Delaware gazette and state journal. (Wilmington, Del.) 1883-1902, 1894-09-20
FIREBUG TRUSTY COMMITTED.
witnesses Testify That They Saw Him Set
Fire to the Hnuse--The Blaze Started by
Paper Stuck in IA Broken Pane.

witnesses Testify Tint They Saw Him Set
Fire to the Hnuse--T The Blaze Started by
- Paper stuck in IA Broken Pane.
During the proceedings in municipal
court last Friday it was demonstrated
that newspaper, like many other OBJ
iects of inestimahle value, can some-
times be converted to ordinary, and in
this case base usage. When Hamlet"
throws down poor "Yorick's" skull,
after imparting to "Horatio" the many
good traits of the departed friend, he
gives vent to his feelings In the follow
ing lines so familiar to students of
| Shakespeare
Imperial Cesar dead and turned to clay,
Might stop n hole to keep the wind away,
Oh, that that earth which kept the world
in awe,
Should patch wall to expel the winters
flaw
The imperial object used to stop a
| hole to keep the wind away in this case
was copy of EVERY EVENING, which
patched large crevice in the wall
alongside Of The doorway in which the
prisoner had placed lighted match. 1t
is an old.fashioned building and on
either side of the door are two small
windows running parallel with the
doorway. .One of the lights of glass
having been broken out leaving hole
in which the newspaper had been placed
to eXpel the October blasts. 1t was
shown that Trusty had simply applied a
match to the copy of the newspaper,
| which broke into blaze and developed
a conilagration which alarmed the entire
neighborhoud. officer Mclaughlin ar
rived on the scene in time to extinguish
the flames, or the entire building might
have been consumed by fire.
Mrs. Roxallna Harris, q dusky belle
who has long been the reigning queen
OF the "Hoodlc,n was an important wit
ness for the prosecution, and said that
her attention was first called to the fire
about l1.30 o'clock by the flame enter
ing her bedroom window. She ran Out
of the house just as she was and says
she saw Trusty disappearing around the
corner of Fifth and Church streets.
Arthur w. Spruance appeared as
counsel for the prisoner, while City
Solicitor Elliott represented the State
The city solicitor asked the "queen'
whether or not she was reposing whel
tile cry Of fire was given and whether
she was not mistaken about seeinl
Trusty fleeing from the scene OF tht
conllagration.
"Me mistaken. What you take nj,
foah. How could see him ii | were il
bed. Guess you don't know what yot
talking bout"
Then Mr.. Spauance took the "queen'
in hand. He desired to know whethe
Trusty was married, and whether thu
woman who was occupying the hous,
with the witness when the fire brok,
out was his lawful wife.
"Specks you'll hey ter ak some on
else bout dat, honey" the witness re
piled, with an indifferent toss of tn
head. "Dis chile wasn't dare when d,
nuptial knot was entwinel." Thi
ended her testimony and tine belle wa
allowed to leave the stand.
Mrs William Fuhr, who lives at Nc
800 East Fifth street, next door to tn
burning house, testified that she wa
looking out of her window aud say
Trusty apply the match to the news
paper in the framework. II was abou
midnight Tuesday. She also saw tn
J defendant run away from the scene o
the fire. The husband of the previou
witness gave corroborative evidence.
Mr.. Spruance, in defence Of the pris
: oner, called John Baswell, the owner q
,. the house, who testified that the burnin
paper could not have caused sutiicien
. iiie to destroy the building, as only th
woodwork around the hole containin
! the burning paper was charred. II
was corroborated by Andrew Murphy
who was familiar with the premises an
had visited the house after the fire wa
put out
5 Judge Ball held Trusty without ba
for court