Delaware gazette and state journal. (Wilmington, Del.) 1883-1902, 1892-02-25
ON TRIAL FOR MURDER.

BEL AIR, ND, Feb. 1.-THE trial Of
Alfred Stout, colored, for the murder OF
George Dittmar, or Ditmore, an aged
farmer of Cecil county, which was begun
here yesterday continued to-day. Austin
l.. Crothers, states attorney of Cecil
county, Walter w. Preston, states at
torney of Hartford county, and W. Il.
Worburton of Cecil county, represented
the state, and Messrs. @. q. Crothers,
Robert 9. rhackery Of Cecil, and George
Il. Maynadier of Bel Air, the defence,
After Intellectual effort to have the case
continued. because all the witnesses of
the defence were not present, the pris-
oner was arranged and a demurrer to
the indictment argued, on the ground
that inasmuch as Dittmar died in Phila-
delphia, the crime was incomplete |
within the jurisdiction of the court, and
that therefore Stout could not be tried |
here. Judge Waters oyerruled the /
demurrer. States Attorney Crothers |
made the opening statement to the jury |
for the state,
The first witness for the state was |
Mrs. Dittmar, widow Of the murdered
man, who testified that on the night of |
the murder her husband went to bed at |
. o'clock, whilc she remained waiting |
for the fire to burn down. She fell |
asleep and was awakened by the old |
man shouting, ooh, Christine, am get
ting murdcredw Witness started up
stairs with a light, got up two steps,
when the light was knocked out of her
hand and broken, and she was struck |
on the eye by some one whose face she
did not see. She then went to the
cellar, where she remained half an
hour. Her husband did not cry out
any more, so she went to ncighbor,
Charles Furdy, who sent two men back
with her. They found Mr.. Dittmar on
the lounge with his face knocked in.
Witness generally kept $50 or $50 in
her bed-tick. Alfred Stout, the pris-
oncr, had worked for her eight or nine
years ago and was familiar with the
house. She had lost some money about
week previous to the murder and also
twice about two months before.
The next witness, DIR. j. V. Wallace,
testified to the character of the wounds
and that they caused Dittmar's death.
Dr. Formal, president of the Patholo-
gical Society of Philadelphia and pro-
fessor of microscopy in the University
OF Pennsylvania, was then called. He
testified to the finding Of blood stains
on Stout's clothes and on the piece Of
board.
Alexander Van Buskirk corroborated
the testimony of other witnesses as to
the condition of Dittmar's house on the
morning after the crime. Witness, with
others, followed the tracks to the house
where the prisoner lived. They secured
the clothes and shoes of the prisoner
and got out warrant for his arrest.
Shoes of the prisoner were produced
and identified by witness, and he ex-
planned peculiarities of the tracks and
showed how such pecularlties might
have been made by the shoes.
BEL AIR, MD, Feb. 49, When court
was called here this morning for the
third day of the trial of Alfred Stout,
colored, for the murder of George Dit
mar, the Cecil county farmer who was
fatally beaten in his house, counsel for
the defence moved that the jury be dis
charged and the case continued on the
ground that the jury had been unlaw-
fully separated last night. The motion
was overruled and a bill Of exceptions
filed, which developed the fact that
owing to the illness of Juryman James
X. Massey, the sheriff, during the recess
of court, allowed the sick juryman to
be locked in separate room in the
charge of deputy, and that while so
separated the sheriff brought the other
IL jurors into court at the call of the
evening session.
After the filing of the bill Of excep-
tions by the defence the prosecution
proceeded with the examination of their
witnesses. William II. Purdy testified
10 the finding of o cane In the barn, near
where the club had been procured
| Other witnesses corroborated the testi-
mony of Van Buskirk and Purdy as to
| the finding of the cane and club, the
| following of the tracks across the field,
and the measuring of the tracks and
shoes and the peculiarities common to
both the tracks and shoes.
William Purner testified that on the
day of the crime he had seen the cane
produced in evidence in the possession
of the prisoner.
| George X. Carpenter corroborated the
testimony of other witnesses as to the
conversation OF the prisoner after his
arrest, and testified that he picked up
receipt made out to Mrs. Dittmar along
the tracks which were followed by him
and other witnesses in pursuit of
| prisoner.
The next witness was Henry Blens-
| field, who was in the boat with Stout at
the time of his arrest. Witness testified
that prisoner had promised to help him
fish on Monday, 1.-THE day after the muir
der) Witness went to prisoners house
about daylight, but prisoner was not
there; started out for the river and met
prisoner; returned to prisoners house
with him and waited until prisoner
changed his clothes. Witness identified
clothes as those worn by prisoner when
he returned.
Mary Anderson testified to the finding
OF knife along the track, supposed to
have been taken by the prisoner.
Harriet Moore, q sister of the prisoner,
identified the knife.
BEL AIR, Mn, Feb. 19.-The trial OF
Alfred Stout for the murder of George
Dettmar proceeded to-day, the fourth day
OF the trial, in the presence Of a crowded
courtroom. The prisoner continues to
display considerable interest in the case,
and pays close attention to the examina-
ton OF the states witnesses, especially the
more amusing testimony, ut which lie
smiles with seeming enjoyment. The state
closed its case at noon, after proving by
several witnesses that piece of handller-
| chief found under the barn doorsill, near
where the murderous club was found, be-
longed TO the same handkerchief of which
part was found in the prisoners pocket
The denouement of the case, however. was
the testimony of James NJ. Jordan, who
swore that on the second day of last Sep
TENDER court in Elkton he visited the
Jail in company with his fatherin-law.
Harrison Gerber. Witness saw prisoner
and asked him what he was put in there