The aegis & intelligencer. [volume] (Bel Air, Md.) 1864-1923, 1886-11-26
THE SPICER MURDER TRIAL.
EVIDENCE IN THE CASE.


MN WIN Il pistol, on the 10Th OF last June,
resumed, on Friday morning.
Mrs. Margaret A. Spcer mother of the accus-
ed, testified that her husband was in his 50th
| year at the time of his death and they had been
married % years. She has seven children, the
| prisoner, aged % years, being her oldest child.
| On the 18th of June she and her son George
| drove to baltimore and arrived at home again
| about O'Clock on the evening of the 10th. Her
husband was not at home. The family all went
up stairs TO bed about o'clock. Her husband
returned at H. The moon was shining, some
times being obscured by clouds. Witness was
! in bed but had not gone to sleep. From the win
| dow alongside of her bed she saw her husband
and the horse he was driving. She saw him take
the harness off and turn the horse in the lot
! Witness went to her son Georges room and told
IN the stable. George was in bed and asleep,
but arose and opened the door for her When
che left his room he bolted the door again.
| witness went back to her room, and her hus-
band came in. She was lying on the bed, the
windows of the room all being lowered except
| the one opposite the door, which was hoisted.
He talked strangely and in an abusive manner.
she paid no attention TO him. Then he went
down stairs and got Bible and bringing it to
| her asked her to read some passages to him. She
told him to wait until morning and she would do
it. Then he laid the Bible over my mouth"
head on the pillow He said: You read the
| Bible; ii is necessary for you to do So Then he
took it from alb we my head and laid it on my
arm" Her husband was smoking segar when
| he first came up. but after laying the Bible on
| her arm he went down stairs and got his pipe,
| which he lighted and came up and smoked that
| in her room. He undressed himself and tried
| the doors of Georges and her daught ers rooms,
both of which were fastened. He said he want
of Georges room open and got the clock. He
returned to her room with it. Witness asked
and see." got up and saw that 1t was nearly l2
o'clock. | went back to bed. He had lit his
DOOR 'f sV said my said What to m HpSn y Soe
kick the boys door open?" He said, Il will Kick
his head and yours Off too, If I choose to-" I
| out He leaned against it and pushed me To-
wards the bed and ! fell. l got up and asked
pushed the @e and fell face not ora
most between the stove and the bed. | called
to my son, Come here. George" l called the
little brother Jeff came to the door and pushed it
open When Georte got inside Mr. spicer grab
We're S both scuhg The lamp I fell off the if hey
rcau. The little boy picked it up and went out
with it, BY the light of the moon witness saw
pistol cleaning III the air. In short time she
heard the rep 'rt. She ran down stairs to get a
light and returned with,a lamp lit When she
side, leaning on his elbow. II was bleeding and
the blood was running upon the floor George
was standing close to his ia her. Never saw the
under-clothing only. Witness called to her
brinring in the lamp she went for Mrs. Emma
| Miller. Mr.. Spicers sister, who lived near by
Mrs. Miller and her son came back with her
She found her husband dead, lying on the floor,
in the same place.. Mrs Miller, her daughter
and George placed him on the bed She sent
Willie Miller for the neighbors and Messrs Bra
| zier Burrier and Hanna came. \ loaded gun
had been kept in the room but it was not there
| that night.
she was afraid her husband was going to throw
| George out Of the window. When her husband
came home there were indications in his man
ner, &C., that he had been drinking. She want
ed the door open, not only because the room was
| full of smoke but because she was afraid He
had, when under the influence of liquor or drugs,
| abused witness and other members of the fami-
| ly, and she had several times been compelled to
| flee from him and hide in the bushes III g began
| behaving in that manner when in the Internal
| Revenue department five years ago The LIQUOR
or drugs he took changed his entire nature
| the coroner testified that Mr.. Spicer came to his
death from a bullet wound in the neck, which
severed the carotid artery. If some person had
stopped and the mans life saved; otherwise the
man must have died in a few minutes
John Burrer, constable, testified that he ar
rived at the house little after o'clock. George
| told him he had shot his father and said in sub
stance, that the old man was very worrying and
| troublesome He had known Mr. Spcer % years
and never saw him quarrel with nybody.
Miss Belle standiford testified that the prisoner,
benjamin Stamford. She had heard George
speak Of his ia her ill-using him and heard him
say that If his father ever laid his hands on him
VIM. Stinchcomb testified that the prisoner said
he might have his father to whip and didn't want
| TO do it,
VIM. Stamford heard the conversation between
the prisoner and Miss Belle Standiford in which
the prisoner said # his father laid his hands on
him he would kill him.
benjamin Stamford said that George came to
his place last April for a pillow share. He said to
witness: THE old gentleman has been TO see you;
what did he say?" Witness answered, He says
you struck him with pale" The prisoner de-
| MED it. His father had showed witness mark
on his wrist. Caleb Spieer also said his son said,
| Now, I've got you, you old ---. George
didn't say he struck his father but only picked
Miss Georgia Stamford had conversation with
prisoner in April and asked him what was the
spree that he pushed Gussie out of the door and
was knocking Jetlie about.
Constable John b. Price testified that he arrest
ed the prisoner and in bringing him to Bel Air,
witness said This is sad thing - The prisoner
replied: IF it hadn't beer doneit wouldn't be
over, spilled milk ; he or would have had to go
| day.
| EVIDENCE FOR THE DEFENCE
The first witness called for the defence was
| Augustus Sweeney, of Mt. Washington. who tes-
titled that he had known Caleb Spicer 30 years, his
wife being Spicers aunt. Spicer was stout,
strong man. Up to about 1888 he bore the repll-
| tation of sober, peaceful man, but after that
witness heard he had taken to drink, abused his
| family and was insane.
jefferson Spicer, the youngest son of the de-
ceased, aged ID years, testified that the day his
him to take the gun out of his room and shoot
some crows. telling him to put it back. but he
did not He slept in the same bed with his broth
was awakened by hearing his mother calling for
George. He got up and woke George. Together
they went to the door leading to their mothers
room. They tried to get it open. Somebody
was against it, 1t took all their strength to open
it. After they got it open he saw his mother ly-
| ing by the stove trying to get up. His father
grabbed George by the arm and throat. The
| lamp was knocked over and the witness picked
| it up ran out with it and threw it through the
mosquito bars out of the window of the room in
which he slept. Then he ran down stairs to see
tHSf the g burning oil did not set fire to the house
half ay out of the window, and heard his father
say, NOW I've got you. you bugger." Then he
heard a crash as ola window falling or something
else and ran to his aunts, Mrs. Emily Miller,
| where he remained until daylight.
He was asked about the general reputation of
his father among his relatives in the neighbor-
hood and replied that all said he was abusing his
family. His father had told them all he would
Upon DISCRIMINATION he said George was
half way out of the window and had hold of il
Inside i yin one hand and hold Of the lower win,
influence of drink when he said he would put an
end to George.
Miss Gussie Spicer, eldest daughter of the de-
ceased, said she had brought the pistol over from
Mr.. Stinchcomb's for her brother, before he
went to Baltimore. She was aroused, on the
night of the 10th of June, by disturbance ana
noise; heard some one calling. She arose, put
on her, wrapper and went to her fathers and
mothers room She had heard the report of the
pistol. Upon entering the room she saw her
| father standing between the bureau and window
and her brother near the door She went to him
AS witness had hold of him he fell over on the
| floor. Her mother came in with a lamp about
the time she got there. While sitting in the
chair her father said: 20, you dirty bugger"-
She saw no pistol. Her father died in a few
minutes. When her mother returned with her
aunt. Mrs, Miller they, with her brother George
and herself put him on the bed and bathed him
| in cold water. Her father bore the reputation
of being a disagreeable and abusive man. He
| had ill-treated her. She had never heard him
make threats to George but had heard of them.
| Crossed-examined, she said her father was per-
fectly sober when he went away in the morning.
Arthur Hanna testified that Caleb Spicer's
reputation was that of quarrelsome vindictive
| and brutal man towards his family at times. Had
heard him threaten his son George, but had not
told the latter. He had known Mr.. Spicer 5
years and during that time his reputation had
| gradually grown worse. On cross-examination
he said he had also heard the deceased spoken of
| as a kind-hearted, well-dsposed man at times.
| VIM. Hanna had known the deceased six years.
Spicers children had come , to him for protection