The Jersey City news. (Jersey City [N.J.]) 1889-1906, 1895-07-17
COCHRAN'S STORY.
He Tells the Jury How
Collins Shot Student Oil
at Princeton.
WHY THEY TOOK FENCE PIokETs
The Aceused's Companion Gives
His Version of the: Quarrel
and Fight.
snecta. 10 TIC .Jerser citu -s-s,s.s.

| Frederick P. Obi. the Princeton student,
r. C. Caples of Chicago, a student, tes-
| titled that he saw Cochran and Obi and
Collins fall out of Anderson's doorway.
Cochran wrenched the pistol from Col
lins. Oil had Collins about the upper
| part of the limbs. AS the revolver was
taken from Collins Oil exclaimed: "Oh.
| my God; I'm shot IN the stomach He
| then was about to fall when witness
| caught him.
COCHRAN'S STORY.
| Garret Cochran of Williamsport, Pa.
| student of the class of '9S, one of the
| men who was shot by Collins, testified
| that he was with John NJ. Scott and
Frederick Obi on the night in question
| and met on Witherspoon street Coilins
| and Downs. Collins kept his hand on his
| pistol while talking to witness and his
| friends. The colored men left. crossing
| the street. Gaiger came to the Students
| and in consequence Of what he told them
| the students took pickets off the fence,
and went towards the postoffice, and, at
| witness suggestion. turned and walked
| towards Anderson's. when they over
| took the eolored men.
| Just after the students passed Ander-
| sons they heard Collins call the bad
| ildiiCs anu H4CO eN.i III oHC iesAi eiAN WI
| ness followed. Collins was about five
| feet in the hall. Witness got ahead of
Oil. and saw the glitter of Collins pis-
tol as he pulled it from his pocket, and
| got the ball in his chin just as he reached
| to disarm Collins. Witness then saw two
more shots and grabbed Collins to take
the pistol away from him. He did not, sue
| ceed, however. until he got out on the
| sidewalk. He remembered very little
about the matter, as he was so excited
| Neither of the students used the palings.
They were not close enough until after
the shooting. After disarming Collins
was covered with blood and two teeth
| were knocked out. He had never seen
HMRT6R sRHlMlIhRsT 6f3oF9 aTYs shis sig9F g9kFossExAT1NA
TION.
Cross-examined by Senator DAILY. wit
ness said he was nineteen years Of age,
about six feet tall, and weighs 1856 pounds
and was a trained athlete. Oil was
stronger and sturdier than he and much
| a ball game that afternoon. About six
o'clock he was at Anderson's s with about
twenty others discussing the. game and
drinking beer. Witness drank a bottle
and a half. Oil drank no beer. He then
| detailed his movements up to the time
| of meeting Collins. Just before meeting
| him they went in an alley west of With
1 erspoon street and running parallel with
| it, and instead of coming out the same
| way they went in, they jumped a fence
and crossed private doo1yard to With
| erspoon street. He could give no reason
| for this.
| anything when they met Collins and
| Downs. yet he knew there was some
| bitter things said by both parties. After
the colored. men left they got pickets
sWhv didn't you go homer" asked
Senate DAILY, dramatically.
the witness, evidently at a loss for an
YES replied the Senator, "they hs
| ora0 al nd 1af vol cro
horne, instead of taking those pickets
| from the fence?"
I'VE took the pickets for defence, :"
tunity to defend younseif?'' queried ips SEN
ator DAILY
1--WE mad been threatened.
| Eyes, but the negroes were gone. And
you didn't keep the clubs you had-you
I'VE wanted stronger wood"
"Wlhy didn't you SO home? Your
home was in the opposite direction from
| the way you took. 1t was ten O'Clock.
| Why didn't you so homer"
We wanted to go to Anderson's to
see friends
"What. with clubs? Do you go to see
friends with clubs?" asked the Senator,
| ineredulouslv,
| us, that's why we took the pickets'
| ooh! You said while ago that it
was because of something. that Gaiger
9ld No you "a ,jd that you P, got thqse pickets
say it was for another reasonS''
TT was for both reasons"
| groes on Nassau street, something was
| said to them-what was it?''
| Il remember I told them to mind their
"Why did you say that? You had
| your clubs and they Were wall2.g
"Because he threatened to shoot,
We'll, why didn't you go home, then q"
That's what l should have DONE
The witness then came to the events
said something and Oil turned back, and
| witness followed. Witness got in the
door first; Collins was eight or nine feet
volver and rushed to grab Collins. He
was then struck by z bullet. He, saw
reaching Collins, finally disarming him
He was then taken by two friends to
find physician.
lstudent of the class of 'es, testified that
when they met Collins on Witherspoon
street witness turned back and asked
Ilins munbled something and OH replied
it was all right if he did not mean to
pistol during this time. lie eorroboratea ted
Cochran as far as his memory served
him.
Cross examined by Mr. Beasley he
said Oil ran after Collins, and Cochran
ran after the latter, when Collins cfal-
lenged them to come en-:
L
street, Princeton, testified that neY saw
the students and two colored men go by
and saw two students go in Anderson's s
i hallway and heard the shots and saw
the struggle in the hallway and heard
some one cry, Help, help he's got a
/ pistol and is shooting u.s. Witness bro
! ther and himself held the prisoner after
he was disarred He afterwards saw
Obi lying on the pavement near the gut
for Witness turned the prisoner over to
the City Marshal
The trial was resumed in the Mercer
| Court this morning. John j. Geig testi-
fed that he saw Collins attempt to draw
| revolver on the students. They had
words and the witness heard one of them
| say:-"We are not looking for fight
/ Later in the evening while near Ander-
! sons restaurant he heard the shooting
i and illastening there saw the PROSTATE and
! bleeding form of Oil and witnessed the
arrest of Collins.
Steve Downs. the colored man who was
| in the company Of Collins at the time of
the quarrel and shooting, took the stand
| and told the story of the crime He him
self had had words with Collins that
evening According to his version of the
affair when the. students and Negroes
| the students. addressing Collins. said ''If
I.pull it OUT Another student at the same
| time exclaime d:-"If we had you down
South we'd lynch YOU. "
Negroas ! met '4sporf' Thompson ard IN IN
formed them that the students hail pail
ings and warned them to Keep out ofsthe
Way