St. Paul daily globe. [volume] (Saint Paul, Minn.) 1884-1896, 1884-11-19
ST. CLAIR'S TRIAL.
The Most Interesting Case Tried in
Saltwater in Some
Time,
In Which the Wife Of the Prisoner Gives
Some startling Testimony.


ST. Clair, charged with the burning Of the
residence OF Samuel Judd, Of Marine, was
begun yesterday at the district court before
Judge McCluer. The Indictment charged
him with the crime OF being armed with 3
dangerous weapon aud assaulting another
tCordelia 81. Clair, his wifel.
The state was represented by the county
attorney, Ira w. Castle, assisted by Fayette
Marsh and Geo. F. Ssbin on behalf Of the
commonwealth. The prisoner was defended
by J. y. Searles.
The following jury we're selected: Allen
Huey, Robert Moffatt, Gotthardt Rahm, E. d.
Farmer, August Boreen, J. &. Day, Geo.
jerks, John W Risch, ]. II. Duel aud Mich
ael White.
The county attorney opened the case for
the state, narrsting the leading features that
be was prepared 10 prove, and the eircum-
stances leading thereto. The first witness
called was
CoRDELIA ST. CLAIR
am wife OF the defendant; married to
him a year ago last January; formerly lived
at Memphis, Tenn. have lived since that at
NJ anne; remember the burning of Mr..
Judd's house on a Thursday Night; on Sun
day following, between / and p. m, ST.
Clair assauiteds me west Of my mothers
house in the woods; the woods are quite
near the rear Of our house; be beckOned me
% come out, and understood that II was To see
some things that he had hid; he took me into
the woods and struck me down, and when |
got up he struck me down again aud put his
knee on my chest; one hand was on my
throat aud he drew a knife and threatened
10 xiii me; in my excitement threw him OF
when be caught me again and said had 10
hear what be had b say; did so: he said
that / was 10 tell on him, that he had set
Judd's house on fire, and that he would
rather be hung Tor killing me than go TO the
penitentiary for burning the house; the
marks OF his fingers were on my throat; be
stayed around all the afternoon watching
me; ! went as soon as possible to Mr.. Geo.
/ F. Sabin and told him about the fire, and
that be had threatened my life previously,
aud that was afraid to live with him any
more; was suffering at that time from the
effects OF tue choking; Mr.. Sabin said that
be would see that / was protected
as well as my mother, and that be would see
that no harm would come TO US; the side Of
my face was badly bruised; | was present
when Mr.. Judd's house was burned.
Cross-Examined-I was married to St.
Clair on the Sth OF January, 1888; be is my
second husband; | was eight years a widow !;
came here in May last, aud have lived with
my mother since; Walker aud his wife were
/ living there at the time of the FIRE, aud came
a couple Of days before; my mother and Mr..
and Mrs. Walker were In the house at the
time the assault was committed; IL was quite
a distance IRON The house, but cannot say
Ihe distanee; the house Is near the street on
/ "a hr,.h 70 f,ll
/ from the yard near the back door; my girl
was in Minneapolis; Mrs. Walker. / think,
was up stairs, as she was sick at that time /;
We used to go walking at that time; / went
I round 10 him; there was picket fence round
i the several lots; il was twice as far from Pet
.tigrew's as from my mothers; do not know
whether Pettigrews were at home or not; ST.
Clair said, you have been telling things on
me, aud with that be struck me in the face (;
the second time be struck me he threw me
/ down. placed his knee on nv chest, and
drew his knife ON me; told Mrs. Walker
that he ha6 got into trouble at Memphis, but
that he had got off; the third time got the
knife from him; when he was
angry he did not know what he was doing:
did not see anyone in the house when / went
in; my mother and Dir. Walker took dinner
with US; after dinner St. Clair and Mr.
/
tools, as he was to work for Mr.. Ames, we
always got ON well except when his temper
was up, and then would coax him into
good humor; followed them down soon
after they left for Sabn's; / was and am
afraid TO live with st. Clair; saw Mr.. Sahin
and his wife; told them what St. Clair had
done 10 me, and also how he had burned
Jadd's house; bow be had made tie box;
first sac the box which St. Clair was making
in The back NOOdhouse, but at that time it
vas not finished, and l next was called 10
see il about O'Clock on the evening of the
FIRE; Mrs. Walker called me out 10 see It; the
box had shelf in IL and in the shelf was q
! hole in which was 4 candle; under the shelf
was a lot of stuff that smelt strong Of coal
oil; 81. Clair was showing Mrs. Walker how
TO use il; he lit the candle, aud after letting
il burn a short time Mrs. Walker put 1t out
there was a door on tie box in front which
moved on a pivot made with a couple Of
nails; when everything was ready St. Clair
took Mrs Walker into the bedroom and had
her dressed in his clothes. with dark pants,
blue shirt, black coat and a cap; she un-
dressed herself and be assisted her In putting
them on ; he then gave Mrs. Walker the box
and a lot Of matches and small bottle OF
coal oil: when she went as far as our gate
she stopped, but ST. Clair went into the
house aud PLAYED on his fiddle until Mrs.
Walker came back, and in q short time
afterwards there was the alarm of fire; we
spoke In the presence Of Mrs. Walker about
burning the house; short time before the
FIRE there was an excursion, and Mrs. Walk
er's room, which WAS in Judd's house, caught
Gre but il was put out; Mrs. Walker said thai
she wished the house had burned down, on
account Of the way Sam Judd had treated bel
and her husband; she aud her husband came
10 our house TO stop a couple OF days before
the FIRE, as she said her girl had left her and
she was afraid 10 stop alone; Mrs Walker
wanted US 10 let her come and | consented
Ny husband, so far as / knew, had never
had any trouble with Mr.. Judd. The might
the house was burned nv mother was in bed
ami ssieep before It happened.
Objections were raised as to the manner
the cross examination was conducted, and
Mr.. Marsh's objections were sustained.
Ny mother was with me after the assault;
have been ALWAYS afraid Of my life from him
since; he had me in bis power when hii
knife was in his hand, but / sprang 81
quickly that be had not time to use it; W.
had ice cream the night Of the assault at Mr.
Sabin's and sat on the porch eating il; Mr.
Samuel Judd aud Mr. Sabin's family wer,
there; told Mr.. Judd and Mr.. Sabin all abou
the IRE while 81. Clair was down at to-
barge where Mr.. Judd had sent him; he wa
unwilling to 20, and looked as IL be wa
afraid that was to tell something; l visites
him in Jail at his request; he asked me be
fore Mr. Maity if thought he had put tn
house on FIRE; said to him, you know 81
about it. Mrs. Monroe and her mother wer
never ar the house together so far a. know
aud only told Mrs. Monroe that he ha'
treated me ;,,s. a. 7 have exnlafued. I fol,