Daily Republican., 1886-03-05
J0HNS0N'S TRIAL CLOSES.
ALL TEsTIMoNY IM-3HEs CASE TO
BE GIVEN TO THE To-DAx. 4

ALL TESTIMONY 1W-THEs CASE TO
BE GIVEN TO THEyURY To-DAx.
No evidence OF aueh Importance is
Presented NY EifianE sl<aAs md .ths
roufrxR01ls a41ql qlNzlN E<eHEson,
MEDIA, Pa, March A --Ths trial of
Samuel johnson for the murder Of John
ISharpless was resumed in the Delaware
County Court this morning. The usual
crowd was present, showing that the
interest in the case Is uuabated. The
first witness called was DR.. Frank Row
land, who made the post-mortem exam
ination, and he gave description of
the wounds, and said it was his opinion
the smaller wound was caused by q
sharp instrument. The doctor thought
the wounds were not produced by the
kick Of horse, owing to the position in
which the body was found lying.
William Hand, q boy, was the next
witness. He ,aid that ON the day after
the murder a tall, lank negro walked
up to the newsstand and asked for q
paper containing an account OF the fire
and murder near Chester. 1t was then
about $50 in the morning. The man
Il came down Market street from Front.
The witness told him that there was no
account Of q FIRE and murder in the
Imorning paper. Then the negro went
Iaway. The boy said that he was tall
long black coat. The collar of the coat
was turned mp, and there was white
handkerchief under it, fastened around
1.-The mans throat.
ri The coat and hat worn by johnson
were shown to the by, and he said that
they resembled those worn by the man
!, very much. Judge Clayton then told
!, johnson to stand up. He arose and
confronted the boy, staring fxedly at
him. Every eye was turned upon the
? prisoner and upon the boy standing nm.
, Ifiinchingly before him. Not sound
III could bs heard in the crowded court
room. The scene was impressive. The
, boy scrutinizsd him closely, and then
, said that he looked like the man who
/. called for the newspaper, but that his
q shoulders were not 30 broad. The evil
Idence was of vital importance, and the
4 people in the courtroom looked disap-
Il pointed when the boy failed to identify
t the prisoner.
) Special Officer Alexander, OF the.
Third District Police, PnlladeIphla,
n gave the story of the finding of the
}. coat, spirit level, and razor strap be-
a longing to johnson in Carrie Lanes
|. room, and Carrie Lane corroborated
g. him. L. Morris Lswis, a Delaware
e -Icounty farmer, claimed that the articles
Y in question were stolen from his house
John Norris, of the Pnilad elphia
ls an account of conversation which he
fhad with Johnson in the Third District
Police Station in Philadelphia. He
was interrupted by Lawyer Gum minis,
who wanted to know exactly where the
conversation took place. Mr.. Norris
Explained that in the case OF a cell in q
police station there was an inside and
q an outside; that johnson was inside, and
he (Mr. Norris) outside, and that q
door with iron bars intervened. Mr.
:, Norris said that he questioned johnson
=. clio sely, and learned from him that he
'u was near Media the day after the mur-
IN der looking for work,
ard had told him that if he (Pfitchard)
lor could find out who killed John Sharp
less he could make q lot of money. Mt
". W. Norris said that he told johnson that a.
he (Johnson) had told Mollie Stevens
"a Iabout the burning of the barn before II
ID was published he was in 3 fix. johnson
replied: "Oh, don't care what they
q. do. They're trying to fasten this crime
velupon me. It's whole pack OF lies. III
eo have TO go before jury, and 1 suppose
IN hang" johnson swore that he wal
ectE, at Yorke's house on the night of tht
ed murder, bat Mr.. Norris secured atfida-
Wits from the members OF the Yorkt
ar, family denying the statement.
IS, The defence made very little out OF
NY the CROSS examination of Mr.. Norris
leI to the Sharpless barn, fifteen miles
nd iThursday morning to determine the
time required. He was three hour
inf. and forty minutes in making tue trip
led more than an hour longer than the time
hat alleged in which the distance could bt
walked. District Attorney Bake
,et, offered to put Mollie Stevens, Johnson
ing alleged wife, on the stand or presen
no. her affidavit, but this was objected &
and ruled out. This closed the Com
mon wealth's testimony, and James 3
Cummins. one of Johnson's counsel
opened for the defence.
Elijah Yorke, of Philadelphia, testi.
fed TO his having known johnson TO
three years; that he was at his (wit-
ness) house on the evening of Novem
snS ber 30. This was to contradict the tes
timony of Mr.. Norris, who had an aft
davit from Joseph Yorke, living in tn
same locality, stating that johnson wa
Al, mot at his house that night. The wit
o'U ness had worked with johnson durin
January, 1885, when prisoner got hi
feet frozen.
Matilda Simmons said she had know
al johnson for five years; that he visite
siher house between 8 or 8 o'clock on FIR
9Iday night; that he spoke about his wifi
and sending his child to school, an
~ that he had his feet frozen in 1885.
i0I Benjamin White, colored iesiden
lOIof Philadelphia, was the principal wit
II ness for the defense. He testitisd t
II meeting johnson the Saturday nigh
II after the prisoner got out of Jail, an
II they went to Stevens house about
Is o'clock that night. he met his viii
Is there that night. Witness saw hiI
l3iagain at clock on Sunday morning
!!sI November %, and was with him at
ibIo'clock the same morning.
Isl John Lindsay was called to show ths
16tSharpless knew johnson, and the de
i6SIfence rested their case.
iSt 1t was a surprise to many people thu
17IJohpson was not put on the stand, an
l7Iby some it was considered an evident
Is of weakness.
iisI At 43O o'clock District Attorne
10 Baker made statement of his case
IN the jury, and then John B. Robiuso
20 senior counsel for the prisoner, begs
- his argument. A night session WAS he
~ to enable Mr.. Robinson to finish. Oh
~ Iof the jurors is sick, and that is anoth
p reason for the judge urging an ear
aIcompietion - of the case. The case wi
g0 TO the jury in the morning.
5ian an n nm nnhn IA TuE nHA