Alexandria gazette. [volume] (Alexandria, D.C.) 1834-1974, 1888-07-13


The BILLY WILLIAMS TRIAL.-The trial
of Billy Williams on the charge of killing
Officer Arnold in May, 1887, was resumed in
the Corporation Court this morning. Yes
terday evening, after the GAzETrE's report
closed, Dr. Powell and Mr. Henry Frederick
were examined.
Or. Powell testified to the character of
the wound, and that death resulted there
from.
Henry Frederick, of Washington, testified
that he thought ne made the "nippers"
found on the fair grounds the day after the
killing, and traded them to man for some
clock works
Court then adjourned till this morning,
and Williams was taken back 10 j all and the
iury were committed to the Sergeant. They
we're taken to the Braddock House for sup
per and later were walked to Jones's Point
for exercise. They spent the night at the
Braddock House and this morning were
again walked about for exercise.
Court met this morning at $50 o'clock
when the case Was at once proceeded with.
Most of the evidence was similar to that
given in the CuFran trial last year and
which was published in the GAZETTE at the
time. The frat witness was Ernest Padgett,
who repeated his testimony given in the
Currau trial, as did also Joseph Martin,
who said be never saw Williams before.
]. w. Henderson said he heard the shoot
ing and going to the ground saw Curran aud
Padgett fighting and saw man running OH
and red at hin.
RW Coleman saw Curran on the night of
the shooting on Blouse's pavement and q
man near him who he believed was Will
liams the man turned his face from him to
i'm rp.
cognize bis mousteche believes low and
slwacs has believed that Williams was the
man he saw near Curran on the night OF the
shooting
Ross Thompson saw three men near
Bonse's one looked in his face and smiled
and he now recognized Williams as the man
who smiled; Currsn was the other man; went
TO Jail with Capt Webster to recognize Viii.
liams and told Sergeant Smith he looked
like the man and believed he was the man
had no brown moust ache, if so, very light
had a peculiar look out of his eyes; was
close to prisoner and could have touched
him; he WAS now somewhat changed in ap'
pearance.
John Travers saw Williams and Curran
together about or O'Clock on the even
lag of the shooting; knew Curran and recog.
nized the prisoner rs the man he saw with
Curran; knew him by a scar on the side of
his face Currau had on Darby hat and
Williams SLOUGH hat.
joe. Little had known Williams for seven
years; recognized the nippers shown him
and which were found Oh the ground the
day after the killing as belonging to WILL
liams; they were made by Frederick
Williams paid SIS for them and gave him the
clock works Williams carried q British
bulldog revolver of heavy calibre Arnold
was killed by such BALD. Frederick had
made two pairs of nippers, both pair of.which
he had seen in Williams's possession could
not tell whether the pair shown was the
large or email pair.
Leonard Marbury recognized the nit pers
as those shown him while he was the Com
monwealth's Attorney and also the ball
taken from Arnold's body
w. J Dugan testified to finding the nip
pers on the ground the morning after the
killing.
Capt Webster testified as to what occurred
after the shooting
Edward Horn knew Williams prisoner
had been arrested for house breaking in
Washington aud while out on b)nd forfeited
bail.
W. D. Slack testified to arresting Viii.
Hams in Washington on June . last.
This closed the evidence for the prosecu-
ton.
w. G. Cox was the first witness for the de-
fence and testified that when he saw Curran
in the court room he recognized him a. the
man he saw on the circus ground the night
of the shooting.
Daniel Pattero on testified that he told ar
mold not 10 80 on the fair ground the night
of the shooting
Newton FAINT testified 10 seeing Curran
come to this city on the train from Wash
ington the night of the shooting.
Gus Fancy Washington contractor, did
not know prisoner by name but recogniz I'd
him had seen him in Baltimore ; had en-.
ployed him and Currau to work employed
them in the interest OF humanity and sup
posed he could reform them. Williams had
told him ne wanted 10 pursue better life.
William Williams WAS asked to state all
he knew about the case. He said be was
nervous man, but an innocent man had
been prosecuted and bounded through the
world had been illegally imprisoned had
been confined so long 10 prison that his ner-
vous system was broken down. He said:
II was with Curran when arrest ed in Wash
ington and had been to friends house for
something to eat. Came back and met OH
Ger S ack who asked me where | was going.
Told him Ivy City. He then arrested me.
Had bad character and everything crook.
ed was laid to me, guilty or rot Little, q
shoemaker, was had man, and showed his
boy how to conceal stolen property in the
heel of shoe; went to penitentary for four
years; served 16 years in prison, 5 or 6 times
for sneak thieving twice, snd once for
shooting did not do the shooting, the p,sn
with me did it. All the men in Alexandria
who said l was in Alexandria are perjured !;
the handkerchief Was signal to Currau when
was arrested near Washington by Officer Slack;
Slack has nothing against me but is used by 9TH
ers; the chief of police is my enemy my srrest
in Baltimore put up job and made no re-
sistance." He declined to say why he went into
the house where arrested in Baltimore, saying it
Vas public house. BE denied having been in
Alexandria in 1887 on the circus ground and said
he knew nothing of the shooting of Arnold ; did