The Wilmington daily Republican. (Wilmington, Del.) 1890-1902, 1892-06-01
STILL HEARING WITNESSES,
The Cnse of the State VS.. the Delaware
cry Alleged Murdcrers sim Being
Tried-Nery Little Testimony to Con

iFIeu-N very iIAile lest1hoHy 10 ION
meet the Accused with the Crime.
When court reconvened at est
o'clock yesterday afternoon, the case
of the State vs. George Henry HUT
Julia HUT, James Johnson and Duh'
| Miller was Resumed. and the State re
8 ined the examination OF witnC sses.
| William Ii. steele testified that be is
n bridge tender at Delaware City. lie
remembered when Benson's body was
| found In the canal, about Z O'Clock In
the morning, December goth, 1891. Ii
was floating about twenty feet from
the wharf, and the witness made il
fast with line to the wharf.
Thomas Vail, veterinary surgeon
who resides at Delaware City, testified
that be was present when the body
was taken from the water, add noticed
that there WINS a piece OF cloth around
one OF the ankles, that looked like {
| piece OF the leg Of p0ir OF drawers,
The body was headless. and the wit
ness did not make any special eflort
| to Identify II, but was under the i'm
| iression that it was Noah Benson. He
had EEr-Yn Benson for twenty-thret
years. and had svra him stripped dur
ing his lifetime. From the appear
ance of the body he felt sure that II
was Benson. He came TO that conclu.
sion from the color of the skin. the
chest development and other charnc.
teristfcs. The hands also were pecu.
liar, and resembled Benson's. At the
time the body was found the witness
did not know that Benson was miss
ing, and he made tho remark that II
Noah Benson was missing, he would
be qualified that 1t was his body.
Edward Williams, colored, testified
that he Ii employed by Edward Man
love, near Delaware City, and had
known Benson for years. lie saw the
body in the canal, but when 1t was IN
der the water 1t looked smaller than
after 1t was taken out.
He knew that Benson was away from
about Thanksgiving, but he did not
know where he was. He felt sure that
the body found i'll the canal was that
Of Benson.
On cross-oxamlnation by Mr.. Cooper,
the witness testified that at first he
was arrested, and had hearing on the
charge OF being concerned in tho muir.
der. but was discharged.
Thomas J. Giles, deputy coroner
testified that when the body was
found he was called to Delaware City
to hold the inquest. In consequence
of certain statements which came to
his ears, after tho jury had viewed the
body. he had 1t disinterred and exam
ined by DR.. Jacobs. When the doctor
was examined before the jury, he pro
duced n hand, and also bullet. At
the time the witness saw tho body
there was a piece of rag on one of tho
ankles, and ring on the little finger
OF the right hand.
The ring and pleco of rag were
produced, and identified aa those
which he saw on the body. He also
Identified bullet as the ono produced
at the inquest by DR.. Jacobs.
DR.. w. }. jacobs testified that he is
practiclng physician, and resides ut
Delaware City. lie saw the body that
was found in the canal ON Saturday,
December 26. There was piece OF
rag on ono of the ankles, and several
wounds on the body. The wounds
had the appearance of having been
made with an axe. At the most mortem
the witness failed to find any water in
the lungs or stomach. which led him
to believe that the man had not been
drowned. There was a fracture on the
left leg near the knee, and the bac k
was broken.
The body was very much decompos.
ed, and there was Il mark around the
waist ms though a rope had been tied
around it. He made three examina-
tons, the last being the post.morten,
IN which he was assisted by Or. Smith.
lie was told to look for a bullet in the
left hand,and after he had cut handthe
of, found the bullet In the hand near
the little linser.
On cross.eNamlnatlon he said that
he was uEnblo to say how long the
head had been cut Off before the body
was found. Tho cut was clean and
clear; and the witness scarcely
thought it could havo been done with
an axe.
He was unable to state how long the
body had been IN the water, hut il
was very much decomposcd. II. how.
ever, WIS not dePDmposed 50 much
that the flesh would iall of in hand.
ling it. lie was under the impression
that the man was dead whom thrown
into the canal, butcould not say posi-
lively.
DR., j. II. Smith, who at the time the
body was found WIS CoronCrs physi-
elm, testified that he, with Dr.Jucobs,
nadO poSt-lnOrtem examination on
the body found in the canal. He found
several wounds on the body, and was
unfler the impression that the head
had been cut oil with Il heavy sharp
instrument He was positive the man
was dead when the body was thrown
into the canal, as there was no water
or the Rings or in the stomach. The
body had not been in tho water less
than two weeks, and might have been
there four weeks or longer. There
We're two fractures on the lett legal
also scar, which from being in the
water had deeomposed, and resembled
q bad sore.
On cross,eSamination he said that
he was not prepared TO say that the
body was thrown in the canal immed-
iately after death, neither could he say
positively how long it had been in the
water.
Leonard G. Vandegrlfl of Delaware
City, testified that lac had known Noah
Benson for sixteen years previous to
his death. lie remembered the time
he received the bullet in his lett hand
Benson drank considerable, and when
under the influence Of liquor was quar-
relsume.
On the night of August l, lsS2. he
was drunk, and in trying to shoot his
wife shot himself H5 came to the
house of the witness about l2 O'Clock
at night and showed him the wound.
and also the pistol with which he had
shot himself. The witness told him
to wrap it up, but the bullet was never
taken out. Ii WIS small bullet like
the one produced
William Ii. Benson, colored. testified
that he Is n son of Noah Henson, and
lives at Delaware city. lilo did notI
tell the coroners Jury that If the body
found was that OF his father, u bullet
would be found in his left hand. Tho
of his testimony was ruled
out.
DetectiYe McNev testified TINT In