Daily Republican., 1881-10-25
FOURTH EDITION.
U. q. ClRCUIT CoURr.
TIE Csse OF Antonio Corso ON Trial
Counsel opens for the Defense

l
Counsel opens for tho Defense
Court oaened this morning At tet
o'clock, Judge Bradford on the bench
the Jury was called and ans wered their
names.
w. T.. Spruance, Esq, counsel for th'
Junction and Bleakwater Railroad, wa
|, before the court, and In the interest 0
this railroad. A motion had been mad
to strike out certain pleas, in which thi
road was concerned and MIR. Spruanc'
strongly opposed the motion, and want
cd the court to appoint time when thu
learned counsel could show cause why
this m ,tion should be granted. Thurs
day week, Nov. ID was fixed for argu
ment in the case.
George A. Elliott, Esq, was on mo
ton Of Mr.. Higgins, admitted into thu
Jurisdiction OF the corut.
The trial Of Antonio COrsO was Calle.
up and Francis G. Lynn, witness fol
the y. s. was recalled, at the reques
OF counsel for the defense, who asket
him, "Did you say that if you had Corst
out in the woods and had a knite, tha
you would soon fix hit1." did not
Did you not say TO Jas. Hance, in New
Castle Jail, that il you had Corso ou
in the woods, that you would fix him
| did not. Mr. VAndegrift asked tn,
court to be allowed to ask the following
questions:
Whether he, (Francis 6. Lynn did
not say that he was once sailor on a
slave ship, and helped bind four hun
dred, out oi the five hundred slaves or
board the ship and throw them over
board.
TIE court ruled the question not AL
missable.
Marshal McMullen was called and
sworn. Was asked by the counsel for
the United States how long he had bad
the knite, produced in evidence. in his
possession and where he procured it.
Jason Iruxom aud thu A. Arixou
called and testified in relation TO the
knife.
Enlen Ebelstacker, a passenger on
boa ID the Abbie Bacon at the time OF
the alleged ass iult, testined ~ follows:
Was passenger GA board, was stand
ing aft with the captain, about halt
past eight, we heard loud words, and
went forward aud saw the mate and
COr>o. Captain asked Corso for DO.
laying pin he had in his hand. He re-
fused " give IL up. A tussel ensued be-
the ca ntAiu n IL L1rso, the former se-
curiug the pin, after which SAW the mate
and Corso tall to the deck and the mate
cret out that he was stabbed. Saw him
after he was cut and also saw the
wounds, explained the nature of the
wounds; also dressed the wounds Of the
injured man. Did not see the wound
inflicted on his forehead. Thought it
was a bruise, ~ though inflicted with q
blunt instrument. KNIFE produced 70
witness who could not possibly identity
the kuite that Corso used. He stated
that \ knife, similar To the one pro-
duJed, was secured by the captain from
CoIso.
Counsel for the defense asked the
wines if he saw any insurbordina-
non" did not.
Counsel on the other side then asked
him if he saw the officers of the boat
treating the members II the crew in q
hash or brutal manner, 70 which ques-
tion he answered no.
MIR. Patterson submitted the exami-
nation, held at MALAGA, by the U. S.
| Corsui, a. evidence in the case. |,
was not admitted A. evidence. The
counsel for the United States here
clUee.i his case. l.. Z. Nandegrift,
J ESD, counsel tor the prisoner addressed
the jury in a few words and opened his
case, IN behalf of the prisoner.
Before proceeding, however, he asked
the court that prlvlieg- be granted the
prisoner to testify, producing a statute
of Il 9 United States. giving prisoner
the night to testify in his defense, act OF
March 10th 1873 chapter 81, revised
statues. Extracts from Bowlnair's )
Federal Procedure, WAS also given as
authority. also in the First Fedora Ee-
porter. The right was granted.
Antonio Corso, the prisoner, was
then called and testified as follows:
We left Gibraltar between and s
o'C.ock, We closed up the deck and the
ma e said thar will do tor the star board
watch. | had been in the hold only y
few minutes when | heard disturb
ance On The deck and went up. Had IA
right to 90 up.
looked Oft on the poop and saw the
mate and Oscar, the mate had belay.
ing pin in the act Of striking Oscar.
tod Charley that It was shame to
strike a boy. He said il was The
Iuate and | had always been good
friends. did not think it would De
any harm u request him not to strike
the boy, 50 told hiul, when he struck
me twice. had no Delaying pin IL
III hand. II had been tail man
think would have fallen overheard.
because the Rail was low.
put my uand On Delaying pin to
keep myself from falling over. Could
not help taking hold Of one as they
were All aioDs the rail- The captain
came along and said what are you do
ing Lere you s-n Of a b--h, and he
grabbed hold OF INT. | started away.
when the mate started after me, and
asked me what | was interfering for,
curse III" and struck Inc twice He
ctazed Inc with the blews and | went
fol- hin. left him and went forward.
| The captain sen. for mt 10 come att, ,
l went AT and saw The captain, mate
and Others in the cabin. The captain
said to me 80, you see what yau have
done. . lto.u hun could not help it
AZ 'hpllshl lie was Soius To Kill me.
| When | struck him me second time
do not know what was dong was
hand-cuft-d and put iu,o the lazaret!C "A
small place Ill the stern OF the boat: was
taken to The jail al Malaccu, spain,
until taken On board the Flore.la, by
the Uni Ell States COUsul.
| Was in Malacca about two wee ks, was
sick iu Lisbon u days had to sell my
clothes 10 procure enough to eat; from
LisOon l Was taken tu the Delaware
Breakwater, where | escaped from the
authorities, but was re-captured anu
placed III New Castle jail; was III jail
there ~ days; am "a lnarned man; my
wife and chlld hive in belgium; have
not been tuere for 3years. The knife
WAS iaentned by the prisoner rs be-
longing to him.
James Vance sworn:-ind testified
that he WAS lMdrr snnIeuca of this