Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1894-02-28
FIGHTING FOR LIFE
Young Shoemaker on Trial for Murder.
ing . Neighbor.
Accounts Of the Tragedy Near Ten
leyt0wn-The Crime Followed
Drinking-The Testimony.

In Criminal Court, O1v1SlOn z. justice
Cole. this morning work Of selecting a jury
for the trial Of John E. Shoemaker. white,
for the murder Of Thomas z. Mat
thews. colored. on the night of Sep
TENDER 2 last by shooting. in the
county on the Broad Branch road. was
Attorney Birney and his
assistant, Mr.. Levin. for the government
and Mr.. John Goode and Mr.. Joseph Shil-
lington for the prisoner. There were eleven
Of the regular panel In the box as competent
judges and forty talesmen were drawn yes
terday, from which to selec, The jury. Over
one-half Of these were called. and, after the
defendant had made twelve challenges and
the government three. and several were ex-
cused. the jury. at IL 10 o'clock, was &C
cepted as follows:
X. A. Kerby. F. A. Carpenter, Benoni
Millstead John G. May, Charles HampSon,
Joseph H. Hinwood. Martin Foley. James
II. Byram. George w. Ballinger, w. Z: Da-
Wis. w. J. Holcombe and George G. Scharr.
Prosecution Opens.
All the witnesses, about thirty in number.
were excluded from the court room, and
Assistant District Attorney Levin opened
the case to the jury. reciting that the pris-
oner and some friends. with the deceased.
had been in a store drinking and after
leaving there was some badinage. The
prisoner and deceased disputed as to who
was the better man, and they got into q
night. when the prison er got the deceased
down. They were parted, and then engaged
In stone battle. and Shoemaker, getting
q gun on pretense of protecting his house
from burglars, went after Matthews and
shot him.
Officer John E. Hartman was the first
witness called, and testified that a plat
drawn by him was correct and he ex-
planned the locations
Damaging Testimony.
John L. Hyson, colored testified that he
knew the parties. who lived about quarter
OF mile apart. and saw them on the night
OF the shooting. Barnes. the prisoner and
witness left Georgetown together In the
cars Tor Tenleytown and went over to Fort
RENO. stopped at Smiths store, where
Ma Matthews was talking with another party.
them toward their homes. Barnes and
Matthew's ahead and witness and Shoe
maker behind. After leaving Mullins store
shoemaker wanted to fight Matthews and
witness tried to hold him. but he broke and
ran ana when witness got up to them
shoemaker had Matthews down. Witness
parted them and tried to quiet Shoemaker
Ihey then threw stones at each other ana
shoemaker started toward his home. Wit
heard the report Of something and went
back and saw Matthews lying on the aide
OF the road but he was not dead. Barnes
went to Mrs. Smiths to get a light and
Iney then sent Matthews to his mothers
Shoemaker was not there then and did NOT
see him till at the inquest.
On cross-examination witness said that
they had all been drinking, Shoemaker
more tnan the others. and Barnes had a
bottle. Shoemaker was carrying a box. a
bolt OF flannel and shoes for his children
and witness assisted him. When Shoemak-
er became enrased he said he wanted 10
whip Matthews.
After Recess.
After recess the cross-examin alton of the
witness Hyson was resumed, but nothing
new was developed.
To District Attorney Birney the witness
said that Shoemaker at the time he left
him talked intelligently and, while he had
been drinking. he was not helpiessly
drunk. Matthews was in q like condition.
DR.. Edward F. Schaeffer, the deputy cor
oner: testified to making an autopsy on
sa,,ts y" body He found a sunshot
than silver quarter being made. The shot
were small birdshot and most of them
lodged In the lower part Of the abdomen
The gun wads penetrated the body about
six or seven inches and the man who held
the gun must have held the muzxle about
three or four inches from the body.
The shot took a slightly downward and
forward course. The wound was a neces-
u
on the nose, breaking II, and also a wound
on the right cheek. The two wounds had
evidently been inflicted at the same time
and probably by one instrument.
Another Account.
There was no ton of DR.
Schaeffer. and John F. Barnes was sworn.
He said he met Shoemaker about 30 the
night OF the shooting and went with him to
They had several beers there
and then took the cars for Tenleytown
From there went to Smiths store, where
they met Matthews. They had more beer
and then they. Shoemaker, Hyson, Mat
thews and witness, started or home They
stopped at Mullins store, where Shoemaker
got some groceries.
They then left together and had gone
but a short ways when Shoemaker said
to Matthews: You think yourself a Id
good man, don't your? Witness did not
hear what Matthews said. but Shoemaker
stepped up to Matthews, and, hitting him
In the face. knocked him down. Shoemaker
then jumped on Matthews and beat him
until Hyson pulled them apart.
The witness then detailed the subsequent
events on the evening of the Shooting. his
Of them not materially differing
from the statement made by the witness
Hyson.
Republicans to Oppose Mills.
1t is anticipated that the republican Sem
ators will tomorrow protest vigorously