Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1896-11-23

THE REG ULAR MEL
lprchal Correspondence Of Tha Evening Staf

Special Correspondence Of The Evening Stsr
la PLATA. Charles Co, Md, Nov q.
Tomorrow the trial OF George Matthews
for the alleged murder of James ]. Irwin
will be commenced. and the grand Jury will
also report an Indictment against Mrs. EN-
ma Irwin, widow Of the murdered man.
charging her with being ALI accessory be-
fore the fact which means that she Is to
be put on a footing with the alleged slayer
of her husband Witnesses were examined
by the grand Jury Saturday. and that body
decided upon the Indictment. Mrs. Irwin
was present Saturday, and. as already
stated, the Indictment will be reported to-
morrow. At the time Of the commission of
the horrible deed the people In the county,
and more particularly the women, were
highly indignant because Of the alleged
part the woman took in the tragedy, and
they were outspoken in their belief that
she had caused her husbands untimeIy
end. and that she should be made to share
the punishment with the alleged slayer.
The failure Of the grand jury to return an
indie tment at the time Matthews was pre-
sented caused sentiment favorable to the
man accused OF the crime, but this sentt-
ment has now changed when it is known
that she. too. Is to be indicted.
last week. soon after the indie tment against
MIN was found. the question of his securing
counsel proved little troublesome. The
prisoner asked that Congressman elect
Mudd be assigned to defend him. as he was
unable to secure counsel because of a lack
or funds. This request was communicated
to Mr.. Mudd. who. after a lengthy CONSUL
tation with the prisoner. concluded that he
could not appear in the case, and so noti-
fled the court. The court thereupon ap-
pointed ex-State Senator X. H. Edelin, and
j. H. Mitchell to look after the prisoners
legal rights, but the former declined. and
stead, so that Messrs. Mitchell and Stone
Will battle In court for Matthews. life
against States Attorney Adrian Posey and
Cen. L. a. Wilmer. who was appointed by
the Court to assist IN the prosecution
Both the grand and petit turies of this
term OF the court are composed Of some of
the best citizens Of the county. so that the
state Is satisfied that just verdict viii be
been expressed as to the state being able
10 get Jury without difficulty, owing to
the free discussion of the case at the lime
the crime was committed.
Tnlcsmen Drawn,
In order to prevent any unnecessary do
lay for this reason the court ordered that
thirty talesmen be drawn from the box. and
the following were drawn: George W.
Swami. Perry Rennde. George w Berry,
manuel McWilliams IMarcellus THOMPSON
James Z. Alvey. John H. Langley. Jas
A. Goldsmith, Robert H. Penn. BENJAMIN
r. Blandford. Benjamin F.. Dement,, Julian
E Eng William H. Sinclair. Alex NJ. Free
James T. Monroe, CharlestF. Dement,, Juo
K. Boarman. Andrew j. Smoot. James A.
Mason. Samuel c. Mif1s. arthur W. Thorn
as. John F. Swami. Vim. ". jameson Geo
r. Mcdaniel, Mason l.. Mcpherson and W.
J. Frere.
Those who are members Of the regular
panels of the petit jury are: Messrs Will
lam A. Henderson. Marshall Chapman,
Robert j. Lloyd. Basil WsISpafding, q. w.
b. MCPHERSON. Somerset b. Robey Thos
l.. Gardiner. Geo. N. Simms, BENJAMIN G.
Stonestreet Charles b., Garner Richard r.
Wheatley. James T. Lyon. jeremiah Dud-
Madison Mason. John L. Jenkins, Bernard
NJ. Mudd. Henry H. Richmond. Benjamin
&. Harris. Edward T. Berry, w. F. Braw-
rer. John 8. Acton. E. W. Robertson Thos
II. Murray.
The WOman's Case.
States Attorney Posey has left TO stone
unturned In his efforts to get together all
the proof In TIE. case, and he confidently
expects that the state will secure con-
viction of Matthews. Just what course Will
be pursued In the case of Mrs Irwin. he
said, he could not tell Matthews case will
be tried first at any rate. and when that is
settled something viii then be done in the
woman's case. The proof in the mans
case will have some bearing on thRt of the
womans, and action in her case may de-
pend largely upon the result of his trial.
1t may be that her case will go over until
the next term of the court. as Will probably
be the case with Sheriff Wade and Wash
ington Burch. his coiored assistant, who
has charge of the jail and who are under
charges because the late Joseph Cooking
was released from jail by the members of
the lynching party and also because Of the
escape of Matthews.
There are about ten witnesses who will
give. evidence against Matthews for the
state. while large number of witnesses, it
IS thought, Will be in attendance to give
evidence in behalf of the defendant. The
state has also number of witnesses in re-
serve to be used in event Of Matthews go
ing on the stand in his own behalf, which,
it Is thought. he will undoubtedly do. In
deed. 1t is said by some people from Cobb
Neck, where he lived, that Matthews es-
capped from jail only to get an opportunity
to revisit the neighborhood of his old home
and get his evidence together. 1t Is thought
by some that he will set up an alfbi, ana
that some of his friends about Cobb Neck
who were in the oyster business will at
tempt to save him from the gallows in this
way.
The States Claims.
When the jury mas been selected and the
opening arguments heard, the several wit
neSSeS 10 tne affair WILL 90 Oh Nlfe StdHu
and the state will make an effort to prove
by them a chain Of circumstances which,
1t is claimed. will show beyond a doubt that
Matthews fired the shot which cast gloom
over the heretofore quiet and law-abiding
village Of Allen Fresh, which is near the
headwathers of the Wicomic. AS hereto
fore printed, the murder occurred Sunday,
August 3, at late hour of the night, some
time after the members of the Irwin family
had returned from pleasure trip to Cedar
Point. On that Sunday, while they were at
the Point, young Washingtonian named
Wild lost his life in the river and on their
way home Jim Irwin and his wife dis
cussed the sad event which had marred the
pleasure of so many, dand which had
turned picnic gathering into mourning.
The Murder.
1t was between o And 10 o'clock when
they reached home, and soon after putting
away the horse. Jill. Has he was so
Familiarity known about the village, retired,
as he had done on htndreds of similar oc-
casions, and fully expestedehe would get up
the next morning and attend to his work
on the job on which he was then working.
But instead Of this being the case, a MUIR