Evening journal., 1889-11-23
0yER AND TERMINER.
ARGUMENTS BEGUN in THE Will
LlAMs MURDER TRIAL


Opening Argument for the state and
William s. HflIes, Esq, for the Defence.
The trial of George H. Williams, col
ored, for the murder Of Walter g. Wright,
in the drum corps riot of June 10 last,
was continued in the Court Of Oyer and
Terminer yesterday afternoon.
Attorney General Biggs concluded the
cross-examination of Arthur Ray. A
long series of severe questions were
asked him.
Walter Groce, drum major of the corps,
testified that stones were thrown as the
corps passed the flying horses As he
crossed Fourth street a stove pipe or
coffee pot was thrown and fell in front Of
him. This frightened him and lie ran up
Monroe street pursued by two white men
who cried, Catch the ~ - -; kill
him, kill him. Witness ran
TO Seventh street, then turned He
thought. there were 400 or 500 people in
the crowd at Fourth street, and believed
that he was the first man to run. He
went to Fourteenth and Vandever ave.
nue.. Witness was the only man OF the
drum corps that was not arrested.
William Richardson testified to stones
being thrown at Third and Monroe streets
de started to run at Fourth street, ran
into Peregoy's saloon, stayed there a few
moments and went on up Monroe street.
AT Fifth street, he saw the prisoner
crossing Fifth, as # he were going east
How They All Ran.
John Banks, ffer. also ran when
stones were thrown that knocked the fife
out OF his hand He ran until he got
across the Eleventh street bridge
George II. Walker, a small colored boy,
said he was a iifer in the drum corps, and
testified to stones being thrown The
corps broke up between the merry. go
round and Peregoy's saloon. and ran up
Monroe street Williams was ahead and
crossed at Fifth street, going up the
same street.
Nelson Govans was ffer IN the drum
corps. He saw stones thrown and ran
when the corps broke ranks He ran as
far as Sixth street, up Monroe where a
man grabbed him aud demanded to know
who fred the shots at FourtA street. A
man said. Don't hit him. He's too
small he didn't fire the shot. Then they
l let him 60. He was close 20
Seventh street when he heard the
shots fired at Sixth street. At Ninth and
French he met Williams and Ray. The
witness said he did not say before the
coroner's jury the words attributed TO
him in the written evidence
Richard Govans testified that he was
between Fourth and Fifth streets. on
Monroe, when the shots were fred.
Mrs. Ellen Monck of No. 526 Monroe
street, was in her house at the time Of
the disturbance. Her attention was at
tracted by the noise Of boys running up
the street. She heard some one cry,
Catch him catch him~ The crowd
were chasing one party. He turned and
faced them and she saw the fash Of a
pistol, then another fash and two men
fell. She thought that the men they
were running after must have done the
shooting. The crowd had outstretched
hands when they reached Sixth street
and seemed about to catch the man they
were after
At 420 o'clock court adjourned until 9
O'Clock this morning.
This Mornings Session.
The trial of George II. Williams was
resumed this morning. Mrs. Ellen
Monck, who gave her direct testimony
yesterday afternoon, was cross -exmained.
The witness could not say whether the
man who fred the shot was the one who
was being chased or not She did Jnot
see him until he was in the act Of firing.
Andrew Winkleman, of No S05 West
Sixth street, was at his front steps when
the disturbance occurred. He heard
shot fired, and previous TO the
shot, the music of the fife and. drum.
After the shot he heard a crowd rushing
up Monroe street. He saw the crowd at
the southwest corner of Sixth and Mon
roe streets. Some of them ran by his
house up Sixth street. Two
shots were fred at the corner
Of Sixth and Monroe streets.
he did not distinguish the man who
did the shooting. There we're as many
as twenty-five persons in the part of the
crowd in his view. Some of the men who
ran up Sixth street after the shooting,
were colored men with band uniforms on.
William H. Cole Of No. 503 Monroe
street, was also enjoying the June even.
ing on his front door steps the night of
the disturbance He heard two shots at
distance and the music stopped Then
he saw a crowd running up Monroe street.
whooping and hsllowing. The crowd
appeared to be pursuing two men who
carried drums The crowd seemed to stor
about the corner as If they had something.
Shortly afGer two shots were fred. He
did not distinguish the man who fired
the shots. Some Of the crowd sait
''cateh him, and others said. There's
one Of them in the cellar"
Mr.. Conrad offered in evidence an atlas
of the city Of Wilmington.
Police Officer Evans testified that b.
arrested the prisoner between 0 and II
o'clock in the evening. Bantram and
Cooper were with him.
The defence rested with this witness
Evidence in Reply.
William +. Kurtz, an Every Evening
reporter. who was secretary OF the coro
ners jury that held the inquest on thl
body Of Walter E. Wright, testified t,
} the correctness of the written evidencl
taken taken before the same jury
The witness was asked to say
whether certain evidence given by Georg
Il Walker was remembered by him. Thl
witness could not state it from his owl
memory. Other questions in regard t
I other witnesses were answered in lik
form. Mr.. Biggs asked permission &
have the voluntary statement made be
fore the eoroner's jury by tn
: prisoner, read by the witness, wit
7 took IL down verbatim. The court woull
not permit this. Mr. Biggs then aske'
the witness to say whether the prisoner
did not say certain things in regard &
\ going up Monroe street. Mr.. Kurt
\ could not recall any detail of the state
Y ment from memory, but he could swea
that the written statement was correct
4 a