The Wilmington daily Republican. (Wilmington, Del.) 1890-1902, 1891-03-13
AN ALIBI FOR LINGO.
A Crowd Of Oolored Witnesses
Try to Establish 1t.
THE PRISONERS WIFE TEsTIFIEs.

Interesting Evidence Concerning
Lngo's Movements on the Day Of
the Murder-The Torn Shirt sleeve
Explained and the Razor Identi-
fied-Lingo's Wounded Hand.
CAMDEN, N. j., March 13.--A further
attempt to establish an alibi for Francis
Lingo was made by his counsel yester-
day. The witnesses examined are all
rolored persons, AMI some comment was
made upon this fact. 1t appears az
though the people of the prisoners race
were determined to save him if possi-
BILE. His wife was one of the witnesses.
She told straight sou nding story OF
her husbands return to his home that
Thursday afternoon OF the murder. She
got a little tangled up, however, on the
cross examination.
The prisoners wife was the first wit
ness. Mrs. Lingo told about her hus-
band going to work on the morning OF
the murder. When he went away he
told her he would be back in the after
noon. He did return some time after
half past and woke her up, she being
asleep at the time. She got him some
thing to eat, and he went out again.
Her husband wore pair of rubber
boots, a pair of old blue overalls,
white cotton undershirt and an old blue
shirt
The Missing Sleeve.
The left sleeve was off the shirt. She
remembered that, because she spoke to
him Wednesday evening about leaving
the old shirt off, but he said, "Oh, that's
good enough"
After her husband went out the wit
ness said, Richard Robb came to the
house and asked for Frank. She told
Hh that her husband had just gone
out. but sns cxnected him back in
few minutes. Robb wcns way, soms-
time afterward she heard R5bb 6nn ne-
husband talking together in the yard.
When her husband came into the Rou59
he was dressed the same as when he
went away. There was nothing un-
usual in his appearance, nor was there
any blood on him. He did not have a
razor or any other instrument. After
getting something more to eat, her
husband went out.
He came home from Young's after
dark that night. After supper, about 8
o'clock, he took his ''singing book" and
went out. He sung in the church choir
with Major Holmes. She afterward
saw him at ball in Matchtown. This
was at II o'clock that night They
slept together that night, and he got up
at $50 the next morning. Her hus-
band went away Friday morning wear
ing the same clothes he had on the day
before.
The witness identified the razor in
the possession of the state as the pro-
perty of her grandfather. Her husband
used it. She did not know that her
husband owned razor.
The Black Coat.
The long black coat on which DIR. For
mad swore he found blood corpuscles was
shown Mrs. Lingo. She said it was her
husbands coat. that 1t lay on trunk
upstairs, and she was positive he had
not taken it out Of the house on the day
of the GYrder.
King Henry Still, Mrs. Lingo's grand
father, was called and identified the
razor as his personal property. He
had owned it for six years. He was in
the habit of sprinkling ashes on it after
using and cleaning it. The witness cor
roborated Mrs. Lingo's testimony about
Lingo's return to the house in the after
not appear excited, and there was no
Mrs Charlotte Ellen Hardcastle, col
ored, saw Lingo in Matchtown about Q
o'clock.
Mrs. Mary Rogers saw Lingo go by
her house in Matchtown on the after
noon of Sept. %. He did not limp and
she saw no blood on him.
Nettie Miller, colored, was standing
ON the schoolhouse steps on Thursday
morning and saw Lingo go to the pump
and wash blood from his hands. This
testimony went to prove tine claim of
the defense that the cut on Lingo's
hand was caused by his stalk knife,
and that he cut his hand in the morning.
Mrs. NIilIer's Physician.
DIR. Bartine, who attended Mrs. Mil
Ter professionally when her child was
born on Aug. II, was called. He gave
information as to her physical condi-
tion after the birth Of the child, and
said that Mrs. Miller was not very
strong or hearty woman. He viewed
the body after the murder and thought
the wound on the hand was caused by
the hand being drawn suddenly away
from some sharp instrument This
testimony was in opposition to that of
Drs. Formad and Iszard, that the
wound was caused by teeth.
Laura Sharp, eolored girl, saw
Lingo go into Mrs. Mitchell's pie shop
and buy a cocoanut pie shortly after 3
o'clock.
Richard Robb, colored, said he went
to Lingo's house on the afternoon of the
murder to try to hire him the next day
to thresh wheat. Lingo was not home.
A few minutes afterwards he saw Lingo i
near Henry Millers house, which is
only 100 yards from Lingo's house.
When they got through talking Lingo
started of towards Merchantville.
Edward Ii. Kilgore, the station agent
at Pensaukin, said he remembered see-
ing Preacher Tourshon and his wife at
the station on the afternoon of Sept. %.
A number of other colored witnesses
testified to seeing Lingo in Matchtown
on the afternoon of the murder.
Samuel Hill, colored, said Lingo was
alking to HIM on the Sunday before the
.scurder on the subject of buying land
from Mr.. Jenkins, of Wrightsville.
Mrs. Annie Jacobs, a young colored