The sun. (Wilmington, Del.) 1897-19??, 1901-06-18
BARKER TRIAL BEGUN.
The Arlington On. JO Shooting Affair
Reaches the Courts.
JURY rs QUICKLY SECURED.
Witness Mary Roome Identifies the
Accused as. the Man She Saw
shoot the Rev. John KeI-
Ter Last February.

| Jersey Clty, June 1.-The triti Oh
Thomas G. Barker, charged with III
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
sfstant, George r. 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 ii had given it widespread celeb
rity.
The states Case.
AT s n. III. on Sunday, Feb. g." said
Mr.. Erwin, darlington was startled by
a pistol shot at the corner of Midland
avenue and Beech street. The Rev.
John Keller mt this time had left his
| home Mt 100 Beech street and gone to-
ward the northcrly side of Midland av-
enue 10 take u 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 il 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 n minister
ana secretary Of the Episcopal diocese.
After the shooting Barker gave himself
up al the town hall in the presence Of q
Witness"
The prosecutor then described the
nature of the wound inflicted and how
Mr.. Keller lay for many days in 4 crit
icnl 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 Keller's right eye was re-
moved AMI that he was partially blind
in the other eye.
Architect the First Witness.
Louis IL. Broome, an architect was
the first witness called for the prosecu.
ton. lie testified to making IA map OF
the scene of the shooting and this was
offered in evidence.
w. III. Harrison, 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 IN interior scene showing
Keller in bed after the shooting. The
defense objected to both photographs
The objections We're overruled
Hugh X. Roome testified that he resid-
ed ut the corner of Midland avenue ami
Beech street, Arlington near the scene
of the shooting. He said the photo
graph presented was true representa-
ton of the 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 to house
nearby. The witness explained that
the hedge about the corncr'extcndcd
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 to the hedge at the corner mentioned
and said she heard four shots fired in
all. While looking from a 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
90 the witness TO point out the man
who had done the shooting, ana she
identified Barker.