The Cecil Whig. [volume] (Elkton, Md.) 1841-current, 1896-01-25

lllcently upon the
b"nch whercOn mul- JAMES H. TRtrSs
derc.s ana petty
thieves had received their doom and SEN
trnce. The three elevated cha!rs-occupied
hy the judges % the court-were also given
mp to the fair sex, who there remained at
trntivr listeners 10 the testimony and the
direct aud cross examination OF the wit
nesses.
INTEREST SHOWN IN THE HEARING.
Tho brutality Of the murder andthe attend
ing circumstances in the case gave Il public
interest TO the hearing generally throughout
the county, and especially in the First, Second
and Third districts and early Wednesday
morning the roads from these sections into
Eikton were dotted with teams As early as
min" o'clock groups of people began TO
"ather on the Court House square and in
TINT vicinity, aad when the officers arrived
grand rush was made for the court room
there to gain positions of vantage. Custo-
dian Shockley had his hands full, in manag-
ing the crowd. As soon as the places assigned
to the public filled, the visitors began enter
ing through the private way used by the
members Of the bar and officials and it was
necessary to close the door and deny ad-
mission to all except those entitled to access
During the progress OF the hearing three
crashes took place on the public side and
down went two benches. which had been
overtaxed by those standing thereupon.
PRISONER COOL AND DELIBERATE.
When the prisoner entered between Sheriff
Harvey Mackey and Deputy Sheriff Nc
Callister, all eyes were centered upon him,
but he stood the gaze steadily, and with cool
ness and deliberaton took his place first in
the prisoners box, but afterward by the side
ofhis junior counsel, Albert Constable, Jr.
who represented him Mt the hearing. The
state was represented by States Attorney
William s. Evans, and Ex-State's Attorney
Austin l.. Crothers, who was acting States
Attorney at the time the murder occurred.
Magistrate Cleaver occupied the place of
the Clerk OF the Court, on the lower tier of
desks, and after few Introductory remarks
by Counsel Crothers began the examination
had been summoned by the State aud sixteen
for the prisoner-but none OF the latters
witnesses were called.
THE FIRST WITNESS.
The first witness called for the State WAS
Mrs. Irwin Deibert, wife of Proprietor
Deibert Of the dry dock. the scene of the
murder. and who with her young son had
discovered the body lying in the water. on
Friday afternoon, the day after the tragedy.
Ars. Deibert testified to going to tho dock on
look ut n barge, and while walking around
the dock yard tho child called her attention
to some object floating in the water along tho
shore which upon investigation she found to
be the body OF man. She then called the
attention of GeorgeW Peterson, an employe.
manned. Mrs. Deibert did not know Captain
Camp and at the time did not know the
identity Of the murdered man. While she
was in the shop the accused, Mr.. Truss came
in and conversation ensued in which she
made the remark-"'Isnt this awful He re-
piled Eyes it is" When Mrs. Deibert asked
what would be done with the body she testi-
fled that Truss said he guessed Coleman (an
undertaken of Chesapeake City, would take
charge of it but further remarked that he did
not want them to bring the body into the
shop, giving as reason that he had n dread
Of dead people, as he had four children
buried. She further testified that Truss had
been at their homo that Friday morning at
about half past seven O'Clock, attending to
their horse. He told her that someone had
broken into tho engine house at the dock, and
said that they had poured half II gallon Of
oil on the floor and had broken the Jug in
which the oil was kept She did not recall
what lse was said then.
PHYSICIAN TEsTIFIEs
DIR. Joseph V. Wallace, u physician of
Chesapeake City, who examined the body,
was next called. Dr. Wallace testified to ex-