Delaware gazette and state journal. (Wilmington, Del.) 1883-1902, 1891-09-24


come TO the surface to-day. II it does,
ind Is thoroughly substantiated, then
Francis Lingo, who was convicted of
the crime, will walk out Of Jail free, and
no one will doubt his innocence. This
new piece of evidence is an astounding
affidavit made by one Henry Campbell,
a detective Of this city. who claims to
have received confession from Mary
Collins, sister Of the butchered woman,
that the murder was done in the Miller
home, and that John Miller the hus-
band, did it.
That was the theory set up by the
defence at the trial, and though they
relied chiefly on the alibi TO clear Lingo,
they left nothing undone to show the
jurors what they thought and to cast
doubt upon the main point of the state
that Mrs. Miller was killed in the scrub
oaks, where her body was found.
THE EVIDENCE TO BE IN COURT.
This evidence may be taken before
Master In Chancery George A. Vroom
on an order of tho court for presenta-
ton to the supreme court in support of
the motion for new trial, which is to
be disposed of at the November term.
To assist clearer understanding Of
this evidence brief outline of some of
the points OF the famous murder trial
may be of use.
John Miller, his wife, three children,
the youngest three weeks old, lived on
rented farm on the Hampton road, q
mile or so southwest of Merchantville.
During the confinement of Mrs. Miller
her sister, Mary Collins, who was then
employed in Moorestown, won't to the
house to assist in the duties and nurse
the mother. On Thursday, September
10Th, last year, Mrs. Miller left home in
the morning 70 go to Moorestown TO get
some clothing Mary Collins left there
Securing the clothing, Mrs. Miller re
turned to Merchantpille early in the af-
ternoon, left the bundle Of clothing at
the station, stopped at several stores in
the borough and made some purchases,
not forgetting some sticks of candy for
the little ones ut home. She chatted
pleasantly to all whom she met and
knew, and passed on to the house of
her husbands mother, which lay directly
in her path homeward. She stopped
but a few moments to converse
with the aged woman there and
hurried homeward. 1t was short
cut through tho growth Of scrub oaks,
known as the bush lot, the main path
opening upon the Hampton road, almost
at the gateway of the Miller farm.
THE PROSECUTIONS CASE.
According to the case as presented by
the prosecution the poor woman was
overtaken in the bushes, struck down in
the pathway by a savage blow and then
carried back some 80 yards into closely
grown spot.
Then ex-Judge Westcott drew from
the array of medical experts evidence in
support of the proposition that the kill
ing was not done in the bush lot. The
most significant points of this line of
testimony was as to the condition of the
body when found, the nature of the
wounds, the surroundings of the scene
of the murder, the absence of signs of
struggle, and the general appearance of
the articles which the poor woman had
carried.
Counselor Wescott held that any un-
biased person of ordinary intelligence
could plainly read from the stubborn
facts that Mrs. Miller was killed else
where, and that she had been carried
into the lot, where the greater portion
of her blood had been shed from the
terrible wounds of the throat. The
physicians testified that such wounds
would cause but about three-fourths of
the blood to leave the body in gush,
and that which remained would ooze
out if the corpse were removed.
This, he claimed, was precisely what
was done, and he pointed to the almost
entire absence of blood upon the sur
rounding twigs and branches of trees,
and the very small quantity in a small
area beneath the neck OF the woman as
she lay. The sensational production of
the woman's clothing, with none of the
outer garments showing a stain of blood,
while the undergarments were saturated
and the discovery of missing glove
among the things produced on the last
day of the trial, are all familiar to the
reading public.
STARTLING NEW EVIDENCE.
The trial of Lingo was scarcely over
and the jurys verdict announced before
Lingo's counsel renewed their pro-
digious efforts in behalf of the negro
Counselor Wescott was desperately in
earnest in his desire to show that the
negro was victim of fearful circum-
stances, an unsavory record and an
aroused populace, whose minds had
been infiamed by the Leconey tragedy,
which had so recently preceded the other.
No stone that had the least semblance of
covering an important fact was left UNI
turned. Detective Campbell was en-
ployed, and he got to work early in
April.
Campbell's first move was to form the
acquaintance of Mary Collins relatives
in this city. That accomplished, he was
introduced into John Miller's household,
OF which Miss Collins has formed part
since the tragedy. Campbell has been
much in Miss Collins company. He has
taken her to the theatre, TO dances, and
has had her out carriage riding.
According to Campbell's affidavit Miss
Collins told him the whole story of the
murder of her sister. She said that Mrs.
Miller reached home that afternoon,
went upstairs and was followed by her
y husband. The two quarreled about
something, and Miss Collins heard her
sister cry out; "Oh oh y
SOME CHASTITY PARTICULARS.
Miss Collins, according to Campbell's
affidavit, ran to the stairway and asked;
"What's the matter2" and John Miller
answered: "You keep away or you'll
get some, too" Some time afterward
Miller came down stairs completely I'M
nerved and said "Pve killed her"
The affidavit goes on to say that Miller
and Mary Collins started then to carry
the body out for concealment in hay
stack back Of the barn, but that Miss
Collins heart failed, and she sat at the
window watching till dark, when Miller
got his brother Henry to assist in carry
ing the body out. 1t was dressed, and
the men started for the hay-stack, the
intention being to let it remain there for
few days. Outside the house, how
ever, 1t was decided to take the body