The Scranton tribune. [volume] (Scranton, Pa.) 1891-1910, 1895-07-18
IN Defense OF COLLINS
Princeton Athletes Arc Shown Up in a
Bad Light.
EVIDENTLY BENT UPON A ROW
Evidence Indicates That the Negro Acted
In Self Defense When lie Shot Fred
Ohl- story OF tho
Prisoner.

Trenton, ". j., July 1.-THE trial OF
the negro, John Is. Collins. for the mur-
der of Frederick p. Ohl and the shoot
ing of Garret Cochran. both Princeton
students, was resumed in the Mercer
court this forenoon.
john Geiger testified Mat he saw Col
liEs attempt to draw a revolver on the
students. They had words. and the
witness heard Ohl say: I'VE are not
looking for fight"
Steven Downs. the colored man who
was; in the company of Collins AT the
time of the quarrels and shooting. next
told the story of the crime. lie hini-
self had had words with Collins that
evening. According to his versiom OF
the affair when the students and
negroes came together the second time
one of the students, addressing Collins,
said:
IF you have a gun, wish to God
you'd pull it out" Another student at
the same time exclaimed: IF we had
You down South we would lynch YOU"
Before Andersons door was reached
the negroes met sport Thompson,
who informed them that the students
had palngs and warned them to keep
ont of the way. The students, on meet
ing the negroes close to Anderson's,
were swinging the palinss in their
hands. One of them shouted: We've
got palings. and we are goirg to do you
up"
Downs denied that neither he nor Col
lins used bad language to the students,
or at any time challenged them to fight
With the submission in evidence of
the palings carried by the students,
the revolver used by Collins and the
bullets extracted from Ohrs body, the
state rested the case.
The Defense opened.
In their opening. counsel for Collins
said the defense would be justitiable
homicide. He had been grieveously
provoked. and believed his life was in
danger when he fired at the students.
In his address TO the jury, counsel made
much of the fact that Oil and Cochran
were physical giants and football play
ers, who are trained in the art of in
flicting injury while protecting them
selves from harm. They were capable,
said counsel, of doing anything or
anybody"
The Yale-Princeton base ball game
had taken place that day, and Prince
ton had lost. A significant matter in
connection with the case was that
the students We're drinking that night
Collins were among those so celebrat-
ing. They We're men whose general
reputation for brutality was we'll
known, and Collins believed that they
We're intent upon murder, when he
found them pursuing him with palings
and threatened to do him."
Beverly Ash, colored, was the first wit
ness for the defense. He testified that
he had agreed to buy a pistol from Col
lns, and he was going to meet him on
the night of the shooting to conclude
the bargain. The defense put this tes-
timony in to show how Collins came to
have the weapon in his possession.
After an hours recess DR.. W. b. Nc
Galliard, of Trenton, was called and
testified that he attended Collins when
he was brought to the Jail here. Col
Inns face was pretty well scratched
and dug, as with finger nails or some
sharp instrument. He was also cut
upon the left wrist and forearm. The
witness was shown one of the palings
in the case, and said the nails sticking
through it might have made the cuts.
DR.. Ernest Dicksins corroborated DR..
McGalliard's evidence, and added that
he also found nail prints on Collins
throat, as if he had been taken by the
throat and roughly used.
Prisoner on the Stand
The prisoner was directed to take the
stand. He was born in Jordantown, N.
j., is % years old, and weighs 1875
pounds. CnI June he was driving a
hack from the depot to the baM grounds
| In the evening he "weEt up town to
have a little fun" The class of '95 was
| having a plrade, and he rode around in
wagon behind 1t. Later he was on
his way to meet Beverly Ash. who was
| going 10 purchase his pistol. On With.
erspoon street, where was walking
with Seven Downs, he met three stu
dents, one of whom grabbed him by
| the coat and wanted to know what he
was doing there. The second time he
met the students they had fence palings
| and they threatened to do him up un.
less he told them what he had In his
| pockets. They said that II they had
him down South they would lynch him
When the students saw him still later
AT Anderson's restaurant they made a
rush at him. They were using the pal
to- rn, Lo 4 4. Il.