The Cecil Whig., 1885-12-26
CUFF PROBABLY THE MURDER.
Samuel johnson Held for the Action O

the Delaware County Authorities.
The negro, Samuel Johnson, had a
hearing at the Central Station, Philad-
elphia, Tuesday, and some who heard
the evidence against him went away be-
lieving he murdered John Sharpless,
while there were as many, and perhaps
even more, who did not. The dingy old
court room was jammed with people.
The policeman made all the noise. They
stood just inside the railing and. with
their arms waving frantically. yelled:
Get back there. Do you hear me?"
The crowd looked wonderfully intelll-
gent and painfully anxious to comply,
but it couldn't. There was no room.
When the policeman stopped shouting a
perfect stiffness came over the room,
broken only by the deep-toned bell as it
struck two and the almost noiseess en-
trance OF the prisoner. When the bell
tolled again he had been committed to
await the action of Delaware county s
authorities, to answer the charge of
numbering the benevolent old farmer.
Magistrate Smith was punctual to the
second and as he took his seat he could
have heard the proyerbial pin drop, but
big policeman pounded the desk with
his gavel and yelled "Silence" and
Take off your hats to sea of bare
headed men and boys, who grinned at
him in return.
THE PRISONERS APPEARANCE.
Samuel johnson sat in the dock with
his head held back to an awfully uncom-
Portable angle, the object of everybody S
scrutiny. To a casual observer he
doesn't look like any published descrip-
tion of the man who killed John Sharp
less, though Chief of Police Stewart
says che answers the description ex-
actly." Johnson's front teeth dou't
show, except when he talks, and his
nose isn't straight. It's fiat and sinks.
like most African noses, in the middle
He stood up slothfully at the Magis
trate's command and listened to the
usual interrogatories: "Who are sou?
Were you ever in Jail before? and, Where
do you live?' to which he answered that
he was Samuel johnson: that he was re-
leased from Moyamensing on November
20, where he did term for stealing
chickens, and that he had been living at
Fitzwater and Russell streets.
prisoner, do you know what you re
charged with?" queried the Magistrate.
''Dey say it's MURDER You needn't
answer any question that would incrimi-
nate yourself, do you understand" and
he answered "Yessern in a husky, in
different voice, but it was plain to see
he did not. Charles Stevens, when put
on the stand, only knew Johnson stopped
in his house night. He said he didn't
smell anything burning, though Mol!ic
says in her affidavit that he called hel
attention to it. Carrie Lane was bonn.
barded with questions, but all she said
her house before his arrest he acted like
crazy man and would slam the doors
as if awfully frightened Once she
found him crying and wringing his
hands, and when she asked him what
was the matter he said his feet hurt
him. Special Alexander produced a
folded white handkerchief and rum.
pied one found on the prisoner. The
rumpled one, he said, was given him
when he left the Jail. Lawyer Miles
said: "lour honor, unless the witnesses
have periured themselves, that man III
the dock murdered the old Delaware
county farmer. The Magistrate com,
mitted johnson to await the action OF
the Delaware county authorities. Mol.
lie Stevens and Carrie Lane were alsu
detained as witnesses.