The daily gazette. [volume] (Wilmington, Del.) 1874-1883, 1879-05-31
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THE GIRL LOVER.
Amen rance Of Miss Lillian Duer Oh
Her Trial for Murder.


Her Trial for Murder.
A correspondent at Snow Hill Nd, re-
porting tho trial of Miss Lillian Duer, tor
the murder of Miss Ella Hearn, her pas
sionaa Nly-lOved friend, thus describes the
appeal Snce of the prisoner -
AttA( the preliminary OF calling over
the nai\es OF the twenty live men sum
moned Is the first panel OF jurymen
comma pn at the real OF the court denc-
ted the arrival of the fair prisoner. She
soon appeared at the threshold, escorted
Sy the Sheriff, who brought her from her
apartments in the hotel across the street.
Under a battery of eyes she passed
around the crowd by an opening at the
west side of the railing, and walked to
the chair behind her counsel. She was
accompanied by her father, mother, and
sister, who took seats at her right. De-
spite the effort to conceal her face be-
bind the folds of her green silk veil, its
texture was too thin to prevent an easy
view of her features, and general surprise
was felt at their rare beauty. She had
been generally describe d as not at all
pretty, whereas her front view disclosed
handsome oval face, with soft and
clear complexion and eyes Of very dark
brown, that were almost opalescent in
their brilliancy. Her cheeks, lips, and
ear tips were tinged deep pink, the con-
trast Of which with her complexion was
heightened by the complimentary color
of her gossamer green veil.
Her age Is said to be twenty-one but
she appeared few years older, and her
weight was estimated at 1l5 pounds. Iu
heighth she seemed to be about five feet
three or four inches, but the spectators
could not well determine it, as she lean
ed upon the arm of the Sheriff and stoop-
ed in somewhat ungraceful way in her
movement around and across tie court.
But the general effect created by her ap-
pearance was in her favor, and even the
most phlegmatic of the onlookers were
compelled to acknowledge her thought
full, intelligent face went far to con-
firm the stories of her possession of a
decided, erratic, and eccentric genius.
The tasteful character Of her attire, the
neatly-gloved but rather large, although
well-shaped hands, and her composed,
not TO say self-possessed, demeanor gave
her the air of a refined city bred girl
and made her appear quite out of pla :e
as she stood contrasted with the hundred
of awkward and questionable country
girl who have been her social peers, and
this refinement was all the more striking
as the eye of the spectator passes over
her face to SUCCESSFULLY, the faces of her
mother, father, and sister, ranged as
they were IN that order next to her. In
no one Of the three was there any trace
of the brilliant eyes of the unfortunate
prisoner, who, from contrast with the
rest of her family, might have been taken
for daughter that had been put away
at some arstocratic city boarding-schoo
I for many years and had acquired metro
politan graces. All these circumstances
the array of professional gentlemen
at the bar were quick to perceive, anC
they greatlysur-prised those of them VIII,
had formed thee impression from rumol
that the accused was somewhat fero,i
Gus creatuthwith decidedly masculine
style and waysabout her.
Meantime the Clerk of the Court had
been reading the Indictment, a formida
BILE and pleonastic document, drawn III
in the ancient orthodox fashion, the &C
cused being described as "spinster
while the deceased, having s'sufier, uf
feTing did languish, and langulshing Ill,
live, and on said day did die" etc. A
its close the accused pleaded, through
her counsel, not guilty, and having de
manded "trial by the country" thejur
was summoned. TIE first name calle
was most familiar one-Granvill
Stokes. AS he stood at the Jury rail {
be sworn on his Uoire dire, the prisone
turned to scrutinize him, and the lips
her usually closed mouth quivered an
trembled The lower lip dropped FRI
quentiy during the rest of the procee,
ings, which movement, with an eca
sional nervous tapping of the arm of Il
chair with her fingers, was about Il
most of trepidation that she evince
Her composure was strangely perfet
She was evidently unwavering in Il
belief that she was not to be convictt
Granville Stokes proved acceptable
both sides, and became foreman of 81
jury. The twelfth man was not secur
until nearly O'clock.