The Wilmington daily Republican. (Wilmington, Del.) 1890-1902, 1900-01-27

the Sugar Mil near the foot of Mar
ket street, said he sawGeorge Eyre
going down to the boat house on
that fatal Thursday morning Of De-,
cember 81. i
Henry Guyer of Upland, was the
next witness. He said ne saw two
men at the Alpha Boat Club wharf
on the morning Eyre disappeared.
One was Eyre, with whom he was
personally acquainted. The men
lowered boat and rowed away in
a cunning skiff. Thomas Blackson
gave similar testimony.
w. Fletcher Smith of this city,
was theatrical sort Of a witness.
Although his testimony was not ex-
tremely important, he dwelt on the
minutest details concerning his OBJ.
servations Of two men leaving the
Alpha Boat Club wharf on the
morning of December 81, while he !.
was waiting for Philadelphia
boat at the Market street wharf.
Policeman George Vandergrift
said he saw "Pinncy" Pierce pass
out of Chester Creek on that event
full Thursday morning in a duck:ng
skiff and head across the Delaware
River towards the Jersey shore.
William Freen, employed at the ice
wharf, gave like testimony.
Chief of Police Thomas H. Berry
was sworn. He testified that he
knew George Eyre and both of the
Pierce boys. "Jim' Pierce told
him he had been out duckshooting
on Thursday night, December 2l;
that on the Jersey side of the river
he had built fire which was left
burning, until the moon came up,
when he again started out to shoot
ducks. Chief Berry stated that he
had learned that on the return of
'Jim Pierce he had bundle. To
some he said it contained a shirt.
to others that it was a Christmas
present for his mother. On the fol-,
lowing FRIDAY morning Jim Pierce
appeared at the Washington Hotel
with bundle. When questioned
what it contained he said he had
some curtains. To others he said
the package contained fish. George
w. Burk related having seen "Jim"
Pierce with package which he
said contained curtains. P8
Bonsall G. Ladomus, assistant
city engineer of Chester, testified to
having met Pierce in the Washing
ton Hotel with mysterious pack
age. Then Sergeant Leary pro-
duced a paddle, sectional bottom
and scoop Of a cunning skiff. He
testified to having sworn out war
rant for the searching Of the boat
house of the Pierce boys as well as
their home. At the house Sergeant
Learv said he found an upturned
cunning skiff beneath which was
discovered an oar or ducking pad
die, a portion of the bottom of a
boat and scoop, each of which
was stained with blood. They
were produced at the hearing. Up
to the last witness it looked as If the
case would fall, as not one witness Of
the 20 connected the Pierces In the
most remote way with the murder, but
the last witness created the greatest
sensation that has been yet injected
into this sensational ease. This wit
ness was Miss Mary Cohen, of VIII
mngton, Del. She said that Jim
Pierce came to the house on Tatnall
street, Wilmington, in which she lives,
on Friday, Dec. 22, and called her to
the parlor, and that after supper they
went out together, when Pierce bought
her watch and some other articles.
Continuing her testimony the girl said
Pierce remained all night. and during
the night he cried out In his sleep:
"Oh. did 1t; did it."
What did you do, Jim?" the Cohen
girl asked, and Pierce awakening.
said. Il murdered him; l murdered
him." and continuing he said that he
and his brother Plnney had shot and
killed Eyre, then had sunk his body
The story that Pierce had told her.
Miss Cohen said, was as follows: "Me
and Pinney were cunning with George
Eyre. Plnney was in Eyre's boat and
! was in my own boat. I was short Of
Christmas money and knew Eyre had
some. fired the shot and struck him
in the back of the head, killing him
instantly. Then Pinney tied his legs
with a rope and We sunk the body In
the river at the mouth OF Raccoon
creek The boat, with one Of the guns
in it, was sunk about two feet from
the place where the body was sunk.
Pinney and me then divided the plum
der. and then we stayed on the other
side and came home in the morning"
Miss Cohen said that she did not
tell any one of the confession of Jim
Pierce until the weight on her mind
grew SO burdensome that one of the in
mates of the house, noticing her wor-
ried appearance, asked her what the
trouble was, and she told her. The
story was then given to District At
torney Smith and Chief Of Police Berry.
The prisoners were represented at
the hearing by William b. Broomall
and Joseph B. Hinkson and the COM
monwealth was represented by the
district attorney. The only other wit
ness of Importance was jean B. Way
of Marcus Hook, who declared he met
Jim Pierce at Darby and rode to Ches-
ter with him in a trolley car. He tes-
tilted that Pierce at the time had
large roll of money and wore a dia-
mond ring.
tad