The Evening critic. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1881-1885, 1881-06-27
BLOODY FACTS
For Courts and Jurics to Consider
--HOmicida1 Cases on Trial and 10
n. Tv<eah.

For Courts ana Jurtcs TO CONSIDER
--HOmicidaI Cases on Trial and 10
be Tried.
After the routine business of the Crimi-,
nal Court had been completed this morning,
Edward Lucas, colored, was placed on trial
for the murder of Mrs. Sarah J. Shipley, on
the 25th of December last, near Willow
Tree alley Four-and-a-h stroet), South
Washington. Col. Corkhill and Assistant
District-Attorney Perry appeared for the
prosecution and Mrs. Bclva A. Lockwood
for defense.
The case was briefly opened by Assistant
District-Attorncy Perry.
Theodore Shipley testified that he resided
on Four-and-a-half street, between Mary
land avenue and street. He is the hus-
band of the woman alleged to have
been murdered. He said that he
was preparing to 90 out of the house on the
25th of December, and his wife was employed
in the kitchen. While she was about her
culinary duties, she said TO witness: l am
shot" He caught her in his arms as she
fell. And one of the OTHER neighbors assist
ted him. Saw colored man in the rear of the
yard Saw three or four colored men in the
rear of the yard when the pistol shot was
fired He afterward accosted the prisoner,
who was then in the alley, and he said that
shooting had been going on in the alley,
but that he was not engaged in it. The
kitchen where the wife was shot is about
ten feet square. The door was wide OPEN
There had been shooting that morning, but
1t had ceased, and it was half hour after
ward that witness wife was shot. My wife
was enceinte at the time Of her death. She
lived about thirty-fve hours afterward.
The house where witness was informed the
prisoner lived was Immediately back of that
of witness the front of it was exactly OPP
positc the kitchen door Of witness.
On cross-examination the witness stated
that when he accostcd the prisoner in the
alley (whom he had never seen befOre) after
the shooting of his wife, the prisoner, replied
that there had been shooting all the morn
ing by different people and that he had
nothing to do with it he said that prob
ably the fatal shot was fired from the next
house to his own saw an old colOred man
in the next yard to that of the prisoner and
he said that the shooting might have Oc-
CURED in the next yard; there were four
colored men in his company; saw them
coming down stairs together.
| DIR. George p. Fenwick testified that on
the 25th day of December last he was called
upon to attend Mrs. Shipley, and found her
suffering from gun-shOt wound in the alb
domen, about two inches from the navel. II
was a fatal wound.
DR.. J. Il. Hartigan, who made the autopsy
ON the body of Mrs. Shiplcy, testified that
the wound could have been inflicted by a
pistOl-shOt from the direction of the win.
dows of the prisoner, Lucas, while she was
standing up ut her kitchen door.
Poland James testified that he asked
Scott Jackson, as he run out of the alley
after the shooting, what the shooting was
about, and he (ScOtt) said, Don't give the
thing away"
The witness, on cross-examination, testi-
fled that he heard the shot fired in the di.
rection of Lucas house, but knew nothing
of the fatal result until afterward.
The case is still on trial.
AN ACCUSED MURDERER ADMITTED TO BAL
This morning in the Criminal Court, in
the case of John Murphy, indicted for the
murder of Fitzgerald last month, Mr.. II. J
Falls, of counsel for defense, made an an
plication that the prisoner be admitted t.
ball. in view of the circumstances surround
ing the alleged homicide. The Assistant
District Attorney stated what had appeared
in evidence before the coroner's jury ant
did not oppose the motion, and the bal
was fixed at 5000 by the court
1t will be recollected that Muir
ply and Fitzgerald were employed n
the gas works. that they got on drunker
spree last month; that they got into figh
at Murphy's house, and that Fitzgerald wa
afterward found dead in the river will
wounds that might or might not have caused
his death.
AN ALLEGED MURDERER TO BE TRIED TO
MORROW.
John Donohue alias John Green, VIII
killed Mrs. Catherine Bailey, few week
ago, in her house on the Seventh street road
in the county, by hitting her in the hea,
with bottle, in Sunday affray, will b
put upon trial in the Criminal Court to
:. morrow. Mcssrs. T. L. Miller and John A
Clarke arc the counsel retained for the dc
Tense ' ta