Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1892-10-25
FOR NUMBERING DIR. HILL.
Nine Colored Men Charged With the Crime
to BE Tried.

The nine colored men arrested for the muir
der of DR.. J. Heighe Hill, who was assassinateC
a number of months ago while paying pro
fessionsl visit. will be pu: on trial at Chester
town, Nd. today. The men were indicted las
Saturday, and already one of them. Perry
Bradshaw. has turned states evidence, and will
go into court to testify against his partners in
crime. The other defendants are John Potts
Joshua Baynard. Charles. alias Buck" Brooks
Fletcher Williams, Frisbie Comegys, Moses
Brown, Louis Benson and Charles Emery.
The crime created great sensation at the
time, and for several DAYS the officers of the
law were badly puzzled. A conversation be-
tween two of the men now under indictment
gave o clew which finally led to the arrest OF
the gang. A Philadelphia Press correspond
ent succeeded in obtaining several confessions
which served to fasten the guilt upon the men
now under arrest, and il mainly upon
these confessions that the men were held fol-
trial
EXCITEMENT AT CHEsTERTOwN.
Chestertown is about equally divided between
the whites and blacks, and consequently the
feeling over the approaching trial runs high
An effort has been made to rasie money to hire
Baltimore counsel TO defend the alleged muir.
derers and in the event of securing foreign
change of venue 10 Easton. When this fact be-
came known the excitement was intense and il
was openly given out by some OF the white:
that in case the court granted The application
the prisoners would never leave Chestertowr
/ alive. The blacks were just a. determined that
thew should. and in consequence the whole
county has been up in arms over the matter
and talk Of lynching in case of attempted re-
moyal of the prisoners has been the principle
I topic. Some of the white citizens were averst
TO the lynching. however. and stated that they
would not have permitted it.
The colored men claimed that the prisoners
could not get q fair show from n white jury in
Chestertown. Matters have taken a new turn
The money was not raised and consequently the
Baltimore lawyer was not forthcoming and the
prisoners will now be defended by two Local
lawyers, Marion DeK. Smith and James Alfred
Pearce. who were appointed by Judge Joseph
A Wickes TO conduct the defense. Smith is the
present controller of the state and it is under
/ stood and believed that neither he nor Pearce
will run counter to the wishes OF the whites BY
making the application for q change Of venue.
TRIAL BEFORE JUDGES.
Under the laws of MARYLAND, however the
defendants can be tried either by the court con.
sisting Of three judges, or by jury. 1t was de.
cided BY counsel for the defense in view of the
intense feeling against the prisoners. to try the
case before the judges. In that event the case
will be tried without jury by the three judges
OF the circuit. representing Kent, Cecil Queer
Anne's. Caroline and Talbot counties. Judge
Wickes, Judge Stump and Judge Robinson
State Attorney William VI. Stay will conduct the
prosecution. The heavy work OF the prosecu
ton will be done. however, by ex-State Attor
ney Nickers, who will examine sixty witnesse,
for the commonwealth.
The cause Of the murder has never beer
definitely learned, but it is believed that it wa
TO svenge the death of a colored man named
Campbell. who dropped dead during fight be
tween the whites and the blacks last December
DIR. hill was sent for by the friends of Camp
bell. who wanted him TO say that Campbelli
death due to violence. Instead, however
the doctor gave O certificate ascribing Camp
bell death to heart disease. The coloreS
people, however, deny this.