Bridgeton pioneer. (Bridgeton, N.J.) 1884-1919, 1891-03-19
THE LINGO TRIAL.

LINGO'S CASE TO CLOSE THIS
WEEK.
Samuel lawyer Grooves to be the
Sensational witness for the
D0feuse.
Frank Lingo, during the whole of
the two sessions in the Camden Court
House, Thursday, sat with his face
pointing directly at the jury. he
| never turned once to look at his wife,
his patriarchal grandfather, nor the
| eighteen other people of his own color
who helped bis sagacions counsel to
establish the aiibi theory. Lingo had
all the time q contented look. and a
! slight smile scarcely to be perceived.
| The psychological intent of this pro
cedurs was apparent. AZ each Wit
ness endeavored to aid in the con-
struction of the alibi, there was q
chance for the jurors to turn their
eyes upon the imperturbed Lingo.
This will serve to show how ardent
and far-seeing are the efforts OF the
accused mans lawyers to save him
from conviction.
The day was marked by the testi-
mony of large number of witnesses,
of whom there were twenty-five. The
State resorted to no long cross exam
nations. The longest was not over
| five minutes. The reason was, as was
remarked by Oh Q Of the prosecuting
| attorneys after the final session, that
| the State did not believe that most Of
| the V illnesses contributed much help
! to the establishment of an alibi
| There was g perfect agreement among
! the witnesses however, as to how
| Lingo was dresaed. AL who claimed
they had scrutinized his attire said he
did not wear any coat on the after
noon of the murder. It will be re-
membered that the Collegeville girls
and the Du Hallway children, in be-
half of the State said he did. A half
| dozen witnesses testified also that the
left sleeve Of Lingo's blue shirt was
! absent before the murder occurred.
In the way of the alibi there was not
complete agreement. Several wit
nesses said they sew Lingo near
Thomas Young's farm about 3 o'clock
on the fatal afternoon. Young's farm
Is over mile from the "bush lot"
On the other hand Isaac Thomas, a
colored man asserted that he was talk
ing to Lingo near the Merchantville
station at five minutes of O'Clock, and
that they remained talkiog for several
minutes. There was among most al
the witnesses an uncertainty of time
as to when they saw the accused man
at different places more or less remote.
1t was merely matter of Judgement.
Then Mrs. Lingo, the wife of Frank
gave earnest testimony that Frank
was at home after 2 o'clock. She had
no positive knowledge of the exact
time. The defense indefinitely traced
the moments of Lingo after he had
left his home the second time that
afternoon, which was sometime after
3 O'clock" There was no absolute
tracing of his whereabouts minute to
minute from until o'clock.
Aside from this mass of alibi testi-
mony salient feature of the proceed
ings was the evidence of Dr.. Bartine,
the Merchantville physician, who fig
ured so prominently in the Leconey
trial. DR.. Bartine examined the body
of Mrs Miller and disagrees with DR..
Formad as to what caused the wounds
on the dorsal part of Mrs. Miller's left
hand. He testified that the wounds
evidently had been caused by the
Withdrawing of the hand from an in
strument, as a knife or razor, pressed
againstit. DIR. Formad held the opinion
that these were not caused by sharp
Instrument, but possibly by teeth.
The testimony of DIR. Bartine also re-
veaed the fact that he thought the
other injuries to the hands were cuts.
The proceedings aroused the great
est interest from the large crowd that
| filled the court room at both sessions.
Chalkley Leconey became so enrapt
that he leaned far over the seat and
rested his chin on his hands. During
the afternoon session while the Court
| was inspecting some photographs of
Mrs. Miller as she lay in the "bush lot"
at her discovery, a woman tainted in
the room. This caused but little ex-
citement, so much rivetted was the at
tention of the audience upon the testi-
mony. The defense will place Lingo
on the stand this morning.
SATURDAY.
| Frank Lingo made valiant stand
for his life in the Camden Court House