The Wilmington daily Republican. (Wilmington, Del.) 1890-1902, 1898-01-14
cAPTAIN xDRPHYS TRIAL:
Evidence In the Famous Case Heard Yes
terday Afternoon.

When the United States District court
xconvcncd yesterday afternoon the first.
switues. vas captain George H. Knox. He
6ttet!fiad that on the night OF August 8,
1855 he was captain Of the tug Madeira end
lttO0k the yAwl boats to the Laurad q as she
hay of Reedy Island.
Captain james MoAllister deposed he Is
engaged In towing and tran sporuation
fbusiness. He owned tho barge Green
Paint and tug Dolphin OH August o. 1895.
t{ke was engaged to take ship stores to sea
! md he acc0mpa MED The tow and on the
f&palowing Sun day met vessel and the
sarge was put aboard Of her He believed
,ahe was the Laurada
~ Captain James ii. Rand's evidence was
10 the effect that he wa employed on the
Hlaurada In August 1895. He was transfe
I'D from the Bermuda 10 the Laurada by
1chn D. Hart. He was employed as first
innate on the steamship. Four yawl boats
zero taken aboard and placed in the hold.
40 had oonvsrsat Captain Murphy
~ Philadelphia about where to take tina
Lanrads. He relieved Captain M urphy
Nyoeamed around the sea from Thursday
Mofalpg until Saturday night in getting
% place of Rarne9at
II Hecorrobroated the testimo ny about
The taking aboard of men and boxes. He
conversed with General ROlotf. He saw
| no guns aboard He did see small boxes
taken out of large boxes. He saw Colonel
reached Navassa he again saw Colonel
/ Nunez and Captain UBrlen on the tug
| Dauntloss. They had u certain time to
I reach Navassa. He did not see the name
\ Daun tless on the tug they met, Tho sig
4 nal given by the Laurada was -four dirty
\ bhirts," and the Dauntless came alongside
| And got coal aud some of the boxes. She
I nk,pp I'D oy,C Sunday nd tnnly the hall mae
4 and also the men.
There were three aboard who did not
| want to 20 aboard the tug. Two were
\ home sick and one was love sick. General
/ R0loff stated these stowaways had been
! drawing Is dollars a week and had been
| anxious to accompany him for some time.
I! Lewis Nichols, colOred, was mess room
4 boy on the Laurada. He saw Colonel
Nunes aud General Roloff and his valet
come off the Dolphin.
h A. tho trial of Captain Edward Murphy
4 aAvanoes, deeper Interest Is being mani
4 tested therein by the members of the bar
and the general public.
The principal plea for the defense will
i jhe, thai this goOds shipped were cpntrHband
+; goods, and, as such, the Laurada was en-
titled to carry them, provided she was not
!! oyerhauled by the Spanish gunboats. She
mn that risk and escaped capture. 1t also
depends on the Government to prove that
the goods were landed on the island OF
Cuba.
When court convened argument was
commenced by II. II. Ward against the
admission of certain evidence. on the
grounds that there was no averIment of
preconcerted arrangement. The point
Baised was to the admission as evidence re.
hating Conversations in the absence of CAP
tain Murphy HeaIsay evidence OF the
landing Of the men and arms i'll Cuba
could not be admitted.
The evidence objected to what was a
conversation bot ween Nichols and the
captain Of the tug Dauntless In reference
n 70 the landing of the men and boxes in
Cuba.
4 District Attorney Vandegrift replied on
behalf Of the prosecution.
The court yesterday ruled that state
me ITS Of part of this combination could
b used. Authority must be shown to
h prove the admission Of evidence of o fact
that has already transpired.
Mr.. Vandegrlft reviewed the evidence TO
the effecJ OF Nunez and O'D:ion leaving
81 ~ Barnegat and then meeting the Laura
On On the Dauntless He produced the
syidence of the nature of the expedition.
Those arms and men are traced not simply
ON the Laurala but after~ard, the Daunt-
less Is mbination with the Liurada.
Judge Bradford, without authority you
cannot provo by II witness that II landing
was made in Cuba.
Judge Bradford decided that the evil
dence was, admissible to prove the purpose
Of The expedition
The only wi ness examined was J.
sold $4,000 worth Of arms and ammuni-
ton and that they were delivered to Pier
No. SO, New York. Court adjourned until
$50 o. clock this afternoon.