Delaware gazette and state journal. (Wilmington, Del.) 1883-1902, 1890-02-20
EIaRsiNG ROE LEE.


TO tne LscDney farm. cne declared InAt
sia cav Annie Leconey, at 6 O'clock on
the morning Of the murder, leave the
house and 20 toward the mill. As the
sta:e's witness fixsd the murder at nearly
nm hour before that, the case against
LecpneY was practically knocked out. If
Mrs. Lavefy's story was trus. In the
cross examination by Mr.. jenkins she
said she wEs about 200 yards from
Leconey's, and fnally admitted that the
morning Of t1e murder was misty one;
that ais co1li not fir thu time, and that
rhe coald not tell whether or not the
person shs snR w9s Aanie Lsconey. The
effect Of this cross x.mination upon the
witness herself WeS far from reassuring
for the defence.
PHuArrLPHiA, Feb. 10 The counsel
for the defence presented yesterday
cloud OF Witnesses in the Chm1en court
house trial who testified to the innocence
OF Charley Laconey. Although the
days proceedings were not marked by
any remarkable features, the prisoners
sagac ons lawyers brought out scores OF
sriall points which, 10 the aggregate, had
telling effect in freeing the accused
from the suspicion Of guilt. Since their
setback on Wednesday the defence have
adopted the policy OF moving slowly and
saving their strongest evidence until the
last and critical moment. they COM
menced yesterday to undermine in the
eyes Of the jury the credioility Of Gar.
rett Murray's story, whose statements, il
not ccntredicted, would place the life OF
Lecouey 10 the greatest jeopardy.
Twenty witnesses have bsen secured
by this defence, who, it 10 claimed, will
go on the stand and testify sevsrally TO
the contradictory statements which, it is
alleged, Garrett Murray has made to
them regarding the lost time be saw
Annie Lecopey alive, and other circum-
stances connected with the murder.
With this end in view the defence re-
called Murray to the stand, aud as each
of the % witnesses in question sto mp
in the court room in response 10 the call.
ing OF their names, the negro lad denied
emphatiaally that he had ever conVerssd
with them relative to the last time ne had
seen the murdered girl alive.
During the day several of these wit
uesses gave in their testimony some OF
the contradictory stories which Murray,
they claimed, told them. An important
witness for the defence WAS Mrs Elijah
Wells, who testified how the shirt which
| Chalkley Leconey is supposed TO have
worn On tho morning of the tragedy came
to te torn.
When shown the ragged ahivt the wit
neps stated that she felt sure il vas the
shirt which she had torn for tbs under
taher, but could not swear to it. The
rigid crosg-exgminatton to which the
prosecution subjected her tended some-
what to weaken aer testimony. She Yves
unable 10 say positively whether the
shirt that hhe had torn opened in the
| back or front and further admitted that
she had not critically examined the erti-
/ Gle at all Prosecutor Jenkins sharply
1 questioned her as to whether the under
/ taker did not hand back to the witness a
| square piece Of the muslin shifting she
gave him.
Upon this point Mrs. Wells at first said
She was not sure that he did, but after
ward positively testified that he did not.
The prosecutor then followed up his ad-
vantage by handing the witness square
| piece OF muslin shifting and asking il
that was the piece that tae undertaken
had given back to her. Mrs Wells re-
sponded that she did not know whether
the undertaken had really handed it to
her, ED could not tell whether it was a
part Of the torn shirt II is upon thsse
qualified statements that the prosecution
will endeavor to obliterats, i: possible,
tho strength OF her evidence.
STRENGTHENING THE ALIBI.
The standpoint which Leconeys law.
yers have taken to prove an abb for the
prisoner WAS somewhat strengthened by
the testimony Of Miss RosGnnR Layery.
This witness positively stated that on the
morning OF tho murder she had seen a
half-6rawned chicken in tue Kitchen.
shed oven, Cotro5oFating the previous
evidence Gdduced in this particular By
her mother
1t is given out that Prosecutor jenkins
has taken means 10 entirely In SErt tie
attempt on the part of the couneei for the
defence to faaten the guilt or the crime
on Francis Lingo. In his opening al,
dress Lawyer aaaEi!l stated that he could
positively show that Lingo had Btoien q
ride IN farm wagon from MeEchsntville
to the Lsconay farm carly on the morn.
ing OF the tragedy. When tho defence
will adduee the evidence in ther posses
sion to prove this Prosecutor denkipt
will produce co!ored witness who will
swear that he vas the man that atole the
rido, and not Ling.
The witness ~ now in the court house
jail, but the prosecution absolutely re-
fuse 10 divGlse his name. II rs believed
however, TINT he ia colored laAn named
William Boss, WHO lives neas Merchant
yile.
Heither James Leooney, tho brother o.
the prisoner, nor his wife YVES present 81
tine proceedings yesterday, both hayins
remained at home on tho LaconGy farm
| I so gutd 4 ! Al.
strain upon their nervous syHtems which
wouid ensue from daily attendance a
tho trial. Richard Laaoaey, tho nephew
OF the suspect, however, waa pressnt, ans
sat by the side of bio accused unola.
CAMDEN, N. j., Feb. l4.-Upder eatl
William T. Goodwin, Andrew Bashell
ls0D9tt Booter, Fred Keller, Theodore
Warrington, Frank Lopez. David Mora
CAatles Oleaver, Benjamin Mosely, R1ber
j. Rowe, from To0d5lde. Kent county Del.
and vicinity or the witness stand ia tn
Leconay trial declared Garrett Murray
notorious liar. Nine more witnesses friend
urd relatives OF the prisoler, gave teati
mony that hatly contradioted the statemen
Of Murray TO the effect that he did not
any time relate TO them where he had las
seen Auri5 Beooney alive and furtharmcr
8 testified to the great 4 II sGttoa that existat
} between Charley md his murdered nice
! and the excellent reputation OF the 6ecUsnt
amang his neishbot5 as man OF peace
7 and honor,
The eatnestness OF the friends and rela
tfvea Of the suspect TO shake oil the eugpi
! cion from the mBn'5 sEDGldsrs by t6sir les
3 mony formed an Impressive feature OF To
days pfocaaGnga. The lawyers for the de
f5ucs secured from them mass Of eviiene
7 tnat reflects directly on the credltabilIty O
Garrett hIurray's story.
] Dnrrey was then recalled and snt iscte