Delaware gazette and state journal. (Wilmington, Del.) 1883-1902, 1891-12-31

up the canal Friday afternoon, about 2
O'Clock, and passed the body off the
lumber yard. The body was five or six
yards from shore and | supposed IL 10
De the carcass of a dog. On Saturday
morning recognized the body as the
one saw the day before"
William Beck, ST., said. ~ found in
Moan Benson's room at my house salt
sack containing an old shirt which
belonged TO Benson. On the day Ben.
son left ! saw a ring on one of bis
fingers. He lived with and worked for me
about year. Some Of Benson's clothes
are at my house and Ihave some money
ne left with me. A white girl named
townsend, who worked for me, LETT the
Saturday after Thanksgiving for
Odessa. Henry and Susan Causland,
white, man and wife, came to work fol
me at wheat harvest. They left by boat
Two weeks ago without stating why
they went. think they are In Ches-
yer. Benson was not quarrelsome and
his character was good" Producing
Benson's old shirt witness continued as
follows; "The rag around the ankle
OF the corpse is not part of the shirt.
Three or four weeks before his disap-
pearance Benson was hurt by runaway
accident and collision. / bathed his
ankle, but did not see any wound"
Stewart Beck testified: ~ saw Ben
son wear ring on several occasions.
l also saw him come out of the Caus-
land tenement house two or three times.
lie told me he slipped from wagon
and was run over. This was two or
three weeks before his disappearance.
On Thanksgiving eve Ellen King,
colored, called from the road to Benson.
He started to go to her, but before he
reached the gate be halted and returned.
Later in the evening he went to Della
ware City, expecting to return home, but
he never did," In answer to a question
asked by juror witness declared that
the only time he ever spoke to Ned VIII
llains, colored, was when he asked Will
liams what he had done with Benson,
to which Williams replied he had not
seen him. Witness denied that he ever
said to Williams he was afraid Benson
was In the canal.
Ellen King said: ~ knew Benson
about a year and last saw him on
Thanksgiving eve, when he was on the
road to town. was at Sarah Fields,
in Delaware City, all night. Henry
Field, his wife and young Phil Sadler
wire there. Ned Williams remained
about 10 minutes and then he and Sad
Ter went to the festival at Polktown.
Sarah Field and | slept together. We
retired about o'clock. L never
saw a wound or scar on Ben
sons leg. The ring on the
corpse was not Benson's. The
one which he had was ring / gave him
to wear and had two teeth marks on it.
When last saw him he wore black
coat and vest. He refused to go to ST.
Georges with Ed. Field. Ned Williams
was jealous Of Benson on my account.
| was at Sarah Fields on Christmas
Day and never quarreled with her.
was told yesterday that | would be
asked what ! knew of Benson" In re-
ply to question asked by Detective
McVey witness said she saw Benson
and his son walking together towards
Delaware City about two or three weeks
before Thanksgiving.
At noon recess until 100 o'clock was
taken.
DELAWARE Cry, Dec. 2s.-The Jury
In the case of Noah Benson, whose
headless body was found floating In the
canal here, reassembled at 1850 O'Clock
this afternoon. Elias Hickman, colored,
testified that he knew Noah Benson and
met him one year ago at Sarah Fields.
Benson left some clothes with Hick-
mans wife to be washed, 10 be ready on
the Saturday before Thanksgiving 1.-THE
clothes are still uncalled for.) He
knew that Benson kept company with
Ella King pretty steadily, and knew that
Benson had sore on his leg below the
knee. He also had ring which he
bought for the girl, Ella King, but took
it away from her.
William Benson testified that Noah
Benson was his father, last saw him
three months ago, at Mr.. TESTERS. He
never said his father was down at his
house. He knew Ella King about wear
ago, but never knew Ned Williams;
could identify the body by stab in the
shoulder and in the muscles of the arm,
and by a bullet in one hand between the
fingers. His father never left home for
any length of time before, and was
never quarrelsome. He accounted for
the stabs, as having been inflicted ct
time of the war.
Sarah Jane Field, colored, testified she
had known Noah Benson, about two
years, but he had not been at her house
for IL months. Ella King stayed at her
house on Thanksgiving night the others
present were Lizzie Taylor and John
Pullman. Ned Williams called on
Friday with carriage for Ella King,
who took her child and bundle and
went with him TO Chesapeake City;
Sadler was not at her house on Thanks
giving night. She saw Benson on the
Saturday before Thanksgiving and re-
cognized him; could not recognize the
ring. Ned Williams was not present on
Thanksgiving night, nor was Phil
Sadler. Ella King went to bed about
1890 O'Clock and slept with witnesses
children.
Ella King was recalled and shown
ring, which she did not recognize She
has child 80 months old by Samuel
Watson. She said Ned Williams had
met Benson at TESTERS store some time
before Thanksgiving, and he was talk
ing about her. She was asked by
Williams to go to st. Georges, but re-
fused on last Thursday night week.
The Friday after Thanksgiving Williams
started to take her over to Chesapeake
City, but the horse baked at st. Georges,
when she walked to the locks and took
the Ericsson boat to Chesapeake City.
She heard from Joe Emery Of the dis
appearance of Noah Benson about two
weeks after her return from Chesapeake
City.
Philip t. Sadler, colored, testified that
on Thanksgiving night he was not in
Sarah Fields at all; saw Ned Williams
that night at Philips Hotel; went with
some friends in Cleaver's hack to the
hotel, and the hack leaving, he went
nunr 10 thu festival with Ned Williana