Evening journal., 1892-10-25
HILL MURDER TRIAL ON.
1t Begins This Morning in
Chestertown Court House.
NINE NEGROES BEFORE TIE JUDGES

Two Prominent Lawyers Assigned to De-
fcnd the Brutal Murderers OF DR.. j.
Heigbe nm But They WIN Not Ask for
changs Of Venue.
Special Despatch TO the Evening Journal
CHEsTERTowN, Nd, Oct 25.-This
morning the nine colored men arrested
for the murder Of DR.. ]. Heighe Hill.
who was assassinated while paying a pro-
fesslonal visit, were brought into court
and put on trial The men were indicted
last Saturday and already one of them.
Perry Bradshaw, has turned states evi.
dence, and will 60 into court tomorrow
to testify against his partners in
crime. The other defendants are John
Potts, Joshua Baynard, Charles. alias
"Buck" Brooks, Fletcher Williams Fris-
bic Comegys, Moses Brown, Louis Ben
son and Charles Emery.
According opublic opinion as expressed
this morning the town is equally divided
between the whites and blacks, aud con
sequently the feeling over the approach
ing trial runs high.
An effort has been made to raise money
10 hire Baltimore counsel TO defend the
alleged murderers and in the event of
securing foreign counsel IL was the in
| tention TO apply for n change Of venue To
Easton. When this fact became known
the excitement was intense and II WA
openly given out by some of the whites
that In case the Court granted the an.
plication the prisoners would never leave
Chestertown alive. The blacks were lust
as determined that they should. and in
consequence the whole county has been
up in arms over the matter. and talk of
lynching in cpse of an attempted removal
of the prisoners has been the principal
topic, Some of the white citizens were
averse TO the lynching, however. and
stated that they would not have per
mitted it
The colored men claimed that the pris
oners could not get fair show from a
white jury in Chestertown, and IL really
does look as though white Jury would
not waste much time wrangling over n
verdict Yesterday, however. matters
took a new turn. The money was NOT
raised and consequently the Baltimore
lawyers was not forthcoming and the
prisoners will now be defended by two
local lawyer, Marion DeK. Smith and
James Alfred Pearce who were appointed
by Judge Joseph A. Wckes TO conduct
the defense
Under the laws Of Maryland, however
the defendants can be tried either by the
court consisting OF three Judges or bv
jury II was decided today by counsel
for the defense, IN view OF the intense
feeling against the prisoners, to try the
cases before the judges In that event
the case will be tried without a Jury bv
the three judges Of the circuit. represent
ing Kent Cecil, Queen Annes Caroline
and Talbot counties Judge Wickes.
Judge Stump and Judge Robinson. State
Attorney William NJ Slay will conduct
the prosecution. The heavy work of the
prosecution will be done, however. by
OK State Attorney Vickers, who will ex-
anime sixty witnesses for the common
wealth
The cause Of the murder has never
been definitely learned, but it is be-
lieved that IL was TO avenge the death Of
q colored man named Campbell who
dropped dead during a fight between the
whites and the blacks last December.
DR.. Hill was sent for by the friends
Of Campbell, who wanted him to say
that Campbell's death was due TO vio-
lence. Instead, however, the doctor
gave a certificate ascribing Campbell's
death to heart disease The colored
people, however, deny this.