Delaware gazette and state journal. (Wilmington, Del.) 1883-1902, 1892-06-02

| Duilet taken from BenSon's hand ?"
ITO the best Of my knowledge it Isl"
The rag was muddy and wet when taken
from the body. The ring was polished by
one of the 1urynen to see il there were
any initials. None were found.
DIR. w. J. Jacobs testified: II am a
practicing physician at Delaware City.
saw body in the canal; think il was ON
December 18th last; There was bandage
around one leg. Witness was shown the
rag and identified it. There was one
wound below the. right nipple q inches
in length and two inches in depth. There
was another wound to the right of the
stcrnum. The neck looked as though it
was severed with heavy instrument.
opened the body and found the lungs con-
tanning some gases. l found no water in
the lungs The wounds possibly might
have caused death. There would have
been water iii the stomach ii the man had
been drowned. The body was in state of
decomposition. The man had fracture
OF the left leg, including the knee. The
back bone was broken. The back
bone could have been broken by
bending the head backward There was 4
mark around the body, which looked as
| though it might have been made with
rope. The skin was in u fair state of
preservation. ] made three examinations
of the. body. DIR. Smith was present at
| one OF the examinations. | cut off the
/
| hand"
Tho witness said, in redirect examine
| ton, that he could not say how long the
head had been severed from the body. 1t
was not possible to cut off the head with u
knife. The decaptation was clean cut.
Witness said the body might have been in
the water three or four weeks, and might
have been there only that many days. He
said that any direct force upon the
body might have broken the back bone.
Witness would not say that it was not
possible to throw the body in the creek
! alive. lie did not think il possible for a
live person to be submerged in water with
out having some water in the lungs.
DIR. Joseph X. Smith testified II was
| coroner's physician at the time of the
finding Of the body. made an examina-
ton of the body Of the deceased. found
a wound on the right breast sufficient to
cause death. The severance of the neck
could have been done with broad axe.
| The body was thrown into the creek after
| death. The body had undergone decom-
position to considerable extent. The
body might have been in the water two
weeks, or might have been there four
| weeks.
William II. Benson did not respond
when his name was called, and an officer
| was sent to find him.
| Leonard e.. VANDERBILT said he knew
Noah Benson. The latter was in his EN-
| ploy some years ago. Benson once at
tempted to shoot his wife, and shot him
self in his left hand. This accounted for
the wound in the hand.
MIR. Nicholson here showed the witness
the bullet taken from Noah Benson's hand
and asked him if he could identify the
bullet US fitting the pistol with which Ben
SON had shot himself Mr.. Cooper objected
to this testimony. The court sustained the
| objection
William II. Benson was subsequently
found by Detective Witsil and sworn.
| Witness was the son Of Noah henson. He
had stated TO the coroner's jury that his
father had a bullet in his hand.
| In reply TO a question of Mr.. Cooper
witness said he did not see his father shoot
himself and was not at home the night he
shot himself. His mother told him about
| the bullet.
Detective Bernard J. Mavey was called.
| He testified TO making a search of the
Hutts' house December Both. He found
the Hutts very nervous He thought
| something was wrong. He found in the
kitchen tub of clothes. He lished out u
pillow-case. There was blood on it. HUT
said he had been carrying hog in it.
They also said they had carried hog meat
in the towel. He found another bloody
piece Of garment. Witness next found an
old piece of drawers. II was bloody.
There was blood on the right arm of Jim
Johnsons shirt. johnson said he got the
blood on his shirt from killing a hog.
Mr.. NicholSOn-"I offer these garments
in evidence.
Mr.. Cooper--"I object to the garments
going in evidence until some connection is
shown with the murder"
The court sustained the objection. The
State promised to put the garments in evil
dence later
Detective McVey then testified as to how
he came IN possession of the shirt. He
said he had taken the shirt from Jim John
sons pocket, January 9TH. Witness ar
rested Dan Miller in Wilmington, March
18th. He was in Media. Pa, for a time.
Witness went there three times.
In reply to a question of Mr.. Cooper
witness said he had not been at work on
the case constantly since the tragedy. He
had worked upon every clue he since OBJ
tanned, however.
Detective McVey denied that he had
taken Jim johnson out of a cell Mt Della
ware City and said to him: oh YOU,
you might as well confess this murder
now. We are going to hang you anyhow"
lie also denied that he had said to Julia
HUT in the court house cells that "if lie
could get to her, he would mash her black
face, and they were going TO hang her any
how" He did not say in New Castle jail
in the presence of Frank Mccoy, II prisoner,
and others, that his reputation was at stake
and he would hang the prisoners anyhow.
At O'Clock court adjourned until 10
o'clock Wednesday morning.
The trial of George Henry HUT Julia
HUT, Jim johnson and Dan Miller for the
murder Of Noah Benson was continued IN
the court of oyer and terminer yestor-
day. The jury looking none the worse for
their having remained out all night entered
the court room in charge of the bailiif soon
after the entrance of the prisoner.
Detective Bernard ], McVey was re-
CT Tod hot q
Henry HUT and Jim Johnson had told
him they had not seen Noah Benson since
q month before THANKSGIVING DAY.
Detective Walter l.. Witsil stated that he
had assisted in the arrest of the prisoners
and heard Mrs. HUT say AT that time that
she had not seen Benson since a month
before Thanksgiving Day. Witness said
that he and Detective McVey searched the
house of the Hutts and found the bloody
garments produced in court and referred
to in the testimony of Mr. McVey. Wit
ness found three raZors and large knife
in basket in the house. He was present
at the hearing before Mayor Reybold. He
saw HUT attempt to try on Il piece of
drawers which were supposed to be
Benson's, and which Mrs. HUT said were
her husbands. The band was too small |
for HUT and he burst it in trying it ON,
Mr.. Cooper here asked that the band of |
drawers be tried upon George Henry HUT. |
The court held that this was not the |
proper stage at which to try the garment |
on the prisoners waist.
Mrs. William Beck testified that she saw |
Noah Benson Thanksgiving Day between |
. and q clock, in the evening Benson |
had been working for Mr.. Beck since |
January 18th, 1891. She never saw him |
since Thanksgiving Day. He received 81 |
on that day.
PECULIAR BUTTON.