The Wilmington daily Republican. (Wilmington, Del.) 1890-1902, 1899-11-24
THE COLE
MURDER CASE
Eye Witnesses Give DAM
aging Testimony to
the Murder.

Montyloo A. Coles life is now in
the balance and a jury of twelve
men will decide whether he wilfully
murdered William A. Montague or
that he was laboring under a fit of
insanity inherited from his family.
The court room was crowded yes
terday afternoon when the case
went to trial The first witness was
Frank Carswell. He submitted a
plan and testified that from No. 227
Orange street to the place where
the murder was committed was 897
feet. He described in detail the
position of the door opposite Ewing's
residence.
William A. Moore, .Jr,, testified
in answer to Mr.. Cooper that he re-
sides at No. 1922 Pennsylvania ave-
nue.. He first saw Cole in a house
on Orange street on May II last.
Another gentleman, Bessie Gray
and Carrie Smith were in the room.
After while Cole came into the
back room with a base ball bat in
his hand. He commenced to dance
around and said ''before the nj ght
is over the bat will be covered with
gore and gray matter. He did not
say for whom he was hunting. He
STAYED there for half an hour and
his friend attempted to take the bat
from him. Witness left there about
9. 30 O'Clock after he had attempted
to put Cole from the house. He and
Cole went down Orange street to
Second and then proceeded to the
place about Moore's cigar store.
He saw a man and woman at that
place. They were then behind the
other three men. who came from the
house. The man was walking to-
wards thegutter,side. Cole jumped
out and said a'Edna, what in the
h are you doing here?' Then
Cole wrapped the man in the head
with the base bali bat. He stopped
as he swung the bat around. When
Cole struck the man he fell i'll the
gutter. Cole struck him twice more
as he lay in the gutter. Then Cole
started to run away as fast as he
could 90. Witness gave chase and
saw him when arrested opposite the
patrol station. After the arrest he
went back Ito where the man was
assaulted. Edna was there and
was holding Montague and was
crying and yelling. He saw two
police take him to the patrol station
and then saw him taken in the pa
troll wagon to the hospital. In
cross examination he stated he
could not now remember if he
had testified before the coroner's
I Jury that Cole had been looking for
some one. When he first saw Mon
taguc and the girl about eight feet
from them, Cole stoppedand he went
ahead. He had turned around
when Cole struck Montague.
William Benson was attending
/ bar in the Western hotelon May II.
He knew Cole, Edna Wilson and
Montague. He first saw her on May
18th. On May 18th he saw her with
Cole and Montague at the hotel.
They were there about half an
hour. On Wednesday night, May
18th. between s and 9 o'clock he
saw Cole at the hotel. There was
Il tall man with. him. Cole asked
if Edna had been there. He then
inquired for the man who was with
him on Monday night. Cole S friend
had the base ball bat at the time.
As Cole started out the door he
said Come on we will get the sucker
or - He could not remember
which expression. Cole then went
out and he saw him no more that
night TO Mr.. Hayes the witness
stated there were Il number OF per-
sons in the bar room at the time.
Carrie Smith testified that she
was at No. 227 Orange street on the
night in question. She knew Edna
Wilson about week at that time.
She first saw Cole on Monday night
before the murder. He was intro
duced by Edna as her friend. He
ate supper there on that night.
Montague came inlatcr and as near
as she rccollccted the three We
out but came back later. When she
went to bedColc and Montague were
down stairs and Edna vas with
them. The next morning she saw
Montague but Cole was gone. She
saw Cole on the following Wedncs-
day evening at the house. He was
accompanied by tall thin fellow.
Cole had Il base ball bat with him.