The sun., 1898-11-26
!, Tho Jury in the Murder Case
Of Henry Blackiston
Now Out.
THE STORY Of The CRIME
Motive Was Jealousy and Blackiston
in . Quarrel Plunged the Blade
Of a Butcher Knife In
Charles Green's Side
at Middletown.

efpO, lnOICCeu lot HDuTueT Ill tuc HIst
degree for the alleged kilIing"f Charles
Green near Mlddletown last May. con.
suned the entire day in the Court House
yesterday, and the jury in the case was
charged by Chief Justice Lore about d
o'clock.
! Deputy Attorney General Peter l..
Cooper in the absence of Attorney Gem
eral X G. White represented the State
aud Martin Il. Burris and Phillips CAL
rett represented the prisoner.
The Jurors drawn to try the case were:
Frank Mclaughlin, John Davidson,
John Peoples, Samuel Ai!corn, Price Dll-
worth, James Downey, Daniel ". Rat
ledge, George Speakman. James 1. Holt,
Alfred d. Racine, Samuel W. Tallev,
John H. PeOples-l2.
After Clerk of the Peace Foard read
the indictment, to which the prisoner
had previously pleaded not guilty, the
court discharged the general panel jurors
until Monday. The additional jurors
not drawn were excused from any fur
ther attendance.
Mr.. Cooper opened the case against
Blackiston in an earnest manner and
said that the crime Was due to jealousy
over y cOlored woman who lived as a
domestic on the farm Of MIR. Rhoads, at
which place they also were engaged
George w. d Rhoads when called to
the stand told the tale OF the murder and
subsequent events leading up to it.
He said that there had been bad blood
between Blackistun and Green for some
weeks and their alterations on several
occasions had almost come to blows. and
On this OCCASION il started in the barii-
yard and was suppofed to have been
settled again without bio S as nothing
more was said by either man until after
supper.
1nen, who finished his supper first,
went and stod against post on the
back porch. and when BIacklston came
out the quarrel Of the afternoon was re-
nswed.
The nlcn went out into the public road
and the light eliminated in B'ackiston
slanbing Green with s,iuI-bladed
butcher knife taken from the supper
table.
Harry M. Rhoads, brother of George
w. D. Rhoads, colroboraled the tesli-
nlony of his brother
Edward Beesun, nephew OF Mr..
Rhuads, testified to the frequent quarrels
of Green and Blacklstun.
In references to the trouble in the barn
yard Beeson said that Green cured
BIackiston aud wanted to fight. Black
istun replied that he would not stop his
work to fight. but would fight after sup
per, and Green said he would shoot
Blackiston's heart out at some future
time.
Mr.. Cooper presented copy OF Green's
anti morten statement which lad been
taken shortly alter Green had declared
that he expected to die. Magistrate Rey-
nolds, of MIddltt0wn, Identified the
deposition but Mr.. Burris objected to the
statement being ,ffered in evidence on
the glounds that the deposition was
taken five months before death.
Tie court WaS divided and requested
Mr. Cooper tUproduce authorizes sus-
tanning his contention. Court here ad-
journed until $50 o'clock in the alter
noon.
When the hour to resume business
arrived Mr.. Cooper was present with
authorities, but the court sustained the
objection Of the defense, and the deposit
ton WAS not allowed to figure as evil
deuce in the case.
Harriet Jones, colored, was the next
witLess called, and she said that she had
been employed by Mr.. Rhoads for about
eight years and remembered what Oc
Cured at the supper table the night Of
the murder.
. hot y,D
the two men at the table, but that
Blackiston asked her to get him the
butcher knife, which she did and placed
it on the table beside him. 1t was a IRE.
quent occurrence for the men while eat
lug to ask for the knife, Us 1t was used by
them us a carving knife.
"Wl,at became of The knife"' asked
Mr.. Cooper. :,
II don't know, sir" replied the wit
ness.
"Did you see Blackston come back
into the house after he lett the supper
table and take the knife, or take 1t be-
fore he went Oul?" asked Mr.. Cooper.
The witness eaid that she did not.
Ellen Miller, cnIored, the girl over
whom the alleged murder was coln-
WltJeu, WAS we neXt ltneSS CalIcu' IT'
len SAID in reply to the Deputy Attorney
Generals questions that she lived with
Mr.. George Rnoaus ON farm near Mid
dletOwn, had known Green since last
March and Blacklston for about four
years. She said she had kept company
with Bucklston before he was married
to his present. vile, but had not kept
cou,paI,y With him since he had u family
of lIis own.
When asked If she remembered the
fight between BIackiston aud Green On
MAY IL she told the following story:
~'CharIie Green went out from supper
first and stood against the porch post
aud commenced to sing.
Harry BIackistOn u short time later
went out on the porch with both hands
in his coat pockets and stepping off the
porch walked up and saying can whip
iy black - that can't
Up ine."
lie also heard Harry mention her
as Continued on Page Two.