Bridgeton pioneer. (Bridgeton, N.J.) 1884-1919, 1892-01-14
ng & lighted match upon the same.

OuIlbS tHe ltlNtSGISdtlOu OI Tie uF0 on
the 18th of November. He heard, he
said, the admission of Miss Collins con-
corning the origin of the fire. Mr..
johnson said that he made the COM
plant, and was fully satisfied from the
investigations made upon the day, that
Sadie was the guilty party.
Constable Creech told of his connec-
ton with the case, and the confession
the girl made to him.
With this array Of evidence to battle
against, Lawyer Berault opened his
case. His opening was rather sensa-
tional, as his case developed after
ward
Surprise number one was produced
by Mrs. Harriet Collins, mother of
Sadie. She declared that the coat
worn by the girl 10 school that day
was sort of family coat. The night
before the fire, Mrs. Collins wore this
same coat up town and got some oil in
a can, and in coming home the oil
splashed upon the coat. This, the de-
fense endeavored to show, fully ex-
planned the presence of oil on the coat,
when found in the school.
''I'll be fourteen the twenty y-second
day of February" said Sadie Collins
as she took the stand. Sadie was tnen
told to tell her own version of this
story without help from anybody, but
she did not get far without question
ing by her lawyer. She said she
was frightened into making this con
fession. She declared positively that
she did not set fire to the building and
knew nothing about any fire.
On the morning of the fire, Sadie
said, she was about five minutes late
and going in the school room as usual
began the usual studies. About noon
Constable Creech came to the school
and she was called down stairs, and
abruptly accused her of kindling the
fire. She declared she denied the &C.
cusation for fully an hour and quar-
ter and finally Creech told her if she
did not confess she would be locked
up and kept for month on bread and
water This frightened her and she
said she did it, and Constable Creech
gave her ten cent piece, which she
exhibited to the jury, to get some
thing to eat with, SO that she would
not tell her mother. That night Con-
stable Creech came after her and said
she was needed at the Mayors office.
Her grandmother was at home at
the time, and said Sadie could not ac-
company the officer until her mother
came home. The Constable said that
he would take Sadie to his home us-
til her mother came, but instead she
was taken to the lookup and locked up
and afterward brought to Bridgeton.
Mrs. Lilly Gray surprised everybody
in the court room with her story. She
said that on the morning of Nov 18th,
she noticed Sadie Collins going to
school with books in her hands
About this same time she saw some
boys going along the street. One was
carrying bottle, She heard one of
the boys say I'VE are going down to
the school house and have some fun
burning up the school girls caps like
we did before"
Nobody was looking for this sort of
break upon the part of any witness
and when Prosecutor Logue got an
opportunity he began a most searching
investigation. He asked questions
just as man might who did not be-
lieve this story, and it must be said
that before this star witness left the
stand there was a cloud of doubt
hovering over all she had said. for the
Prosecutor had her tied up SO that she
could give but very unsatisfactory
answers.
Solomon Collins, father of the girl
was called to give some testimony but
he went on the stand and said he
knew nothing about the case except
ing what he heard at the hearing.
This was all the evidence and court
was adjourned until the morrow.
WEDNESDAY MORNING
The first thing done after the usual
opening of court this morning. was
the disoharging of witnesses by Prose
cutor Logue, in the cases of the State
against Thomas Earle and Geo. Len
nox.
All of the testimony in the school
burning case was In, and consequently
there remained but the summing up of
the lawyers. A few moments delay
was occasioned in waiting for a con-
stable to bring in the girl prisoner, ,and
Lawyer Berault began his last work
in the case-summipg up for the de-
fendant. His speech was exceedingly
He was vindictive in certain
respects. Samuel W. Creech, the con-
stable, came in for an upmerciful scor-
Ing, while he declared that DIR. Ben
nett was not fit to be superintendent
OF the public schools. He further as
serted that the lady teachers who had
testified for the State, were anxious to
rid the school of the one black scholar
ln their charge, and this desire shaped
their testimony for this effect.
Lawyer Berault talked just one
hour, and Prosecutor Logue, in eare-
ful, dispassionate argument referred
IN nxyfk 80