The Sunday tatler and Jersey City express. (Jersey City, N.J.) 1883-1886, 1885-02-15
THE wAIxWRTaHr 1RIAL.
The Scene of the nIurder-The Trail
A Movement against RocIkweIs.


The Scene OF the nIurier-The Trail
A Movement against RocIkweIs.
Sunday Tattlers Special Correspondence.]
TOMS RIVER, Feb. 14.-"Ye want to &c
to the Wainwright house, eh 2" drawled an
old farmer to your correspondent morn
ing or two ago. "Well, ye go straight ouI
along this ere Manchester road till "
come to a new fence, then turn to the righl
and ye can't miss it r"
The new fence was found by comparison
with surrounding fences. 1t looked dark
as though it weren't SO new after all, but
it was not weather beaten and ack like the
other fences round about IL -oad that
ran to the right of it was little b.. 4 than q
lane. 1t had not evidently been worked
but had been made there by the travel over
it. 1t ran across sandy plain, with
stained underbrush scattered over it, and
stunted little trees that looked as though
they derived but poor nourishment from
the soil, made q little forest on the right.
The morning was bitterly cold, and stop
was made at the first house that was met.
1t was single story and attic building, low
and small. It had been white, but it looked
shabby and unge iteel to the eye. The
correspondent asked permission Of an old
man done up in oyer-alls AMI with seedy
and holey hat drawn over his head, to step
inside and warm his feet. He was ushered
into front room with a cooking stove, q
lounge and chair or two in it. The s1ady
of the house" made her appearance at
once, and the correspondent saw he had
got into the house of Mrs. Witzel. Mrs.
Witzel is notorious for her daughter Trena,
pretty ruddy faced bright eyed girl, who
has baby but no husband, and for her
testimony that between the shots that
killed Wainwright. she heard the dying man
plead sob, George don't |" That testi-
mony pointed straight at the dead mans
eldest son; but Mrs. Witzel's testimony
was SO discredited by her own statements
for three days after the murder, that she
heard no voices between the shots, that
the State can scarcely hope to make it
effective in the prosecution of their case.
The probability is that no attempt will be
made to connect George as one of the
principals. The prosecution have evidence
that Rockwell was seen on q back road
leading to Wainwright's on the morning of
the murder, and just before the shots were
fred. Rockwell having said at first that
he was at home at the time, has since set
up an alibi showing that he was in the vii
lage. Mrs. Witzel is however more posi-
tive than ever that she heard the cry of
Oh, George, don't !" between thu shots.
She would Eot hang man. she declares,
on false evidence, and my conviction is
that if she is not laboring under an hallu-
cination, she is telling the exact truth
about the matter. do not believe that
she is purposely or recklessly lying. Mrs.
Witzel had good deal to say about the
case. Mrs. Walnwright's married daughter
visited her frequently, she says, and tells
her that if some one would tell all they
knew, the proofs against his family and
Rockwell would be stronger and more con-
vincing. The suicide of EdwardSherman,
hostler, at the Ocean Hotel, few days
ago mas taken one of the strongest wit
nesoes from the State. There are those
who believe that he drove Rockwell to the
Wainwright's on the morning of the MUIR
der, and that he killed himself to escape
giving evidence of that kind in court.
Ir is only short distance over the sandy
wagon trail before John Henry Witzel's
house is met. He is the son of Ms. Witzel
and was at first arrested on suspicion of
having done the murder. Wainwright
and he had had some trouble about the
dogs His house is the most pretentious
one to be seen in that locality. Thence it
is dreary ride through fields and into
woods to the Wainwrightgcabin, This a
little hut with dirty reminder on it's out
side of coat of white paint. A little
shed at the rear had been evidently
patched up by some of the Wainwright
family. 1t showed no trace of carpenter
skill. There were but two rooms on the
ground floor. In the low-rofed attic over
head, the family had to crawl on their
knees and hands to their beds on the floor
The region surrounding the house is wild
and uncultivated. The sandy soil makes
vegetation impossible, and on three sides is
a little forest of pine trees. Mrs Clifford,
Mrs. Wairwright's married daughter, lives
in it with Hooper, the only one of the
family that is not on trial.
The indications are that the trial will
last ten days or two weeks longer The
taking of testimony will be finished next
week. Judge Van Syckel says it will take
seven days to get the case to the jury after
that. The States attorneys will want two.
Judge Van Syckle's charge will take up the
best part of day. The expectation is
that though wonderfully strong case has
been made against Rockwell the jury will
disagree.