The citizen. (Frederick City, Md.) 1895-1923, 1902-02-28
GUILTY OF MANSLAUGH-
TER.
George Riley, Who Killed John
Ryan, Saves His Neck
Jury Took All Night
to Agree.

Riley, on trial LOT tne mufuef OF
John Ryan, near Ridgeville, last
August, returned on Wednesday
morning a verdict of manSlaugh-
ter. The arguments were finished
on Tuesday afternoon and the
case given to the jury. They had
not agreed at $50 that evening,
so they were locked up for the
night. Soon after court convened
they came down with the verdict.
Little difficulty was experienced
in getting a jury, which was com
posed of the following persons:
Geo. ID. Toms, foreman; George
f. Darner, Dennis ii. Fcgle,
David Barkman, JOS. &. Red
mond, Charles b. Gaver, Edward
Mercer, Charles W. Harp, ChaS.
W. Smith, Hiram Grove, Daniel
Snyder, Herman f. Steiner.
States Attorney Worthington
represented the State and j.
Roger McSherIy and Harp \
Etchison appeared for the pris
ouer
Riley, it will he remembered,
was one armed ran away after
the deed was done. He was alter
wards located in Philadelphia and
brought back to Jail.
Steve NOonan, The man whom
Riley hit over the head with his
arm hand and then with gun,
told the circumstances of that
tragic night.
Sampson Bear gave this ac-
count: Between 9 and 10 O'Clock
was in the shop and Ryan and
N0onan were outside talking,
when Riley came up and com
menced to curse them, heaping
oath upon oath and swearing he
was going to kill them. Noonan
/ passed through the shop. Riley
followed Ryan in and cornered
him, holding the barrel of the
gun in his hook and the stock of
the weapon in his left hand.
Ryan begged Riley time and
again not TO harm him and to go
away. | watched them closely
and as Riley showed no DISPOSE
ton to deSist his threatening
manner, Ryan at this favorable
opportunity, seized the gun when
he weapon exploded. After the
tuSSle Ryan walked around the
shop about 10 feet distance to
where Riley followed him. Pres.
emily | heard volley of oaths,
followed by a succession of dull
thuds as if some one was being
hit with blunt instrument. In
mediately after this Riley return
ed to the inside and said he had
broken his gun and wanted it
fixed and reloaded to go down
the road. | looked out to where
the noise had been and saw Ryan
with Il large hole i'll his cheek and
his head all covered with blood,
lying on his side dead.
George Fisher testified that
Riley said to him soon after the
tragedy: "If | have not killed
that Ryan, he has a funny kind
of a liie,n
Riley took the stand in his own
defense Tuesday. lie seemed
calm and told a straightforward
story Of the crime, claiming that
he killed Ryan in self-defense.
He told of the trouble he had
with the negroes the day before
the homicide and described what
his duties were. Becoming alarm
ed at the threats of the negroes
against him he went to Baltimore
on August ID and laid the matter
before the contractors.
Il bought the gun and pistol in
Baltimore that day." he said, ito
protect myself from the negroes
and others who threatened my
life.D
Continuing, he said: "When
returned from Baltimore to the
works | went to the blacksmith
shop, where | saw Ryan and
Noonan sitting In front of it,
drinking whiskey, which, like
loafing, was strictly forbidden.
| told them to get out. Ryan
told me to go to h and No0nan
struck at me. Ryan then grabbed
my gun and attempted to wrest it
from me, when the weapon ex-
ploded."
He emphatically denied the tes-
timony of the States witnesses,
and said he did not threaten
Ryan at all.
After the argument of counsel,
Judge Motter briefly instructed
the jury as to the degrees of muir
Ger and to find solely by the evi
dence.
During the trial the court room
was packed, great interest being