The Cecil Whig. [volume] (Elkton, Md.) 1841-current, 1892-02-20
TRIED FOR HIS LiEE
The alleged Murderer of George Ditmar
faces n jury at BeIair.


Old German who lived in the Secon,
district OF this County on the night o
February l, 1871, began at Bel.ir o.
Tuesday. Much time was consume,
in arguing danurrers to thc iudictmen
aud Seiecting the Jury. \ large humble
Of witnesses are in Attendance on botl
sides, and, with the usual court officials
and hangers on, the court room was fill
ed to IT'S full capacity. Throug hout thu
trial to day Stout showed little or NJ
signs OF nervousness, although he eYi
what was going on He is an intelligent
looking negro. about five feet sever
inches in height, and weighs about 15(
pounds. His counsel will make hare
fight for his lie, and Will contest ever,
inch Of ground.
States Attorney Austin l.. Crothers
OF Cecil equity, in his opening remarks
before the jury, said that they expected
to prove that Stout had worked FOL
G orge DItmar, the murdered man; that
he had frequently stolen from both the
was acquainted with the place where
the old German hid his hardwon earn
ings.
Stout entered the house on the night
of February /, 1891, about ten O'Clock,
after Ditmar had retired, and went di.
rectly 20 the old mans room, on the
second floor. There he found the old
man in bed asleep. He searched for tbs
money, but failed to find it in the bureau,
where he sometimes hid it. He Text
struck tue old man powerful blow
Oh the head with club. that rendered
| him seuseless, and Inflicted cut three
inches long and one inch deep. He then
went to look for the money under the
feather bed, but, before be had finished,
| Ditman's wife, hearing the noise, start
ed upstairs, and WAS met by Stout, who
| also struck her a blow, SO that she fell
backward down the steps, and Stout
| escaped.
Mr.. and Mrs. Dltmar were sent to 3
hospital in Philadelphia. Mr.. Dnmar
died in three days after the occurrence.
Mrs. Ditmar recovered. The state hns
in it's posses Sion the shoes that Stout
wore that night, his suit of clothes,
that he used. Ms Ditmar is about
seventy-tivc years old, aud quite feeble.
The second day of the Stout murder
trial brought larger crowd OF spectators
than the first day. Mrs. Ditmar, the
widow of the murdered man, was the
first witness.
She said that she and her husband
had lived on the farm for twenty eight
years. On the night of the murder the
old man went 30 bed HbJut ten clock,
and she remained down s.ars to watch
the fire, which was barning very bright,
and she was afraid to leave it. Sue fell
asleep and was awakened By her Lus-
bands cries OF murder. She picked up
tho lamp and started up the steps, but
had not gotten very TAR before something
vas thrown over the lamp, which put it
out, and she WAS struck violent blow
on the head which felled her. She saw
a man standing at the head Of tho steps,
but could not see any more Of his body
than his feet to his hips. He had on a
pair of gray kersey pants. She always
kept her money between two feather
beds, in "A pocket made tor the purpose,
and she frequently had from $40 to 435
in this pocket, but on the night OF the
murder she removed the mOney from tho
bed aud put it und, the carpet, under
the bureau in her room. Stout, she
said, bad not lived with them for. nine
years, but when he did live with them
he had full access to the house AMI slept
in the gsrret and he had to go By her
TO get to his bed. When she went to her
room after the murder, she found the
two bureau drawers open and things
scattered over the floor, end blood on
the bed, ceiling and wall.
bl.J. w dIiiSC NplO HO "US N-t'SN
after midnight on the night OF the muir
der. He found Ditmar with his nose
broken, his cheek bones broken and the
roof OF his mouth crushed in, and not
| able to talk. He made an examination
of the premises, and found putty cut
| from the window sash and the glass re-
moved Just outside of the window the
doctor found white porcelain button,
| which correspondent with the buttons on
Stoats blue flannel shirt. Footprints
were also discovered, which fitted the
shoes that Stout wore that night.
Elk States Attorney VIM. 5. Evans, Of
Cecil county, testified to making all
examination IF the premises AID uacing
| the footprints from the DitmaI house TO
| Stout's home. Stout was about 10 90 out
! III boat when Nj. Evans hailed him
and he came ashore. He went to the
house aud brought out the clothes and
! shoes, which Stout said he had worn the
night before.
Dr.. Henry F Formal, of the Univer-
sity of Pennsylvania, testified that he
made the examination OF the clothes Tor
blood traces. On the coat blood was
| found near the button holes in sprays;
blood was found on the right knee OF the
pants, aud blood was also found on the
vest. Near the button holes Of the
rigGt-bauu slseve of tho shirt, on the
cuff, I. large quantity OF blood stain was
found.
The court adjourned until Thulsday
When Court was callsd on Thursday
| Morning counsel foI the dsieuse moved
that the jury be discharged aud the case
continued on the ground that the jury
had been unlawlully separated Nednes
day night. The motion was over ruled ano
bill OF exceptions filed, which the
fact that sowing to the illness Of
Juryman James 4. Massey, the sheriff
during the recess of court, allowed the
sick jurymau to be locked i'll separate
room in the charge of a deputy, aud that
while SO separated the sheriff orouBh
the ether eleven jurors into court at the
evening session.
Alter the filing of the bill OF ezcep
tions by the defense the prosecution
proceeded with the examination o
of their witness. VIM. Ii. Purdy testi
fed to the finding OF cane in the barn
near where the club had been procured
Other witnesses corr0burated the test
mony OF Van Buskirk aud Purdy as t.