Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1880-02-24
ON TRIAL FOR LIFE.
THE MURDER OF GEO,P. HIRTH.

THE MURDER OF GEO.P. HIRTH.
Trial of Bedford, Quecnan and Pinn
The trial OF the three colored men-Joseph
Neverson, alias Joseph or '.Babe' Bedford, Ed
wand Queenan and Sandy Pinn-indicted for the
murder of George Philip Hirth on street on
the evening OF January 18th last, was continued
in the Criminal Court Judge Hagner, yester-
day after our report ciosed-Distrfct Attorney
Corkhill and Assistant District Attorney Perry
for the government; Messrs. T. f. Miller, C.
Maurice Smith and John F. Riley for Pfnn
H. II. Wells, jr., r. Coyle and j. A. Hayward for
the other prisoners.
"BABE" BEDFORD RESUMED THE STAND
and again declared that he had no part in the
murder of Hirth. Had slept on the floor OF Mrs.
Lees house for some time. Had on no scarf or
Northumberland on the evening of the homi-
eide. At So on the evening of the murder wit
ness was at Cox's shoe shop On Samson street
Queenan went out before witness; then witness
went TO 14th street, near Mr.. Green's store
stayed two or three minutes, went up 14th and
down Samson street; there Queenan and Ellis
left. Witness saw them no more and went
down to his home at Mrs. Lees and got his coat.
put it on and came up to Rose Johnson's house
on Samson street; stayed there until near $780,;
then went back to COX's shoe shop: Jas Groves
Strother Pinn, X. Robertson. Mr.. Cox the Shoe
maker, PM. Lewis and Lewis Yates were there:
thinks II was after Z O'Clock when witness left
the shoe shop: went up to 18th and Samson
street, then to Buckingham's, {Lighter's) where
witness works; thinks 1t was then Is or 20 min
uteS past O'Clock; saw Muller Lighter and Mrs.
CLANCY there; got 10 cents and cents worth OF
grum drops to give to girl, Sue Barber; stayed
at Buckinghan'S LfghterS) 10 or IL minutes:
went to 14th and X streets, there boy asked
him where he was going; told him he was going
to see lady; thinks il was about 25 minutes to
S; went down r to 18th street, then up 18th to
street, then down to 10th street, then up
16ta to T, then out street to Mrs. Halls on
18th and IT streets: it was about o'clock: saw
sandy y Ptan, Mr. s, Mormley, Frank Pendleton,
Der, Mrs. Hall, Kate Dixon, Ellnira Bailey and
others; was at Mrs Halls over an hour left
about or 9h O'Clock, then went with Kate
Dixon and Elmira Bailey towards the Quaker
building, on 10th street. between r and s; went
up 7 street to 10Th street. then down 18th
street, on the east side; little before witness
got to street met Matilda Mullen and a gen.
used to be clerk at Mr.. Sinclair's?" The girls
said "Yes." They then said HE is down at the
drug store, dead;" that flour men had jumped
to the drug store, and saw Mr. Hirth's body on
lounge; witness went to the foot of the
lounge; saw Mr.. Chriswell there; stayed at the
drug store 10 minutes; the police drove the
crowd out and witness went home with the
girls to the Quaker building; then went to Mrs.
Hairs and told them all that Hirth had been
murdered; Pinn said: "Let's go tell MI. Sibley;''
Mr.. Slbley lived "catty-cornered" from Mrs
Halls; then went with P1nn to wake up Sbley;
went with both TO the drug store; went back to
Mrs. Halls; then home and laid down on the
slept near the steps. Witness testified that he
was at Hirth's store when Queenan was ar
rested there; heard Queenan make no threats
CrosS-eXamned.-Did not pass Hirth's store
after three o'clock on the day OF the muTder:WaS
not in front OF Hirtlfs store, nor nearer to it
than the fancy store window, at any time after
SIX O'Clock On the evening OF the homicide.
When witness got back to Mrs. Halls, after be-
ing at the drug store the last time, he went to
sleep in the rocking Chair. Pinn woke him, and
witness ana Pnn left the house together. Did
not see Ben. johnson that night: did not know
his name was johnson; heard him called '.Ben.; !"
had not seen him since about Christmas
Samuel Austin, colored, testified that he owed
Bedford 25 cents; saw Bedford at Buckingham's
(LfghterS) store, between Corcoran and II stS.
at Is minutes OF O'Clock; saw him through the
window, and waited short time for him to
come out, for witness was going to pay him, but
as be did not come out, witness went on his way
Rose johnson, colored, test led that ON the
evening OF the murder Bedford was at her house
from about until about Is minutes to O'Clock.
Bedford came to her house but once that day.
Strother ii. Pfnn, colored: Witness saw Bed
ford and Queenan about O'Clock on the even
ing OF the homicide In CoX's; Bedford and
Queenan went out, and in five minutes Bedford
came back alone and remained until after I
O'Clock
W. T Criswell testified that he is clerk at Mr..
Hensonis drug store, where Hfrth's body was
brought saw Babe Bedford there; noticed moth
ing peculiar in his actions. The court refused
to allow witness to tell what Bedford said when
he looked at the body, viz: 81 worked for that
"
ception. Witness did not hear Bedford ordered
out especially; all the crowd were put out
together.
D. NJ. Lighter testified that he conducts the
confectionery at 1884 14th street, between Cor
coran and X streets; Bedford had employ ment
there In the morning and sometimes at night;
Bedford was there on the evening of the homi-
cide got ten cents and five cents worth of gum
drops; he was there about fifteen minutes wit
ness thinks it was about X o'clock
Abram White testified that Bedford and Quee-
murder; they were there until 7:3O O'Clock; Quee-
nan left about an hour before Bedford; Quee
nan went out alone; witness has seen Sandy
P1nn there sometime, but not often.
Phil. Lewis testified that he saw Babe Bedford
and Ed. Queenan at CoXs shoe shop on the
night OF the murder at 1870, by Lewis Yeates'
time; Ieates had watch and told the time;
Bedford left in five minutes afterwards; Quee-
nan left Just as the witness went in, about G
O'Clock. Adjourned.
Fourteenth Day.
There was large attendance in the court
room this morning.
Richard T. Craig was recalled by defence and
testified that he saw ..Tobe" Brown on the goth
OF January, and he Ct. b. did not say that on
the night of the murder he was in company
with one Jake Brown. He was with him at
Reeds restaurant, Fftzmorris store and Nc
Gees restaurant. 1T Is said that this witness
claimed that lobe Brown made him an offer of
$50 II he would persOnate Jake Brown and say
that he had been with him (Tobe) on the night
OF the murder and would swear as he had.
Repl
Katie Dixon testified that she resided at the
quaker building on 10Th street, between ard
s, and remembered the night of the murder
heard Of 1t at the corner OF 18th and s Streets
saw Sandy Pfnn at Mrs. Halls that night;
Bedford came in some time after she got there,
Bedford told them about CHEST story In the
middle room and they had song afterwards,
Bedford went home with them because they
had TO go by Holmead's burial ground. 1t was
rainy misty night. On the way home with
Elmtra Bailey at the corner of 10Th and streets.
they met Matilda Mullens, who asked if they
knew the one eyed man who worked at Mr.
Sinclairs, and added, The is at the drug store
dead, some one having knocked him in the
head" They then went to the drug store and
Bedford went up to the body and looked at it,
They were there but few minutes and Bedford
went home with them. Sandy Pinn was at
Mrs. Halls when they left.
Question--WaS anything said as to the num-
Der OF persons engaged in the murder? Objected
TO by government and ruled out. Exception
noted.
Mr. Perry before commencing his cross-ex-
animation said that this witness, as also Elmra
Bailey, were witnesses for the government
originally, and their testimony had been
taken.
MIR. Miller-As has been the case with all our
witnesses.
MIR. Perry denied this.
Witness repeated that she went to Mrs. Halls.
Elmira Bailey having asked her to go with
her; don't know what time they started:
never heard anything said about the
time; went TO the dressmaker's minnie Will