The Wilmington daily Republican. (Wilmington, Del.) 1890-1902, 1891-03-14
LINGO ON THE STAND
The Prisoner Tells a Straightfor-
ward Story.
REoITEs HIS CRIMINAL RECORD.

REUITES HlS CRIMINAL RECORD.
Imprisoned in Maryland, Delaware
and New Jersey for Petty oGenses.
His Movements on the Day of the
Murder-Shows the Jury How He
Cut His Hand.
CAMDEN, N. j., March 14.-By
great many more witnesses called yes
terday the defense in the trial of Francis
Lingo endeavored to prove that Mrs.
Miller had not been murdered where
her body was found. Expert testimony
was called to explain the flow of blood
after the opening of veins, and then
witnesses were called to prove that no
| pool of blood surrounded the remains
when the searching party came across
them. To establish this theory would
! weaken the states evidence as to the
presence of Lingo in the bush lot at the
| time the murder is supposed to have
been committed. A colored school boy,
aged 10 years, swore that he saw Lingo
at the pump the morning Of the muir
der washing blood from his hands.
During the afternoon Lingo was called
W lHt sbuuu. I1e WAS 10
his movements on the day of the mur-
der. and was also called upon to give
testimony concerning his early life. He
was calm and undisturbed. He con-
fessed to having been in prison several
times, and altogether made out quite an
unsavory record for himself by his an
swers to his own counsel.
LinRo's Testimony.
When the prisoner took the stand he
spoke frankly and confidently and an
swered in a rather loud tone of voice.
He was born slave at Delmar, Md, in
1857. His masters name was Burton.
When 6 years old he was sold to Daniel
Lingo, from whom he takes his present
name. After the war he was bound out
to Daniel Lingo, with whom he
lived until he was 81. Afterwards he
removed to Delaware and then to Balti-
more, where he lasted hats. He then
returned to his old masters, where he
lived until he came to Philadelphia and
New Jersey
Lingo SAID he was arrested in Della
ware in 1878 or "A for grand larceny,
and served six months for it. Afterward
he was charged with simple assault on
white woman, for which he served
one year.
Later he was arrested for robbery in
Lewiston, Del, but was not convicted.
They seemed to think he was guilty be-
cause he had a new suit of clothes.
Lingo said he was next convicted in
Maryland, where fellow broke into
place and gave him bag of plunder to
hold and then skipped. This was at
Snow Hill, and he got five years in
prison. After coming to New Jersey
Theodore Stoy accused him of stealing
some things, and he was convicted be-
fore Judge Wescott (his counsel) and
sentenced to two years.
His Latest Scrape.
He was arrested for the Leconey MUIR
der, and, as the witness naively ex-
pressed it, Il am in another scrape
now. That got me arrested for the
murder of Mrs. Miller"
He told of the farmers he had worked
for around Merchantyille, and said the
week Of the murder he worked on Mon
day until noon at the Miller farm. He
also worked there Tuesday and Wednes-
day, and mllked the cows there on
Thursday morning. He saw Charles
Wilson, the colored man, and Miss
Mary Collins there, but did not
see Mrs. Miller. After milking the
cows he-got breakfast, and after being
told he would not be wanted at night
started away, asking Wilson to turn
out the cows for him.
He went across the bush lot to his
home, where his wife asked him for
some money and he gave her 90 cents,
all the change he had He was dressed
in light coat, blue shirt, white under
shirt, gum boots, overalls and slouch
hat. He then went to work for Tom
Young having made arrangements with
him the night before. He worked there
half day. taking the afternoon off to
buy Il half acre of land belonging to
Mr.. Jenkins, of Stockton.
Tho Torn Shirt Sleeve.
Lingo said his overalls were torn at
the knee the day of the murder, and |
one of the sleeves of his blue shirt was
loose. This he tore off and threw away.
This was on the edge of the bush lot. |
He identified the sleeve offered in evil |
dence by the state as the one he threw |
away. The witness told minutely how |
he went to Young's farm, and the work |
he did.
Here Lingo made good effect on the
jury of farmers by taking stalk knife
and illustrating to them how he acci-
dentally cut his hand on the fatal day.
After cutting his hand, he wiped the
blood off on his clothes, and then went
to the pump and put cold water on it.
He next showed the jury scar on the
wrist of the same hand which wound
he said had been inflicted the Monday
night before the murder by his little
girl striking him with butcher knife.
This cut bled some also, and had par
italy healed up when DR.. Iszard exam
ined him.
The Fatal Afternoon.
He left Young's at noon and detailed
his movements until he reached Pen
sankin station. where he saw the Rev.
Kershon, the cclored preacher, and his
wife, whom he talked with until train
time. He remembered Mr.. Kershon
saying he was lucky to get out of the
Leconey scrape.
He then walked towards Merchant