Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1883-04-25

BELLE BEAcHAMr on TRIAL ron rHE MURDER o. au
AUssASD-HKR nLsRss IN rRrsoS-orkSuss n
Marks OF COUNSEL

BELLE sEAcHAMr or TRIAL ron TEE MURDER % nm
HUssaSD-HKR LLsKss IN PsIsos-orKxrxs n
MARKS OF COUNSEL
Aspecia dispatch TO the Baltimore Americas
rom Denton, Nd, via R!dgely, April g. says, Sci.
dom before. even on court days In the history OF
thls little town, has II been so thronged with VS.
ibors as to-day. Farmers for miles around the
country have laia aside their spring work and
taken brief holiday. ana many OF them have
Drought their wives to town with them. Curiosity
mas taken possession OF the village and the people
turned out en- masse 10 the opening OF the Trial Of
the celebrated Bsachamp case to-day, Invested
as II is with so any peculiar circumstances ana
strange developments, it is no wonder that the
deepest interest is manifested I'm f. not only by the
residents OF the town and the surrounding rural dis
trlcts, but also by the legal and the medical
professions The air OF mystery which surrounds
the whole affair heightens the sensation EypI
since that eycntful day, the last one OF the year
1882 when Farmer Beachamp breathed his last,
the town ana country gosSips have had a busy
time, and, as the subsequent Investigations un.
folded 20 certain extent the mystery Of his sudden
oeatn the excitement Increased and now. when
MIS- Frances Belle BeaChamp the young widow
Is arralgned on trial for the murder OF her hus-
oana ny putting poison In the cup of coffee. the
sensation has reached Its climax. Though the
weather this morning was rainy and disacreaabiA
long before the courthouse was opened an anxious
t1rong gathered about the dOor-ways, and when
the courtroom was opened, though IL only has ac.
commodations for about zoo spectators. fully fous
times that number tried 10 gain admission The
room has inclined seats the side facing the bench
which, together with the available standing room
called the pit, takes up half the floor. on plane
eighteen inches I iga is the prisoners dock the
lawyers table ana the clerks desk Thus every.
! thing Done during the thai can be seen by every
person In the room. Judge Stump was the FIRST 70
take hts seat on the bench Il being noon before
Judge Wickes arrived AM Immediately Afterwards
| readiness to proceed with the case. states at1or
ney, Col Joshua w. Bryant, assisted by Chas H.
Gibson, conduct the prosecution, ana George NJ.
hussun, NJ. =. Mltcher and Col L. W. Downes are
| FOR the defense All are able lawyers, ana there
promises to be lively legal contest over the case
After the judges ana lawyers had taken their
| the
| APPEARANCE OF THE PRISONER
| she entered leaning upon the arm OF Mr. Rus.
sum, ana they were preceded by sheriff Cohee
She wore heavy Grape veil. but during the read.
Ing OF the long Indictment she stood erect IN the
dock and pushed the folds OF her veil aside Her
lace was very pale and her eyes appeared in
| named, as though she had been crying. She is q
woman about the average height rather attrac.
tive In her manners, good looking. and was no
doubt ia her girihood days quite pretty. She was
dressed In deep mourning Though She has only
been imprisoned since the 7th inst she has suffered
considerably During part OF the time her breast.
| tlme OF her arrest, was threatened with an alb
| scesS, and her condition was alarming.
| finally reduced by DIR. C. W Williamson her
! Pny siciah Then she was attacked with inter-
astens ehils ana fevers and for nearly two weeks
| she was very I'LL She is much reduced In flesh nd
eals out Httle. and a muiiaer OF surprise at her
| changed appearance could be heard from the
crowo as She entered the room. While referring to
her ap pearanee IL may not be embarrassing TO
give a DIT OF her family history. She IL a daughter
| OF William Liden, once judge Of the orphans
court OF this county, and the repre- sentative of A
| family dating back 20 the early English settle
mem OF me Eastern shore The family name was
spelled Lydon. The Judge LETT four daughters and
one son, and all the girls married farmers Her
marriage with Beachamp was runaway match.
| lect the jury, seveRty-ive OF them being sum-
, ,noned al the last regular April session. The first
| talhed-Ihomas r. Corkran. The following other
| jurors, however. were soon selected: Mathew
carey, John r.. Grimm. John I. Fleetwood Joseph
Ww9ugiass Henry Z. Culbreth, Ernest DawRes,
William H. Mowbry, Charles II. whitby, Joseph
baffeli, VIM. Massey. and Richard j. Carter. The
| state challenged tTo The defense thirteen
THE orENISG STATEMENT OF COUNSEL
| Col Bryant opening, said: " There were no eyes
that witnessed this murder but hundred facts
attest the fact narrated as brought out at the In
quest He alluded 10 the singular fact OF to-day
being the tenth anniversary OF the marriage OF tho
prisoner since which time, from living at Con-
cord. where wickedness was pastime and crime
fascination. she had fallen. First she had taken
up with Carlisle. then with Ahearn. He would
| show that Belle and Ahearn were acting In con-
cert In destroying her husband.
| MT. kussun, for the defense styled thc opening
| OF MI Bryant as the seething ebalitions OF the
MOP he Claimed that the proposition OF the state
| was irrelevant, and said that much OF the intem-
perate language contained not scintills that
| could go before a jury.
| ctealeo quite sens alton Ia the audience.
BEGINNING rHK EVIDENCE.
| AT the conclusion OF the opening addresses the
| examination OF witnesses for the state was begun.
| Thomas Lewis, who lived not far from Bes-
| champs house, was the FIRST witness. lie testi-
ned that he was sent for and went there on the
morning OF December 3ist He found Beachamp
lying in bed, his wife sitting Oh the side OF the
the bed. She gave him her place beside the dyjDv
man Lewis further testimony was the same al
at .he coroners Inquest and unimportant, until
! .ne prosecution sought 10 show concert or action
oy Belle and Ahearn In hastily preparing the body
OF Che dead man for burial Lewis testified that
Ahearn was measuring the body for a comm twenty
minutes after the man had breatbe1 bI, last b,t
not In Mrs. Beachamp's presence OF at her in-
stance This the court ruled improper evidence He
further testified that when the holding OF an I'm.
quest over the remains was first mentioned, Mrs
Beachamp objected. The court then adjourned AZ
Sp.fn Several additional witnesses have been
| summoned, Including DR.. Latimer and Dr. Aiken
| OF Baltimore.
| WHAT TIE DEFENss WILL TRY TO PROVE.
! There Is great deal or speculation as TO how
the trial will result II Mrs Beachamp is acqu,t-
ted, OF course, Ahearn will not be tried as On her
case hangs his. The same counsel for the defense
are engaged by Mrs. Beachamp and Ahearn. She
| has numerous relatives ia Caroline county, They
are people OF property and VIII freely use their
means TO defend her. Ahearn has SUFFICIENT money
| OF his own earning TO pay hts way The strong
point In the defense will be that Beachamp com.
|
sea their way clear, they will endeavor TO throw
| out the testimony OF Prof. Tonry Oh the ground
that II Is not known that the analysis made By
him was or the stomach or Martin Beachamp. The
| charge has been made and freely circulated that
| the contents or Beachamps stomach were noe
properly delivered TO Prof Tonry, but were deliy.
cred 10 him in a market basket by Dr. Downes,
| who In turn denies this. The defense Will also.
probably, Introduce Hypothetical case to show
that Beachamp might have died otherwise than
by poisoning. DIR. Thomas Hackett, one OF the
leading physicians On the Eastern Shore living se
HillsOorough in this county, WILL IL Is under stood
give this testimony.
The Sale Of Patent Medicines.