Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1880-02-27
ON TRIAL FOR LIFE.
THE MURDER OF GEO.P. HIRTH.
Trial of Bedford. Oueenan and Pinn


Neverson, alias Joseph or babe" Bedford, Ed
ward Queenan and Sandy Pinn-indicted for the
murder of George Philip Hirth on street on
the evening Of January It'll last, was continued
in the Criminal Court, Judge Hagner, yester-
day after our report closed-Distrtct Attornes
for the government; Messrs. T. F. Miller, c.
Maurice Smith and John F. Riley for Pinn;
ii. II. Wells, jr., r. Coyle and j. A. Hayward for
the other prisoners
defendants, called attention to the improba-
bilities of the defendants testimony and eX-
pressed his belief that 1t was Mr. Hirth'S voice
Capt. Leary heard calling s'Police!" The eyi-
dence as to Queenan'S alibi was compared with
his own inability to account for himself The
case OF Pinn was next reviewed and the con-
tradiction between his mothers and his testi-
mony, and Mrs Halls with them all, was point
ed out. Bedfords alibi, which he said was the
weakest, was treated on last. His evidence was
said to contradict Mrs: Wynns, Mr. Duehay's
and Matilda Mullins directly. The failure to
explain the presence of the blood stains was
held to be fatal omission on the part of the
defense. He closed with an eloquent appeal to
the jury, whose Names he said, were known to
the community, which was looking to them to
do their duty to society, to their neighbors and
themselves MIR. Perry spoke about four hours,
and his argument was a very thorough one and
made good impression in the audience
Mr.. j. A. Hayward, of counsel for Bedford
and Queenan, made brief argument, pointing
out several apparent discrepancies in the testi-
less these discrepancies We're recOncfled the
jury must acquit the prisoners.
AT 4:30 o'clock the court adjourned.
Seventeenth Day.
This morning when the court opened there
was large assemblage present. Mr. c. Maurice
Smith, of counsel for Plnn, commenced his
argument, speaking first of the atrocity of the
crime, OF the great moral worth of the victim
practice Of virtue. There were many theories
advanced at the time Of the murder, and imme-
diately afterwards there were thirteen citizens
arrested ON suspicion. He urged that the minds
OF the jury should be free from prejudice and
repeated that the counsel had as much sympa-
thy with the family of the victim as any one;
but they claimed that these parties were not
proved to entitle them to q verdict? They say
that these men are the guilty parties and can
dldly he would say that those who committed
they shown that these men were
the parties-these three out of thirteen sus-
pected. He then referred to The theory of the
government noting that the police had theo-
having stated to Sibley that four men had muir
dered Hirth-and the fourth man was wanted.
Then Ben. johnson steps upon the scene with
his mouth closed until he found that there was
a loop hole for him to get OUT, and he then re-
peated his story to reporter. lie then noted
that to bolster UP the governments theory
in order to get in the testimony of the latter the
court had to be adjourned for day. They came
here, presumed to be innocent, and he read the
instruction of the Court on this point. He then
described JohnSon's hight, and said that it was
an evidence OF guilt on his part, and the fact
that he failed to tell his story until several days
afterwards showed that he studied up his story.
He claimed that it had not been shown that
these men were together on 14th street: the
evidence does not tally; JohnSon's does noE,
tally with Duehay's, for the latter did not take
out his watch as Johnson said and the latter
says that they went down Samson street. He
called attention to johnson having described
the party marching like soldiers and noted that
johnson stated that Bedford picked up stone be-
fore Hirth appeared, between 10th and 18th SITS.
He then referred to the appearance OF Brown
on the scene-this scrowling thing in the shape
OF a man-who says he came up 18th street and
Richard T. Craig, colored man, was with him;
While johnson says he came from the direction
OF 10Th street, and they were both white men.
Here contradictions pilein thick and fast. and
the evidence is demolished. johnson says that
says that he talked with Bedford and Pinn. He
denied that there was any Brown or Craig
there, and asserted that Browns story was
imaginary, for Sarah Lee saw no one on that
that johnson was there, but that there were
three myths with him. He described
7 he blows as testified to by the ply
contradicted the testimony of johnson.
He now would treat Johnson not as witness.
but as an accomplice, and he asserted that John
son and Roxy Ross were the red-handed scoun-
claimed that johnson stood by, not raising hand
or alarm, and after the deed was done stopped
down and looked at the victim and then left. Why
did he not tell Sarah Lee If he was not an accom-
plice, instead OF greeting her with horrible
oath? Why, If he was not an accompllce did
he not tell some one or give the information to
did not believe that American people were so
devoid OF common sense as to give credence to
such man. Brown was the most unblushing
liar he had ever met, and he asserted that when
O he
he would learn to patch up story to suit any
thing. He would not ask them to disbelieve
Brown because he had been witness before, or
that he had been drummed out Of camp, but to
take his picture as he stood on the stand and
consider his story. Was it reasonable? He
does not say that he went to single house to
that he heard the groans from distance of-55O
feet and no one else heard them. They would
say that Ben. johnson was not promised i'm
munity but there was law for it, and there was
no doubt that promises had been made to him.
The counsel then commented on the testimony
OF Datngertield and he charged that the key to
Browns story was the dollar given by Voss to
him-they could conjecture how much more he
received. Referring to the case of Chasttne
Cox, he said that they should be careful as to
how much credit they would give to the testi-
lying witness, and the other In training-who
support the theories Of the police. He then re-
1erred TO the testimony of Mr.. Tully as to
man saying that policeman was at the school
man was Roxy Ross or Ben johnson. Leavy's
testimony goes to show that there were but
two engaged In this affair, Judging from their
johnson out of the case, the respectable wit
nesses fall. He claimed that after this
murder johnson and Roxy Ross ran
on-divided the SpoiS, and ran off, Cookleys
testimony was next referred to, and Mr.. Smith
remarked that it would not do for Officer West,
the chief of the Goose Level crowd to attempt
to break it down. He states that johnson told
him that with Roxy Ross he was on 14th street.
and that story was true. The learned District at
torney had proved himself worthy of the ONCE
when he wrote his famous letter to the chief OF
police proclaiming the weakness OF the case.
and 1t showed that he was the Napoleon for the
occasion.
TIE court here intimated that there was no
reference to that letter in the case.
Mr.. Smith said he firmly believed that these
men were not guilty, and that this case was the
result OF theory OF the police, which had been
built upon. He then spoke of the alibi in the
case Of Pinn, saving 1t was impossible for him
to commit murder on street while he was in
house on T street.-Mr. Smith was proceeding
to argue that the witnesses at Mrs. Halls house
were respectable, claiming to be replying to Mr.
Perry, but he was checked by the court In con-
clusion, Mr.. Smith claimed that they had shown,
without the shadow of doubt, that Pinn was
true to their oaths, and render verdict on the
evidence for he was satisfied that they were in.
nocent and that the verdict will be mot guilty.
and that 1t will meet the approval of all good
citizens. He urged them to stand firmly and
hrayplv and their verdict Vy0alld no q credit RI