Montgomery County sentinel. [volume] (Rockville, Md.) 1855-1974, 1889-04-05
The Watkins-Trail Murder Trial-Ac
quittal Of the Accused.

county of the charge of numbering Edward
Trail, on the premises of his father, Lev
Watkins, during June last The trial oc
cupied four days and the jury after an alb
sence from the box of few minutes re
turned with a verdict of not guilty. A
number of the witnesses present were moi
put upon the stand, and following is the
evidence of those who were examined, taken
from the Ellicott City Times
George Mayhem, resident in the vicinity
of the place where the shooting occurred
testified that in March last in Watkins mill
in the presence of several persons, Edgar
Watkins and Trail quarreled about their
respective relations to Mrs. Norwood, Trail
knocking Watkins down. AS Watkins arose
he grabbed gun, which was taken from
him by his father. On cross. examination
the witness said Watkins made no attempt
TO secure the gun until after being knocked
down, and he heard Trail say to Watkins
"If ever catch you out of this mill will
give you thrashing."
Edward d. Trail, father of the man killed,
said Watkins told him the day after the fight
at the mill that he would have killed Trail
had the gun not been taken from him, and
added: ~ will kill him yet" On cross
examination, the witness said he did not tell
the states attorney about the threats made
against his son by Watkins until about two
weeks ago, as the matter had slipped his
memory.
John Smith testified that in March, 1888,
Watkins showed him pistol and remark
ed: That's what I'm going to fix Bud
Trail with"
james e. Rabbit, who went to Norwood s
house with Trail on the day of the homicide,
stated: about six weeks previous | re-
marked to Watkins: Il heard you and Trail
had skirmish the ether day ut the mill >
and Watkins replied Yes; Trail came in
the mill and jumped on me and knocked
me down and would have shot him if my
father had not taken the gun from me. But
if l ever catch him on the place, or he ever
bothers me, will shoot him."
The witness said he informed Trail of the
threats. He met Trail in Rockville on June
4. They drove to Gaithersburg and from
there went to Norwood's to see the elder
Watkins about selling him some corn.
While Rabbit was in the house waiting for
Mr.. Watkins, Mrs. Norwood having said
she would summon him, Edgar Watkins
came in and said to Mrs. Norwood: "That
fellow Trail is up here again" "Yes," she
replied, she is sitting out there on the fence"
Witness said he was nearer the door in the
direction of the shooting than Mrs. Nor
wood his hearing, however, has not been
very good since 1885. He did not see the
shooting.
"Was Watkins excited or mad?" asked
Mr.. Mcclure
"He wasn't what I'd call fighting mad !"
"W hat did Watkins do after he came in 2"
"He called Mrs. Norwood and they went
into AN adjoining building. Mrs. Norwood
returned in about i've minutes"
Witness then heard Watkins say bud
go of the place, you have been ordered off,
stay off"
The elder Watkins who had in the mean
time appeared, told Trail that il he did not
leave there would be trouble. Trail asked
if he had done anything, and then the firing
began. Witness then went out and saw
Watkins and his son, the latter very much
excited and Trail clutching at the fence for
support. Trail then walked short dis
lance and fell Witness said to Ed: "My
God, boy how come you to shoot him p
and he replied 81 have done my duty"
Shortly after Watkins told him he killed
Trail 10 self-defense.
Ibid you In conversation with MIR
Washington NJ Miller say you had the
power to acquit or convict in this case?"
asked MIR. Wo0tton on cross-examination
$50 many questions have been asked that
l don't know; might and | might not"
did you not tell MIR. James Dove that
you had to make some excuse for being at
Norwood's and made up the story about the
corn for that purpose ?"
mo, sir; l wouldn't believe him on oath. "
"And l don't know that he would you,
remarked Mr.. Wootton amid suppressed
n .,S,, - ~ ~ - p;ai',,,,'
aS HI" ~ a.'Ii w ~ - e ..
~ A. ~, .a,,"n,har !, ,,
.n;d 49,, ~, on,, -, NJ w.,,;,s h.d
,,.,,or a,;va vnu r,'',au o,nnrh :" ia..a >"
az dia No; ''' o"e" :"
VIZ ~ T,cL.,, :, co,ora,, scboo, ,oacbar
,.s,;,;a, an f"na 4 ha waS "a, VOL, fnr The
,Nr,sonar,s f.,bar Ea,,ar Wa,L;ns 1nn,. in
al =; ~ ,, =, III 80 ,',tn,
,ho, To-; ,,, ue :, M,,rwn,,d,s h',raa 100 hv
H. ,han astad III c,,bor II ,hav nnnidn,,
, - ~ ~ ~ III. ..,,, ~ ~ s h'. ta
.,;',,,,, a,dar.d srr,;, 40, -, o,, RI,
~ "', 49,, NV W o,,''" u ,r
pSn ad Tra;i, a. , " ~ NJ wa,hins alsa ,mld
No, no haa ,,,,,ar ,oaua Will, ,hings ,yer,
LII t'. h;,, I'll ea;S h ,.,,,,d re when
he aot ready Edgar WATKINS said az hav,
n.dSared 80 n, iae ua ond 7 WAT w., to On ,
Tail hen ant nF tha tenc. and walked tn
+ ,yard W,,k3ns viii, his left hand raised and
r;aht hand behind him Watkins then sbo
at him three times.
DIR. E. C. Etchison described the nature
of the three wounds one OF which he said
was necessarily fatal and the other prob
ably so. On cross examination the witnes.
said that Trail was powerful man, six fee
high, and that there was no comparison be
tween him and the prisoner in strength.
| DIR. Charles w. Crawford, coroner, gave
, similar evidence T, .., ,.,,sa ,u;.,
oosvPn Gn'' uo'oieu y1a t.; ", w nrh
on Ihe afternoon If the homicide
VIM A Cook testified that no weapor
was fonnd nm the bodv of Trail but Inn
,,a,,hers If The family ,yara at The nlace he
fore the eYamination was made This closef
. ,bo c.se for the state
w u"r'ce Rro,yn c,lor.d fur tho dee.ns,
,os,;6ad 10 Trail tnock;ng dnwn Watkin,
a, tha mill
"' Thomaa Odan said that Watkin. had
- ,,' o,,o,,, :" STRIP frra;I halnr, n,
hauo NJ 1''enp' W sur ~ ~