Delaware gazette and state journal. (Wilmington, Del.) 1883-1902, 1884-11-20
MURsAr anrs FlHn rrAns.
The Motion for n New Trial with
drawn ANA the Prisoner Sen
HenoNu.

Ihe MOTION for n New Trial With
drawn ANA the Prisoner Sem
fenced.
CBNTREvILLR, Nd Nov. ~ The trial
OF John Murray for the murder Of John
N. Steele, removed from Dorchester to
Queen Anne county, which was begun
In the circuit ooutt here to-day, drew q
great crowd, there bsing numerous wit
no eye witnesses TO the homicide 2ra
pAratory to the trial Is tAleamen had
been summoned by Sheriff Sudler, by
order OF Chief Justice Robinson, Issued
on Saturday. From this number and the
26 regular jurymen the jury was chosen,
that portion OF thu business being con
oluded fore noon.
The jary H. r.cogniz 4 as composed OF
men OF character AVID ,ntslllgenos Of more
than svsFags mark. Tn" court VIA care.
'ul, so far As iis authority extended, to
aid the opuaee 6p bpth sides Ia occurring
gentlemen upon h" jury whose miuds
were entirely free irnm HAS i,r or 81 Aiost
either the tTaveFspr or the state
The chief justice Remarked that
as there would bs no dificultg
in obtaining suca jury there wac no
reason why il hsult not be done in lhis
case. the court wAs also careful 90 TX
olude from the psnel sny msuter Shose
weak state Of health might possibly
interrupt the trial or even necessitate a
re.triRl, as in the recsnt case Of Irving
Mills In one Of the lower counties. MIR
Crisheld, counsel In the Mills case, said
he had had sad experience of that kind
The jurors are p Il FsddemRD, Jr.,
foreman; W. P. Tanner, Stephen P.
Jump, James &, Cockey, Samuel T.
Rolph, William W. Nelson, John Friel,
Robert Moi. Price, Samuel L, Pratt,
William H. Wilmer, William ]. ssnneti
and 8. g. aoodhand
The counsel for defense are John B.
Brown and Rdwin H. Brown, E;qs,, with
Henry Page, Bsq., of Somerset, aud P. B.
Hopper, Eq, Daniel NJ. Henry, Bsq
Atates attorney Of Dorchester, aud John
W. Crisheld, E:q, Of Somerset. After
the Jury hid baen selected tho trsversei
was allowed seat next his counsel. HI
Ia rather tall mar ard we'll proper.
toned, with pale, dark f;cs, oval In
contour, with somewhat iu erAyieh
hair upon his head aud no beard othei
than q moustaohe which is not at ell
heavy.
Ia an interview with your ocrrpspon
dent yesterday, Murray was almost horri
fed at being told Of IumOr that his CAS-,
would be postponed. lie said the idea o
being inoaroerAted in Jail four more lonl
months was maddening to his mind TIL,
rumor proved unfOunded. Upon beipI
requested to give relation Of the homioid,
from his own knowledge he said hs felt n,
hesitation in doing SO He said he woulC
refrain from any remarks on the traits O.
temperament of the deceased, as II wa
not necessary TO his Qualification, for b.
he'd done nothing more than any othe
msH would have done in the sam4 situR
ton. The deceased and himself had beef
familiar scqua'Ltslces for years. He wa
notUriOusly made q subject of teasing b
his scquain.sbUes generally. Going 4
the stOte snd mRetiug a little sou O
Steele, he, Marsy had yielded to a.
uLforlurs alto shereditRry propensity 70
teasing which waU characteristic Of hi
family, even Of his mother, who had die
suca this affair After teasing the chill
he had gone awsy.
Upon returning 10 the store after b
was spoken TO on the subject by the boy ,
father, Who said anerily that he woul,
not tolerate It any more, Murray psid n
attention to the Olept language al
dressed 10 him, bat passed into the roDu
Ia rear OF the store No one beine Their
he started to return when he was con
fFonted a. tne door OF the psrti ion b
the deceased in menscing atti
tude, graspiug an iron rod whiol
looked like = stove poker. H, Murray
told Steele that he was armed and wOul,
fire IL ha ssesuited him with the wespo
ha hal drawn npon him, Steele replie d
"You have no pistol" and that be coul
not scare him, aud thereupon ensusd
tussle. MuIray tried TO pick up chai
T. interpOse between his antagonist 81,
b msrlf, but IA he bent over 10 do So L
FSs struck : .evere blow across tie Iig..
eide Of the forehea and cheek booze
Steele was left handed.
Other blOws were aimed a. him, but b
Wstdsd them { fl uptll, beginning to fee
fsintneas and some pAusea from she blow
he charged his hold Of Steele from hi
right to his left hand and, drawing hi
pistol, fired. His opponent gave no sig
Of bstnS struck, and he fired again
STEELE then let 60, eaying, "I'm doue
You have shot me" replied "YoI
L ave nearly killed me-" aud fell uncon
scious 10 tho floor.