Bridgeton pioneer. (Bridgeton, N.J.) 1884-1919, 1888-02-09
THE HANDLE MURDER.
Trial and Conviction of Geo.
Dunham.

Handle, was continued at Woodbury.,
Wednesday, Feb. 1st.
When Judge Alfred Reed, with a tap
of his gavel, called the Court to order
at $50 o'clock, Coroner Charles Beale,
of Glassboro, was Immediately recalled
to the stand to finish his testimony
begun on Tuesday. He described how
the upper portion of the clothing of the
murdered Mrs. HANDLE, when found,
was stiff with blood, while the skirts
were also bloody He said his clerk,
DR.. John T. Heritage, had taken notes
at the inquest held on the evening Of
November 18th, whereupon DIR. Heri-
tage took the stand and read his notes,
with occasional Interruptions
Coroner Beale, recalled again, testi-
lied that at the inquest he noticed
that Durham was exceedingly nervous
and exhausted, becoming confused and
refusing to answer questions. Cross
questioned by Attorney Clymer, the
witness said that Dunham wore black
overcoat at the time and that the air
in his office was close and warm.
Squire John J, Coombs, who had
testified on Tuesday as to finding foot
tracks of the same size as Dunham's
boot, near the fence corner where Mrs.
Handles body was discovered, was
recalled, and re-itterating his former
testimony. added that No. 8 boot
had made the marks, which he said,
Dunham had admitted were his ex-
planning that he had been in the field
soaring away the chickens from the
wheat, with which the soil was sown'
Then Samuel Mead, q farmer, told
how Dunham, on Wednesday before
the murder, had loaded the shotgun,
which was afterward found broken in
the field, with shot from his (Mead's)
pouch, which was submitted in evil
dence. Mrs. Temperance Dilkes,
relative of Mrs. Handle, "a mild featured
old lady, dressed in black, testified in
clear voice that she and her husband
as they were passing by Mrs. Handles
house on the day of the murder, had
seen Mrs. HANDLE in the field near the
house, husking corn, and that the lat
ter had sportively thrown an ear of
corn at them. The time, she testified,
was shortly after 8 o'clock Young
Jacob Henderson and Harry Bittle, a
lad IA years of age, both neighbors of
Mrs. HANDLE, followed with evidence
as to their being witnesses to the find
ing of Dunham's broken gun and coat
and pants under corn stalks on the
day when search was begun, and
identified these articles when shown
to them
DIR. T. j. Heritage, who had assisted
Drs. Abbott, Iszard and Fsler in max
ing the postmortem examination of
Mrs. Handles body, besides acting as
Coroner's clerk, gave detailed techni-
cal account Of the results of the autop-
sy quoting largely from his notes.
He had been assigned, he said, to take
the notes of the autopsy while DR..
Fisler made the incisions. He then
proceeded to enumerate the wounds of
Mrs. HANDLE. Her left arm, he said.
had been almost torn off by gunshot
wound, that grains of shot were found
in the left breast and in the ribs, and
that the skull had been broken into
seven pieces. Mrs. Handles DEATH he
said, was caused by the injuries to the
brain incident to the crushing of the
skull. The seven CHASTITY fragments
were exhibited to the jury.
Addison Owens, colored man living
on farm near Mrs. Handles, testified
to seeing Dunham riding along the
road on Thursday morning, November
II, in an open wagon between ten and
eleven O'Clock a. m. Charles Surran,
stock driver, and Samuel Hogate, a
farmer, followed with similar testi-
mony, likewise fixing the time between
10 and II.
William B. Abbott, farmer of Clay
ton, whose property is within sight of
Mrs. Handles, testified impressively
that on the morning of the murder,
shortly after 8 o'clock, he heard two
shots of gun in rapid succession, fo,-
flowed by cries and calls, coming from
the direction of the Handle place. 1t
was damp day, he said, and a light
wind was blowing from the direction
whence he heard the sound He
thought at the time, he said, that some
body was shooting 9uails and that
somebody else was ''hollering" to make
him go away. At this point Court ad-
journed until afternoon.
On reconvening, Mrs. Durham with
her child in her arms took seat in
the front row, and in company with
Mrs. George Wicks, Mrs. Susan Ogden,
Mrs. Temperance Dilks and other
witnesses remained in the room the
y greater part of the session. A num-
/ Dor Of minor Witnesses were examined