Evening star., 1896-10-07
THE KING MURDER TRIAL
Prince Georges County Has Two Gases on
the Docket.
ArraiEnment of Young King, Who
Killed James Crook the
Fourth of July.



The second days session of the October
jury term Of the circuit court for Prince
Georges county. Md. with Judge John B.
Brooke on the bench, was taken up in the
trials Of two appeal cases from ma agistrates'
court. The first was the case of Miles
Brothers against Henry House; tried be-
fore tht court and held for further consid-
Grafton: Messrs. Stanley and Roberts for
House and Mr.. George c. Merrick for Niles
Brothers The second was the case of
Henry Young against George Flanders, tried
before the court: decision not rendered;
Magruder and Wilson represented Young.
and Mr.. Merrick Flanders. Richard King
was praserte ted by the grand jury this after
noon for murder. King was committed to
Jail here. charged with striking James
Crook over the head with cart standard
on July 1. fracturing his skull. from which
fracture Crook after lingering unconscious
until the night of July 10, died. Justice
James Harris of this town summoned a
jury of inquest and they after listening to
the testimony produced before them, said
that James Crook came to his death by Il
blow on the head from a club in the hands
of Richard King" King, who was present
at the inquest, refused to testify in his
own behalf. The principal witness against
him was Mr.. Thomas Grimes. a former en-
ploye of his on the farm. He testified 20
having gone to Kings for some money
which King owed him for labor. Finding
King away from home, he went to sleep on
an old OK cart body under tree in the
stable yard, and was awakened by hearing
angry voices. He got up out of the cart
to see what was the trouble, and found
Richard King, Arthur King, James Crook
and the two Robey brothers of Charles
county discussing wrestling. Young Crook
and King began to wrestle. and he started
for his home. as he that they had been
drinking. After he went through the gate
leading cut of the farmyard he turned and
saw King strike old Crook over the
head with a cart standard. He went home
Immediately, and next day left the place.
as King would not pay him his wages.
Young Crook could not corroborate Grimes
testimony, as he had gotten frightened and
started for Upper Marlboro. Arthur King
brother of Richard testified that old man
Crook was drunk and fell and struck his
head against the cart tongue. producing the
wound
If King. the prisoner. had kept his mouth
shut as advised by his lawyer, ex-State's
Attorney Richard E. Brandt, he probably
would have Jared better. He sent his
brother to see the two Robey brothers in
Charles, requesting them not to testify
against him, with threat that if they did
he would put the blame of Crooks death
ON them. They kept quiet. until King be-
came frightened. being afraid of being
lynched, and made a statement duplicating
the Robeys in the murder. They came be-
fore Squire Harris and corroborated
Gaines testimony. King told so many
tales that he got frightened and asked TO
be taken away. He was taken from the
Jail here to Baltimore for safe keeping for
the authorities did not want to run any
risk of more lynchings in this section of
the state. This murder occurred on the
farm of Mr.. Robert A. Clagett, about three
miles from here, where King was tenant
The party that witnessed this row Joined
King and his brother in town here, and, af-
ter loading up with bug juice, started to
Kings home to eat their Fourth of July
dinner Old man Crook married Kings
| sister. King is thirty-seven years of age
a Ian
| Crook was sixty. and left a widow and
| several grown children.
This court will have another murder
| trial, In the case of the killing Of Roscoe
| Wheeler, colored, by his brother, Wesley
| Roscoe Wheeler shot with a musket
at his stepfather's house, near Evansville, on
Wednesday last, by his brother. after a
| quarrel over game Of cards, and died
| Saturday in Washington.
| The democratic mass meeting which took
| place here today was somewhat of a fall
| ure to the faithful. Although the meeting
| was advertised, when it was called to order
| there We're not over 200 people present,
| many of them being witnesses and jurymen
in attendance at cou-t. 1t was nearly j
| o'clock before the meeting was called to
| order. This was due to the fact that the
| court was expected to adjourn for the day
| before then and the meeting could be held
| In the court ROOM Mr.. Moss had to leave
| on the afternoon train. and a case was In
| progress in the court room, so the meeting
| was called to order on the front veranda OF
| the town hall Mr.. William B. Clagett
| was made chairman of the meeting and in
! troduced Mr.. Robert Moss. democratic can
didate for Congress for the fifth Maryland
| district. Mr.. Moss talked to his audience
about the benefits to be derived from free
| silver, and the destruction that is being
made upon the laborers' and farmers inter.
ests by the gold standard. After he finished
his speech the meeting was adjourned te
the court house. and Stilson Hutchins
spoke. He made an able argument. advo
| eating free silver. He had the strict atten
ton of the crowd from the beginning to the
] end of his address. He was cheered to the
| ecno. At the end of his address, and aftel
vote of thanks to him, the meeting ad
journed.