The citizen. (Frederick City, Md.) 1895-1923, 1897-03-05
BUTLER MURDER TRIAL.
Continued from page 5. J

Joe Weeden. Did not strike or threat
en- Butler.
Sheriff A. G. Mcbride left at u 80,
at night, arrested Butler at Lee Sim
mons; got weapon from him; kept it
since Butler admitted firing the shot.
He made no resistance; head was cut
above the forehead; clothing was not
bloody.
WITNESSES FOR DEFENCE.
Lee Simmons. Know Ben Butler;
worked for me; had wound in head
when he returned, bleeding pretty
freely.
Jim Jason. Grow d was around him
Carter and another with clubs raised;
heard some one say, "Klll the -
-" l was about fifty feet off while
Butler was down; the crowd being
around him between me and him.
Minnie Baily. | was talking at the
gate with Nelson and Butler; Lee came
and said to Butler, "Give me"-some-
thing, which could not hear; he whis-
pered; they went down the road to-
gether; | asked Nelson, "Did you see
that?" Butler came up again, passed
us, and went on to the platform saying,
as he passed, "I'll shoot the - -"
Nelson asked me, "Who does he
mean?" Butler came back and said
"I'll do you, it amt any lie;;" then But
lers backed on to the platform, Nelson
following, asked "What have l done
to you?"-till he reached the further
end; Brown said, "Ben, behave your
SELF" Butler Dropped right down,
turned his head towards Brown when
when Nelson struck, etc.; pistol was
first out on platform.
Cross examined. Know Butler slight
ly; he overlook me and one or two 9th
ers on the road to the festival; he is nc
particular friend of mine; have been
with him several times; | saw Lee and
Carter fussing about twenty minutes
after; Lee asked Butler for something
| had been talking to Butler some five
or ten minutes; Lee and Butler went
down the road and stayed there some
five or ten minutes; Butler came back
alone; | thought he looked at Nelson
when he said "I'll shoot the - -"
He had his hand on his hip pocket
when he turned back to us; followed
Nelson on to the platform, short dis.
lance behind him.
John Hill. l was near the gate when
Lee aud Carter were fussing; Garter
called Lee off the platform to the road
Carter cut at him; Lee asked Butler
for a pistol; Butler refused; / was be-
hind Nelson and followed him on to
the platform; Carter had a club; came
behind me and said to the crowd as he
stepped on to the platform "Stand back,
let me kill the -" No one else saw
any such thing.
Cross examined Minnie Bailey did
not go in after Nelson. Carter about
feet behind Nelson. / did not see
Whiting, Foreman, Weeden, Offerd nor
Lee. Saw no one part Lees Carter.
Butler was not talking to Mailey at
time of Lee and Carriers fussing. Min
ME Bailey was or feet from me. Lee
said, "Give me pistol" Butler said,
mo, take bottle and hit; if it had
been me, I'd shot the black -"
Adjourned till Thursday.
Thursday, 4th March, court convened
usual hour. James Crum, deputy sher-
if, on the stand. Drove with Sheriff
Mcbride to Lee Simmons, got out the
buggy, rang the door bell, went through
house to second story. n. w. corner OF
building saw Butler lying on floor in
shirt, drawers and stockings, spattered
with blood, and handkerchief tied
around his head. Took off the hand
kerchief, saw cut about an inch to one
and a-half inches long, skin deep.
Cross-examined : Asked DR.. McCurdy
to dress wound, but he did not, saying
it would come all right. -Four other
witnesses called, but absent. Defence
rested here without putting Butler on
the stand.
Tom Lee called in rebuttal by the
State, but not allowed to testify, as tes-
timOny offered gone in to in chief. AT
ter argument, the case was given to the
jury, which being out about twenty
minutes, brought in verdict of imam
slaughter"