The Wilmington daily Republican. (Wilmington, Del.) 1890-1902, 1893-04-10

Iuo LYNNE FOHohtux Nu5o A<ts@t 1e.
urdAy-A1l the Testimony I'm. : =
There never was more Sensational
cose tried In Sussex County than that
Of Evans, who Is charged With poison
Ing the well on the Rosser farm, on
August 4. 1899, with Intent to Kill the
entire Rosser family. The evidence
stantiBl, and while 1t lacks several
links to form continuous chain, At
torney General Nicholson and his able
Deputy b. II. Giles. have wove q net
the prisoner that the defense
has failed to remove. The court room
has been crowded each day since the
trial commenced. and now that IL Is
drawing to CLOSE the interest, instead
of Diminishing, seems to be on the In
crease.
The defense continued the examina.
ton OF witnesses on Saturday morn
ing ana called August Q. Obier. q
farmer living near the Rosser farm,
for the purpose of contradicting Ma
thaniel Conoway, who testified on
Friday for the State that on the night
of August 4th he had cRrried-a stranger
who inquired for Oak Grove. The
witness testified that the road he was
on was far from Oak Grove and claim
las he khe W the roads too well to be
that far out Of his wey.
The attorney general took the wilt:
ness In hand for REORGANIZATION,
but his answers were 30 indefinite and
his opinions 80 many and varied IN
reference to the matter that finally
chief Justice Lore became out OF pa
thence and said to MIR. NichoisOn: For
the Lords sake, get through with this
witness" and he was allowed to leave
the stand.
Levin Il. Salisbury, a railway postal
clerk, testified In reference to the time
the mail left Philadelphia for Aber-
deem, Md. The object Of this testi-
mony was to show that a letter mail.
ed In Philadelphia after 5 p. m, might
hive reached Aberdeen the same even
ling, and yet be stamped Aberdeen p.
i'm. This would show that the letter
which Cotter testified that he mailed
ION Thursday. August 4. after the al
legged visit OF Evans to his office,
might have been written after he
went away, and received ut Aberdeen
the same evening.
i William s. Lewis, OF Concord, Nd.
testified that he knows George Collins
and had met him ut the camp meeting
grounds several times during the
Afternoon of August 4. His testi-
-lmony was for the purpose OF contra
ldicting that OF Collins, who testified
that no WAS at home. and that Evans
twas at his house that afternoon and
ate with him.
1 On REORGANIZATION 1t was shown
,Ithat the witness had an old grudge
,lagainst Collins.
John Trice, neighbor OF Collins, al
so testified that he saw him at the
J camp meeting on the afternoon and
evening OF August 4.
i John Rothwe.i. of Caroline county,
Md, and william A. Hearn. OF Philn
delphia, each testified that they know
aCollins. and had met him at the camp
meeting. August
Martin L. Sullivan, George W. Hig'
hut and Loody Leydeu, OF Caroline
county, Md, and Edward W. Adams.
Daniel c, Adams and William S. Lewis
all OF Sussex county, testified thai
they are well and intimately acquaint
ed with George ii. Collins. and thai
his character in the community where
he livos, for truth and veyacity. Is bad
In answer to MIR. Richards question
"Would you believe him under oathT
leach Of the witnesses answered, ~
would not"
| AS the State relies principally on TIT
Testimony OF Collins to prove that
Evans was in the vicinity OF Rossers
farm on Aug. 4, their testimony was ;
severe blow to the prosecution.
Frances Asbury Lloyd was sworn
land testified that she had heart
Miss Nellie Rosser say that she was
certain that Catherine, the mother oil
John Rosser, had poisoned the we'll.
/ Newton White testified that he had
heard a quarrel between john Rosser,
his mother and his wife, about theii
taking the child to camp meeting or
Aug. 4. As he was leaving the house
John Rosser said to the witness, that
his home was q hell and that his
mother was the cause OF 1t.
Mrs. Martha Nevins testified that
she is the daughter OF the accused
and that she had frequently heard
ltaem quarrel at John Rosser o..
This closed the testimony. for the
defense and Attorney General Nichol'
lson commenced the examination o.
witnesses in rebuttal.
George W. Wiley testified tEat he is
la Justice OF the peace and uttested the
signature OF Vim. Evans on an affidavit
made by him, in which he undertakes
Ito explain where he was on August .
land S, which ehowed that according u
his own statement he was moi
near Golfer, the Philadelphia rea
Iestate mans office on either day.
John w. Reynolds. train despatchel
lon the Delaware railroad, testified tt
the record of trains on that road, Au
lgustd, between Broad street station
and Aberdeen, completely contradict
ing the statement OF PostalClerk Levi
IL. Salisbury, who was one oil the VIII
Inesses for the defence.
James u. Williamson was sworn ant
testified that in June, 1902, he bouBh
the farm that Evans owned and le
ceived a deed for 1t. This testim on,
completely breaks down that OF Cot
ter, who testified that when Evan
called at his Dflice In Philadelphia, Au
gust 4, it was to see him about selling
this very farm which williamson
Testimony showed had been sold II
him two months previously.
Detectives MeNey and Wlfsll wer
ngain called to the stand and testitlel
that Lewis, who said that he saw Col
llins at the camp meeting August 4
had said 10 their presence that lie di
not go the camp himself until Friday
August 5. .=
This closed tho testimony on bot
sides, and court adjourned until i
O'Clock this morning, when the argu
ment Will be commenced, and the cas-
given to the jury this afternoon, G
Tomorrow morning.
Inc evidence, as will he seen, Is Yer
contradictory, and there is consider;
bile difference of opinion In referenc
Ito the guilt OF the prisoner. The Stat
has failed to show that Evans had {
any time any poison in his possession
neither has witness been produce
who saw him either going or return
ing on any train. The main wltnes
for the prosecution is George II. Co
Ilins, but the defence succeeded in In
peaehing his testimony to such an O.
tent, that it is doubtful II tho jury wi
consider 1t, but whether it Is believe
lor not, reasonable doubt will still O.
list, which the Court In Its charge WI
tell the Jury must be construed in I'll
prisoners favor; therefore there nee
lbe no surprise II Evans should BIO a