The times., 1899-05-19
WITNESSES TELL
OF HORIZONS Crime
Story of the killing of Jane
Nicholson.
Revolving Circumstances Detailed in
the Criminal Coult
Men Selected 10 Sit in Judgment
Upon the C.se-The Pinn
of Eefence.


tion with the murder of Mrs. Jane Nicho,-
son in Armory Park nearly a year ago by
George w Horton were recited in detail
yesterday in Criminal Court No. by nu-
merous witnesses TO the AFFAIR. who were
summoned to testify in behalf Of the Gov
ernmont.
The story Of the killing. which took Place
about O'Clock on the afternoon of June
q last. was told at the time in The Times.
Although only the principal circumstances
connected with the killing were known.
still the story CT the crime was shocking
in the extreme but the testimony Of wit
nesses yesterday developed a great deal
heretofore unknown. and tends to make the
crime appear as probably the most revolt
ing in all its phases of any ever committed
in the District.
The defendant was called to trial on
Tuesday before Justice Clabaugh in Grim
inal Court No. l. but il was not until yes
terday morning that a jury was COM
pleted. The regular panel for the Mag
term was exhausted on the first day of the
trial. and forty extra tslesmen were sum
moned. This panel also was exhausted
without securing the necessary number of
Jurors. On Wednesday Justice Ciabaugh
ordered still twenty more talesmen to be
summoned to serve as jurors il found quail
flied, and from among these the jury was
completed.
Those chosen to pass upon the testimony
offered for and against the defendant are
Emmett Hopes, Charles z. Fries. E. W.
Yount, William B. Tippett, Cresson L.
Finch, Edwin Burke John S. Abell John
NJ. Harry, Lawrence Mangum, George n.
Hill. George w. Reintzee, and James G.
Bates.
Since the trial began the defendants
wife and brother and other relatives have
been in constant attendance at court. Hor-
ton was formerly member of the Metro
politan Police Force, but was discharged
il Is said, for insobriety, and at the time
he committed the crime for which he is
now on trial for his life he was conducting
an oyster business in Seventh Street. Tie
woman he killed was the widow and di-
yorced wife of Frank Nicholson, whom, it
is stated, committed suicide because of the
errors of his wife. 1t was also stated in
evidence that the defendant had been en-
terms of undue intimacy with the dead
woman for a number of years before he
killed her. The immediate cause of the
crime is said to have been jealousy. for the
defendant admitted shortly after the mur-
der that the woman had been untrue 10
him. IL was also testified that Horizons
last words TO the deceased as she lay upon
the ground in the throes O: death were,
You will never deceive me again.
When Mrs. Horton appeared in the
courtroom she held in her hand bsauti-
ful bunch of red roses, which she handel
10 her husband before taking a seat and
which Horton held in his hand during the
entire day.
Horizons Demeanor in Court.
With the exception of the few times he
was interrupted by his counsel or when
spoken TO by one of his relatives, Horton
sat throughout the proceedings with his
gaze fixed upon the ceiling of the court
room. Nothing appears TO have the slight
est interest for him, judging from his ac-
ttons, and not even when several of the
witnesses for the Government were telling
in detail of the horrible manner in which
he butchered the woman did he remove
his eyes from the ceiling.
The defence raised objection to several
OF the Government witnesses testifying be-
cause their proper names and addresses
had not been furnished the defendant s
counsel the legal Tine before the COM
mencement Of the trial. Among the wit
nesses so excluded from testifying were
Lieut. John F, Kelly and Sergt W. f.
Falyey. of the Sixth precinct; James F.
McEihone, newspaper man, and one or
two others.
The eligibility of these witnesses was
discussed later in the day by counsel on
either side, and Justice Clabaugh will an
nounce his decision in the matter this
morning.
1t is generally believed that the prison.
er's defence will be insanity.
When the jury was completed Assistant
District Attorney Laskey who, with AS
sistant District Attorney Shillingtou. is
n hl
statement TO the jury as TO what the prose-
cution intended TO prove. Mr.. Laskey told
OF the meeting of Horton and the deceased
on the afternoon Of the killing. reciting the
horrible features of the deed in graphic
detail
He stated that It would be shown that
The defendant and Mrs. Nicholson were on
terms OF undue intimacy. and that on the
advice OF the former she had decided 10
leave her people; that on the day in ques-
ton they met in the park, where they
quaTelec, and finally the deceased was
Killed by Horton, who stabbed her to death
After the woman had fallen to the ground
MI l-askey said, il would be shown that
as Horton looked down on his victim and
SAID; you. you are not dead yet, u
and. STOPPING over. inserted the foreanger
OF MS left hand under her iugular vein
which was pulsating, raised II and severed
1t with the knife which be stsll held in hii
right hand.
The first witness called by the Govern
ment was Alberta Lamb. coioFed who stat,
ed she was about entering AFncry Parl
from Four -and-a-half Street, south II Mis-
souri, Avenue, when she saw the defend
ant, Horton, strike the woman who accom-
panied him. The woman fell to her knee
and the defendant, said the witness. contin
ued 10 strike at her till she fell prostrat,
TO the ground He then stennad off .
short distance, and returned to strike tn,
fallen woman. AS Horton was leaving tn
deceased the last time, the witness said
the defendant remarked: Good by OLE
girl, you won't never deceive me an,
more The defendant then took bottl
from his pocket and raised it to his lips.
George W. Harrison, David Clark. Pete
Latimer, jr, and Louis F. Dorm were alst
called, and in nearly every material par
ticular corroborated the story told by tn
first witness.
stories Told by Witnesses.
After recess the first witness called wa
James Heady, colcred. He was an ey,
witness to the killing. and his version o
the affair was substantially the same a
that told by the preceding witness. Hor
ton, the witness said, had only moved 4
the edge OF the road in which the womal
was lying when he took bottle from ! /
pocket and appeared TO drink something
out OF 1t. The first time Horton turnei
back TO the PROSTATE woman the witnes
said that the defendant said: what, ain
you dead yeti" He then left her again
and. as he was going. said: Goodbye
jamie"
Hezekiah Reed, when called. said he wa
In the park on the east side of Four and a
half Street, some time before Mrs. Nichol