Bridgeton pioneer. (Bridgeton, N.J.) 1884-1919, 1891-03-12
THE LINGO TRIAL,
WEAVING A NET AROUND THE
ACCUSED.
HI Aoaks as if Lingo was the Mur,
Gerer of Mrs. Miller.

= A~'AS as II Lingo was tine MUIR.
derer of Mrs. Miller.
Wednesday Francis Lingo was placed
On trial in the Camden Court House
for the murder of Mrs. Annie Miller,
near Merchsnville, last September, but
he appeared as unconcerned as the
least interested of The many spectat-
ors. He certainly did not evince half
interest as did Chalkley LeConey, who
sat among the spectators on one of the
front benches. Lingo come into the
court room smiling and left at the
close ofthe afternoon session apparen-
tly in perfect content. During both
sessions be sat behind his counsel un-
moved by any phase of the proceed
ings and most the time with q percep-
tible smile on his lips.
1t seemed as if John Miller, the hon
estfaced husband of the murdered wo
man, was the person being tried for the
high crime. For one hour and half
ex-Judge John W. Westcott, senior
counsel for Lingo, assailed him with
sharp questions as to his movements
on the day of the murder. He was as
ked wheather he sent his wife away on
the 25th day of September to Moores-
town, and why he was not more
alarmed when he did not find her home
at the expected time that afternoon.
He was interrogated very closely as to
his many trips to the Merchantville
Station that night to meet his wife
and, upon learning afterward that she
had entered Matcheson's woody tract
in the afternoon, why he had resorted
to such peculiar methods of search for
the murdered body.
At As o'clock the doors of the Ionic
pillared court house were opened.
There was Chalkley Leconey, rosy and
stouter than ever before. and also his
brother William. Chalkley attracted
much attention. Then there were
many former friends of John Miller
and his aged mother, Mrs. William
Miller.
Judge Garrison presided. On the
benoh were also Law Judge Hugg and
Lay Judges Mcdowell and Gauntt.
Prosecutor Wilson H. Jenkins, ex-
Prosecutor Richard Jenkins, aad As
sistent Prosecutor Ridgway, sat in
front of the long desk within the rallied
enclosure. Lingo's counsel, ex-Judge
Westcctt and George Herbert Taylor,
sat right behind it. In few minutes
Sheriff West appeared with the pris-
oner, and a tipstaff with the wife of
the accused man. Lingo looked we'll.
He wore light silk-lined overcoat
and a brown striped suit of clothes.
The jury is as follows: David A. Bur
rough, William G. Clark, William
White, John B. Peters, Benjamin F.
Moore, NJ. N. Nicholli, Joseph L.. Rob-
inson, Charles F. Redmap, Jr. Jacob
I. Fish, Martin Coyle, James E. Gibbs,
John H. Riddle.
Then Assistant Prosecutor Ridgway
read the Indictment against Lingo,
charging him with having feloniously
and maliciously murdered Annie Mil
ler, by cutting her throat with GER
tain instrument, and then assaulted
her. He reviewed the story of the dis
appearance of Mrs. Miller on the 25th
of September, and the finding of the
dead body in the Matcheson tract on
the afternoon of the following day.
The arrest of Lingo was referred to,
and also the blood stained undershirt,
overalls, and other articles taken from
the colored mans house.
John Miller, the husband of the MUIR
dered woman, was called to the stand.
He appeared somewhat worried. Mr.
Miller is about 80 years old, with
ford face and a sandy mustache. He
testified that the body of his wife was
found September 26. st o'clock in the
afternoon. He had seen her previously
at day ybreak on the 25th. On that day
he was running threshing machine
for Joseph Pigeon until o'clock. He
did other work until near noon, and
then he went to Camden to get load
OF coke. He reached home between 4
and 4.30 O'Clock. His wife was not at
home. Mary Collins, her sister, told
him she had gone either to Merchant
vile to buy some ruching, or, if she
felt we'll enough, she would go to
Moorestown. He thought nothing of
this, believing she would return. In
the evening he met all the trains at the
station, including the one which ar
rive sat 1920 o'clock. He found the
next morning she had been in Moores-
town, and returned to Merchantville.
He began hunting in the Matcheson
tract for her. He did not see her body
in the woods, as his friends would not
allow him to do so. 1t was not until
SUNDAY that ho 4olr