Bridgeton pioneer. (Bridgeton, N.J.) 1884-1919, 1902-10-16

on the 10th day of September. They
were offered and admitted in evil
] dence.
Charles s. Holmes was next sworn.
Witness said he lived at Bowentown
and that he was son of John S.
Holmes, deceased. He had worked
on his fathers farm for the past
thirty five years, his home being To-
Gated on the farm some distance from
the old homestead. Witness said that
his father was so years old, that the
physical condition of his father was
good except his eyesight. The hair
OF his father was gray. Miss Oath
arlne Shute was housekeeper for his
father, she was 60 years old ana of
strong physique. The only other per-
son to make up the inmates of the
homestead was the colored farm
hand, Job Williams, who had lived
on the place since last March a year
The witness was then shown the map
In evidence and pointed out various
points OF interest, such as the bed
room of his father and where the desk
stood, the bed room of Job Williams,
also the bed room of Miss Shute. He
pointed out the various means of ac-
cess to the barn from the house, and
told about the barn door next to house
always remaining open, it being fas-
tened so that it could not close of it.
self. =
At this juncture, Judge Hendrick
son announced the noon recess until
1.30. He requested the audience to
remain perfectly still until after the
prisoner and the jury had retired.
Williams was handcuffed to Constable
Spencer and taken down the back way
to the Jail. The jury then in the
custody of Constables Bullock and
Sawyer were taken to the City Hotel,
where they were given dinner.
Job Williams ate little or no dinner
and at 1.30 was brought back into the
Court room. The jury filed into their
seats in the jury box, and the case re-
sumed, by recalling Chas. S. Holmes
to the witness stand.
Before proceeding with the case
Judge Hendrickson announced that all
jurors not on the present panel were
excused until Tuesday of next week,
when their presence would again be
required by Judge Trenchard.
Continuing the examination, wit
ness explained the fastenings on the
barn doors as they existed before the
burning of the barn. He detailed the
condition of the doors on the evening
OF August 27th, when he last saw
them. The barn was filled with hay
straw and wheat. Witness said that
in the sleeping room of his father
| there was an old desk or secretary in
which his father always kept his
money in q pocket book. The pocke
book was produced and identified as
the one belonging to witness father.
A bunch of keys was also produced
and identified as those of the late
John s. Holmes One of the KEYS be-
longed to the desk in which the
money was kept. On August 27th
witness said that he had been work
ing on the farm all day. About half
past five he went to the homestead
place and saw both his father and
housekeeper. Job Williams at that
time was in the barn doing the milk
ing. Witness said he left for his own
house nearly six O'Clock. He was 60
ing to take the Christian Endeavor
Society of the Second Presbyterian
Church TO Cohansey that night, and
he had told Job to get the team ready
and hitch it in front of his fathers
house. About half-past six Job
brought the team to witness house
instead. Witness then went back
with Job to the homestead. Job
asked him for some change and wit
ness gave him So. He then asked Job
if he was going to Bridgeton with
him. Job replied that he could not
get ready in time. Witness said that
when he left the homestead, both his
father and Miss Shute were in their
usual good health. This was about
half-past six O'Clock. Witness did
not get home until one O'Clock in the
morning. Did not see Job until next
day, and did not remember Job say
ing anything to him then about the
fire. Job had said to him that his
wedding suit had been stolen from his
room on the night Of the fire, but ac-
cused nobody of taking it, A badly
charred buckle was offered in evil
dence by the State, and identified by
witness as the one worn by Miss
Shute. 1t had been found with the
remains in the ruins. Threads of
hair, fastened upon pieces of glass.
were also identified by witness as be-
e