low. Webb at
tempted to climb the fence, when wit
ness cried "murder," which made him
desist, and after firing two or three more
sLots, he let him alone and departed.
George w. kgRs was the first and
only witness for the State. He was dress
81 IN clerical style, and delivered his
evidence with amusing oetentati0n and
directness that made tho conrt smile
~ am minister OBJ de Gospel" said be
10 commencing. He recited the facts
given above, and said that Webb had
| previously threatened him. eat the time
he fired" "sxid the witness, he said moth.
ing To me, only what he made his revol-
yer say, and that wasn't pleasant. (laugh-
ter.)
Cross-examined--The cause of Webb'l
hard feeling was that l had seprateG
him from his wife. had him expelled
from church on account OF him havinl
more than one wife. did not do 30 il
order that might live with her.
Redirect was simply actuated by
my duty as q minister; / am positive i
was Webb who fred at me. had h II
bound over to keep the peade once OF
account Of his threats. In opening TO
the defense, Mr.. Pennington said tha
The line Of the defense pursued II
the case would be ali diibi, an,
that he could show that the prisoner wa
at = shoe shop,at Fifth ~ d Pine streets
that night from o'clock TO 9.30, and ate
that at another house until o'clock the
next morning.
Richard A. Clark, sworn-On Jul
18th lived in small court on Fiji
street, between Poplar and Lombar'
streets, called "pig alley" John S. Webb
E the prisoner at the bar, came TO my room
on that night few minutes before tn
hell struck ten; was writing letter q
the time; he sat down and looked at tn
letter and expressed wish that he coul
l 60 ali. 30 f,ln nr
he fell asleep and Webb also fell into
, doze; he awakened about o'clock an
! Webb was still asleep; he awakened hin
! and asked him to lie down, but he refuse
: and said he would 60 away. Just ate
9 the man went out the clock struck one
Webb called on Saturday evening in Of
i der TO tell witness that Riggs had wal
a rant issued OIL HIM, and asked him TO b
witness.
Samuel Lofman testified that Web
worked for his father Oh the Eve
property, near Wilmington, from Jun
, to September.
VIM. J. Maxwell, Chief OF Police, te.
titled to the swearing out Of the warraI
on July IA. Webb was not arrested uI
I'll Oct. 20, having "skipped the town.
AT that time he was taken into custod
upon q warrant issued upon camplair
Of his wife.
In his opening argument for the Stat
s MIR. Turner alluded to the fact that I'll
evidence Of the State was Of the bes
possible kind. He reviewed the case
which the minister was evidently actin
. in his capacity as lover Of virtue an
good order. On account Of this he ha
made many threats and this led TO hi
being bound over to keep the peace.
The speaker then compared the cha
acter of the two witnesses, and said tn,
! one conclusion could be drawn-if Il
jury were satisfied that Webb went
sleep in Clark's room at 10 o'clock an
remained until O'Clock, then he cou
n not have committed the deed. There WI
doubt as TO this, and they were to jud,
the stories of the two men and decit
which to believe.
e Mr.. Pennington, for the defense, sa
that the case of the State rested upon u
uncorroborated testimony of one ma
How easy it would be for you or I
bring a similar charge against an inn
cent man, place him in that bar with b
mouth sealed, and tell as straight Ia
as he does The witness does / OF kno
,s. whether the night was dark or not.
may be presumed from the evidence
, Chief Of Police Maxwell that Wei
avoided arrest, but 1t was shown that
was at work all the time.