The Wilmington daily Republican. (Wilmington, Del.) 1890-1902, 1901-06-18
BARKER TRIAL BEGUN.
The Arlington On. j. Shooting Affair
Reaches the Courts.
JURY Is QUICKLY SECURED.
Witness Mary ROOme Identifies the
Accused rs the Man She Saw
Shoot the Rev. John kel-
Ter Last February.

JeTsty Sily' June Ii.-lHe trlal Vi
Thomas G. Barker, charged with a.
tempting to kill Rev. John Keller, rec
tor of Trinity Mission chapel, at Ar
lington, N. j., by shooting him in Feb
ruary last has begun in the old Hud-
son county courthouse.
The prosecution is conducted by Coun-
ty Prosecutor James s. Erwin, his as
sistant, George T. Vickers, and Joseph
Parker, employed as extra counsel by
the state. Barker is defended by Mar
shall Van Wrinkle and Albert c. Wall.
Mr.. Van Wrinkle challenged the jury
panel saying it had contained the
names of men ineligible for jury duty.
The challenge was overruled, and the
work of selecting Jury was begun.
When the jury had been obtained,
which did not take long, Prosecutor
Erwin opened for the state. He began
by speaking of the great interest that
was taken by the public in the case.
The character of the persons concerned
In it had given it "A widespread celeb
rty.
The State'a Case.
AT 3 a. m. on sunday. Feb. 81 said
Mr.. Erwin, Arlington was startled by
q pistol shot at the corner of Midland
avenue and Beech street. The Rev.
John Keller at this time had left his
home at 100 Beech street and gone to-
ward the northerly side of Midland av-
enue to take train for Fort Lee,
where he was to hold service. All he
knows Is that he felt sharp sting in
the right eye. He fell and while on
the sidewalk he was shot three times.
: Barker had intercepted Keller there,
and it was the first shot that hit him
In the eye and felled him to the ground.
The state will show that Keller was
shot from behind. At the corner where
the shooting occurred there Is line of
trees forming a hedge. There Barker
lay in wait for Keller, who was on his
way to perform his duty as minister
and secretary of the Episcopal diocese.
After the shooting Barker gave himself
up at the town hall in the presence Of
witness"
The prosecutor then described the
nature Of the wound inflicted and how
Mr.. Keller lay for many days in a crit
zeal condition between life and death.
Lawyer Van Wrinkle objected to the
life and death part of the prosecutors
speech. Mr.. Erwin then went on to
say that Kellcr's right eye was re
moved ana that he was partially blind
In the other eye.
Architect the First Witness.
Louis H. Broome. an architect, was
the first witness called for the prosecu
ton. He testified to making map of
the scene of the shooting and this was
offered In evidence.
W. II. Harrison, a photographer, pro
duced two photographs, one represent
ing the hedge at the scene of the shoot
ing where Barker waited for Keller
and the other an interior scene showing
Keller in bed after the shooting The
defense Objected to both photographs.
The objections were overruled.
Hugh r. Roome testified that he rcsid
ed at the corner of Midland avenue and
Beech street. Arlington, near the scene
of the shooting. He said the photo
graph presented was true representa-
ton Of tie scene of the shooting. He
said he heard shots fired on the morn
ing Of Feb. 3, and, seeing Mr.. Keller
lying on the sidewalk, he ran TO his as
sistance and helped him 10 a house
nearby. The witness explained that
the hedge about the corner extended
100 feet on Beech street and about 60
feet on Midland avenue and was about
three feet high.
Mary Roome, daughter of the pre-
viouS witness, corroborated her father
as 10 the hedge at the corner mentioned
and said she heard four shots fired in
all. While looking from window of
her home she saw Barker standing over
Keller who was lying on the sidewalk,
| She saw Barker fire the fourth shot at
| Keller County Prosecutor Erwin ask
| ed the witness to point ont the man
who had done the shooting, and she
| Identified Barker.