The times. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1890-1903, 1895-07-18
HOW OHLWASMURDERED
CLASSMATES TELL THE STORY At
TIE NEGRO COLLINS TRIAL.
Student Cochran Displays His Wound to
the Jurors Bullet still In HIS
Neck-student SCOTS Testimony.

| trial yesterday O, the negro John D
Collins. for the muricr Of the Princeton
student Frederick r. OIL. Garret Coch-
ran and John Scott, classmates of Ohl
and his companions on the night OF the
mrrder, told the story Of the shooting.
corrobcrating the STORY told by joins
Thompson, boarding house keeper, who
overheard the quarrel that preceded the
shooting. Scott leicrgs in Frankfort.
KY. and is the mysterious student whose
Identity since the night Of the murder has
Defn concealed. Cochran shows under
the rover Up the wouni made by the
ilfst bullet Collins fired, ana he exhibit
ed it TO the jury while testifying, and
told the Jurors that the nall was stu
In his neck and caused some stiffness.
Cochran j. ninetcen years old, siN feet
tall. ana weighs 1876 pounds. He said
he WAS an athlete in constant training.
and Is fun back on the Princeton Uni
verify football team. During his eN-
| animation Cochran was asked to step
down from the witness stand and stand
beside the prisoner He ala so, and the
n'gic appeared as a dwarf beside him.
John thompson, who says he Keeps a
Students boarding house IN Withcispo0n
street, testified that or the night of the
shooting he was sitting on his porch and
heafd the quarrel OF a party OF students
| ane negroes lie recognize, q in the crowd
OH, Cochran, and the two negroes
Stephen Downs and John Collins. Tho
| first woris he could understand We're.
Put away that pistol. and | can whip
| you. uttered by one OF the students.
Collins began 10 take eff his co I. and
replied that he could lick both OF them
| II they would 20 TO "A nearby lane.
The other student said 10 the one who
| had spoken: What do you want to ileht
| with a Niger with pistol for. ana
! urged him 10 leave At the same time
"a ~
! crowd dispersed AfterW9rd the witness
met Downs end Collins and advised them
! not TO have any trouble with the stu
| dents. Downs replied that he didn't want
10 fight. although he could whip either
| Of them. Collins exclaimed: IF they
bother me I'll make somebody smell
! he'll"
| The negroes then walked down the street
! TO AndersOn's saloon. and tho witness
| followed them. Here they were over
taken by Cochran. Scott. and OIL, who
were armed with fence pickc's about
| three feet long ana an inch VIDE ana
] thick. The negroes went INTO the hall
way of the saloon, when Collins shout
| ed: Come in here. and III nix YOU.
Jhe students went in. Three shots
were fired. and the witness heard some
enc say. MY God. I'm shot, I'm killed.
| Then he heard another one say: We're
both shot,
When the witness reached the entrance
| OH and Cochran were struggling with
| Collins. Cochran was trying TO get COL
| Inns pistol away.
How ala Cochran and OIL 90 into the
| hallway? Did they rush in2' asked Judge
! Btasey. one Of Collins lawyers.
We'll" said the witness, ] guess they
! went ia about the sam as you would,
Mr.. Beaslcy. If some ono raile1 you
such name"
TIE witness did not see whether or not
the students carried the fclce pslnes
! when they entered fhc hallway. Several
witnesses partly corroborated Thomp-
| sons testimony. Among them were Wal
| liam +. Burns. OF Evanston. ILL., 4
| member OF this years graduating class
and Ralph {. c2ple0, of Chicago, or the
class Of 'sS, W ID am \. Margerum, ana
Peter powd, janitor Of Princeton Semi
nary. The witnesses were all excluded
from the courtroom until called 20 tes-
tify.
Garrett Cocnran. of Nilliamsport, Pa.
the principal witness for the state. said
q at on the night OF the muir Ter he was
with Frederick J.. Oil and John NJ Scott
I'm WithcrspoOn street when they met
Collins ana Downs Collins kept ms
hand on his pistol while talking 20 W.T.
ness and his friends. After the negroes
left . man named Gaiger warned The
students 10 keep away from IN" Srors,
as Collins had pistol. IN consequence
OF this information the students prO.uf"a
! the pieces Of fence paling and went
toward the post-ofce.
Then, at Cochran's suggestion. they
walked back toward Andefsons saloon.
where they overlook the negroes. After
passing Andersons. they heard Collins
call them the vile name. and on ran
into the hallway. The witness followed.
and got ahead OF OIL ard saw the glitter
OF Collins revolver He rushed forward
TO disarm Collins and received a pau
and grabbed Collins, and after strug-
gle. secured the weapon
Neither Of the students used the pal
irgs rhey were not close enough until
fHa... NH|.
never met Collins unti that night. tie
could ren cmbcr very little about the en-
counter. as he was TOO excited.
Senator DAILY cr0ss-eNamned Cochran.
who further said be had witnessed q
ball game in the afternoon. and after
the game with about twenty other STU
dents. he visited Anderson's saloon. The
witness drank a bottle and half OF
beer. OH did not drink. The witness
said he could not remember any OF the
particulars concerning the quarrel that
preceded the shooting. except that bitter
words passed between the negroes and
the students.
After the negroes left you. why didn't
you 20 home instead Of going for the
fence picksts2" asked Senator DAILY.
I'VE got the pickeis 10 defend our
selves" answered Cochran.
And you were looking for an oppor-
tunity 10 defend yourself
we hal been threatened
But the negroes he'd left Why didn't
YOU 80 hCmey u was 10 O'CLOCK, per-
sisted Senator DAILY.
well. / don't know why. except for
the same reason that other people don't
go home when they don't We wanted
TO 20 20 AndCrsOns 10 see some friends
What with clubs? DO you get clubs
when you 30 70 see friends
I'VE saw crowd Of negroes ahead OF
us. That's why we took the pickets."
But you said a while ago that IL was
because Of something Gaiger told you;
low you have a different reason
1T was for both reasons"
when YOU overlook the negroes what
did YOU say 10 them1
Il remember I told them 70 mind their
business"
Why did you say that-you had your
clubs?"
Because he had threatened to shoot"
well why didn't you go home then2
That's what I should have zone"
John NJ. Scott testified that when on
and Cochran met the negroes the wit
ness turned back and asked what the
negroes had said to them. Collins mum
bled something. and Ohi said it was all
them. Collins had his hand on his pistol
during the conversation. Scott said he
could remember little Of the quarrel.
The prosecution has about twenty more
witnesses to examine, and the defence
VIII have over thirty The testimony Tor
the State Will be mainly corrohofative
of that OF to-day. Nothing neH Is expect
ed until Downs and Collins are put
on the stand.