Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1896-11-25

The jury made a close inspection of the
pieces OF paper thus exhibited, and then
In scanning them.
Resum.ng, the witness read the lines.
showing them to be part of a popuiist
article, and turning over he read. TRY our
paper three months for ten cents" Mex:
witness produced the remnants of the paper
round In the house and read the lines
where this fitted the other pieces.
another piece of the wadding from the
left-hand barrel was produced, and this
was also fitted and read
witness told the jury of the statements
MADE by the defendant at the inquest AT
the hrst hearing he asked Matthews If
unlawful citations had existed between
mrs. Irwin and himself. and he said there
Ead not When the last session was held
said he remarked: IF she's crazy enough
to say that might as well give up." Mat
thews said at the. inquest that he got the
sun LOT projection. and later he said he
got 1t TO protect his traps
On cross-examinationw witness said no was
ABOUT the hrst one of the investigating
party to reach the house in which the mur.
der mad been committed. Witness made a
close examination of the room but found
nothing unusual except that particles of
me mans brains were on the window sash
itiood had hl.ed the bel and had run
across the floor through the room Death
ne thought. was instantaneous and the
victim. he thought. had no time to make an
outcry The cut in the skull he thought
such weapon was found.
This closed the case for the state unless
the states attorney should decide Differ
emily during recess.
During Yesterdays Recess
When the court took a recess yesterday
afternoon and the prisoner started out TO
return to the Jail for dinner he seemed 20
rave recovered from Lis agitation caused
by the testimony that the paper used as
in fla III;
the fatal wound was similar to that found
on him. A spectator made an effort 10
shake hands with him. but the prisoner
smilingly remarked: Il can't be touched.
During the recess the Spectators left the
court room and spent the hour either about
the hotel or on the public road. The num-
Ter OF colored spectators had largely in
creased. and many Of them had come from
miles away. In the throng were many col
ored women who supplied the hungry with
fried chicken, hogs head, pigs feet, cakes
pies and fruit. Most of them furnished
glasses of home made bla ckberrv wine with
which to wash down the substantials
Promptly at o'clock the court was read,
10 go on with the hearing. and the consta-
ne. Joseph H. Howard. resumed his place
in the witness box. Mr. Mitchell for The
PRISONER continued his cross-exaInination
during which counsel referred to the prs
oner's escape from Jail. and this seemed TO
aInGSc the prisoner.
jefferson ID. Robertson n rcsidau, of J,.l
Alton. WHO was a member of the coroner's
Jury IT the time the homicide was com
Hiitted was The heNt witness. He was in
tercstod In the investigation of The cas-,
and was present at MIR. Higdon's store with
Constable Howard and States Attorney
foscy when Capt DAILY handed over IN.
prisoner gun. He unloadei it and found
t'!at the RICH; barrel showed evidences of
having been recently fired. while the left.
hand barrel had corrodeti. The r:yht-haut
c2Irel had an unusually small quantity of
pc WIDER in it. much less than is usually
used In a load
Were you present at the inquest when
The gun was exhibited ard the condition
NSes. sir"
"What-if anything-did Matthews saw"
he said he thought the r.isnt-hand bar
lei looked as If it lad been recently fired"
a portion OF paper, called he Se.y
Charter was produced, and witness said
that this was found on the floor of me
prisoners cabin. The other pieces of I'd
per- those found in the cabin, as well ~
INC Sc iouhd in his pockets. were produced
al witness identified them, because Of
marks put on them at the time they We're
itund Witness said that he aud the
states attorney slept on the counter iu
MI Hlsdols store over night and TIN.
sun v AS Kept there with them.
cahin?'
There were some letters in his trunk"
We're any letters shown the prisoner a,
| the inCuest?"
first
Were the letters signed""
NO anne was signed, but they wcre
sigied by two cross marks"
Was Matthews asked about the sigma
cross marlls?''
He was"
Ana what did he say"
he admitted they were his letters to
Mrs Irwin. and said he had signed the
double cross marks TO worry Jim Irwin"
Wfat about the letters in the trunk?"
He said he had received them from Mrs
Irwin -
The witness was questioned further and
he told something of the prisoners state
ment The latter said tina; Sunday August
= he left home and rowed UP The Wicomico
river as far Chaptico wharf TO meet
Alton Hayden ard he returned because he
caw a storm approaching. 1t was about
10 O'Clock al night. he said, when he got
Lcme- Concerning the gun Matthews toll
Inc coroner5 jury that he borrowed il for
protection. and on another &C asion he sail
he borrowed ii as he wanted TO protect his
crab box He admitted that his crab box
rad never been riolested. Witness also
I'D the jury of finding i'm the prisoners
tn nk bottle of strychnne
Counsel asked what the prisoner had said
about the letters. and witness said h. adj
united that some of them had been written
by himself and some by Mrs. Irwin. The
boat in which the prisoner rowed was a
fiat-bottomed boat, and he thought; IL WAS
about eighteen inches deep. Witness was
lurther questioned concerning the boat ard
was excused.
Examining Matthew'S Shauty,
Capt. Thomas A. Daily testified that on
the day of Matthews arrest he was a,
Rock Point post office. He walked out to
the buggy in which Constable Howard and
air. Smoot had the prisoner. Matthews. he
said, had lived in one of his (Witness') shan
ties, and he asked for the keys TO the
shanty. Matthews gave them TO him and
also his trunk keys. Witness nailed a
board across the front of the shanty, and
afterward he removed Matthews trunk and
gun 10 the store for safe keeping. He saw
there were two fresh caps on the gum and
he supposed both barrels were loaded
Witness and others examined the gun and
saw that the right-hand barrel had been
recently fired, but the left-hand barrel was
empty. He went in :he shanty with the
officers and saw them get some paper and
a tin box with some shot in 1t. No one
troubled the gun or trunk while they were
IN the store.
Owner OF the Gun.
Charles Goode, who next testified, vas
asked if he owned a gun, and he answered
afiirmatively.
Where is your gun now?"
Here it is he replied, putting his hand
on the gun that had figured so nrnminpp.ly