Delaware gazette and state journal. (Wilmington, Del.) 1883-1902, 1896-11-12
THE WILLIS MURDER CASE
An Interesting Trial Begun in the Court
Of Oyer and Tefminer. :,
THE JURY CALLED ON MONDAY
A Father Charged with Killing
His Child.


charged with the murder OF his child
was begun at an adjourned session of
the September term of the court of oyer
and terminer Monday. Willis was repre-
scented by Harry Whiteman and Josiah
Marvel. Attorney General Robert @.
White and Deputy Attorney. General
Peter L. Cooper, Jr., appeared for the
State. Court opened about II. 80 clock
with Chief Justice Lore and Associate
Justices Grubb, Gu lien and Marvel on
the bench. The Indictment, which was
read by Clerk of tho Peace Foard,
charged Willis with killing his infant
child, Callie, on May 4th, by drowning
and choking or by some method un-
known TO the grand jury. Willis
pleaded not guilty and said he would
be tried by God and his country.
The jury was next drawn. Each man
was asked whether ne had formed or
expressed an opinion and whether he
had conscientious scruples against rem
dering verdict of guilty in case
when the punishment was death.
Thirty-four men were called from the
panel, before the jury box was filled.
Handy @. Hopkins, one of them had
been a member OF the coroner's jury
which sat In the case. This fact was
! rthtca ny COuuHbls llUD-
kins, however, said he felt able to
render an impartial verdict from the
law and evidence. He was challenged
by the defence. Elwood Il. Hawthorne
was accepted, although he ha6 formed
and expressed an opinion.
The State challenged William Fl,
Voshell, Isaac N. Finn, Moses Low
tber, John W. Mitchell, Henry Leach
ard Charles III, Foulk,
The defence challenged William X.
J.. Tadman, George W. Daniels, John
j. Collins, Arthur l.. Draper, Clayton
M. Powell, James A. Wilson, M. 4.
Davis, Edward Daniels, George II.
Powell, David W. Stats, Thomas Ii.
Townsend, John q. Armstrong, John
Davidson. Nathan Best and Benjamin
f. David, Jr.
The jury as completed is as follows:
Walter N. Morgan, Charles Miller, Dan
M. Cochran, Caleb N. Price, Elwood
4. Hawthorne. Thomas Y. Messimer,
Benjamin Bond, William G. Deakyne,
Vincent Moore, Lewis III. Day, George
+. Wilson and Isaac Elliott.
Court took recess until 9. 80 o'clock.
At the afternoon session of court the
State rested and the defence opened.
Tho prisoners defence Is that his
loii Iom q NhBou WAS hillbu.
John w. Dennison, the first witness
for the State. testified that on May
4th. at which time he employed the
prisoner, he loaned Willis team to
take Willis child to new boarding
house. Frank Dennison corroborated
his fathers testimony. William Tai.
ley, colored, identified shawl found
near whore the baby's body was buried
and Abram Peterson, colored, swore
that he saw Willis leave the Dennison
farm with the carriage.
Ella Beulah, colored, testified that
Willis told her be had taken the child
to West Grove. Martha Shockley iden-
titled the bloody clothes as the ones the
child wore May 4th when Willis came
to her house whore the child boarded.
Mrs. Margaret Hewett. Morris Mess
ner, Nathaniel Richardson and William
Mousely testified to seeing Willis and
the child on the road.
James HarkinH told Of finding the
headless body Of the child on his
fathers farm and Thomas Harkins
identified the child's clothing. Manuel
Williams said that on the Sunday after
the body was found Willis told him he
had taken it to West Grove. John X.
Chambers, who brought Willis to Will
mington to identify the clothing in
court az that found on the body. said
that Willis told him that he had given
the body to man named William john
son to keep for him.
State Detective McVey related the
prisoners confession in the chief of
policies office. Willis said he had put
the child in phosphate bag and
pushed it under the water and kept it
there until dead that no then hid the
body in the bushes and buried it the
next morning. Detective Witsil said
that Willis told him that he killed tho
child BECAUSE she was a burden to him.
Coroner, Stidham also heard the con-
fession. The State rested.
In opening for the defence Josiah
Marvel, who In associated with Harry
Whiteman in the case, said that Willis
intended to take the child to Newark,
that alongside the road he got out of
the wagon and sat down to rest, that
the child fell out and was kileh that
filled with fear that he should be
accused as murderer he buried the
child in field. The attorney accused
Detective McVey of promising Willis
his freedom il be would say he killed
the child.
Willis took the stand and testified
that he came from Virginia to Della
ware in 1883 and won't to work for Mr..
Dennison. He related that he took his
child from Martha Shockley and started
towards Newark. When the child fell
from the wagon and was killed as he
alleged, he said he was afraid people
would say he had killed it. lie buried
ID In field.
Court took recess until 0 O'Clock
Tuesday morning.
Willis was the last and only witness
for the defence, which rested Tuesday
morning.
The defence desired to show that
Willis confession was not voluntary.
But his testimony on this point WAS
denied by State witnesses. While
Willis was on the stand the State de.
sired to ascertain why he formerly held
insanity to be- his defense, whereas now
he alleges that the death of the child
was accidental. Deputy Attorney Gsn-
erai Cooper asked him why he relied
on the plea of insanity as his defence
on September 2sth. But Judge Cullen
declared that he could make any de-
fence be desired
After the defence had rested. the
State called Isaac Anderson, colored,
who had been brought over from New
CASTLE Jail to tell what the prisoner had
said to him. Anderson said Willis had
told him tbot ba Willis uaa in for