Gloucester County Democrat. (Woodbury, N.J.) 1878-1932, 1903-01-22
THE TRIAL OF HUMPHREYS.
A Verdict Rendered Of Murder in the Second
Degree.

THE TRIAL OF HUMPHREYS.
A Verdict Rendered of Murder in the Second
Degree
Last Monday morning the trial OF Nathan
Humphries for the murder of John Camp
bell. both colored, was begun in Gloucester
county courts. Justice Garrison presiding
Prosecutor Starr and his assistant, Alex. L.
Rogers. represented the State while Francis
B. Davis and former Judge R. S. Clymer
the accused. HUMPHREYS is
yellow skinned individual, with keen and
pleasant features and well shaped head.
He was born in the State Of South Caro-
lima twenty-four years ago and has been IN
New Jersey for the past four years,
having employment as a farm hand and
general laborer and borne the reputation
general to that class of our inhabitants.
There was some little delay in getting a
iurv. some of the jurors called being ex-
cused because they had conscientious scru-
pies against capital punishment. The jury
when complete stood thus:
JOS N. Green, foreman, Monroe.
Maurice Rainier, Monroe.
Hugh M. Rainy, Woolwich.
John N. Foster, Harrison.
Robert Eldridge, East Greenwich
John B. Zimmerman, Monroe.
VIM. Stalcup, Clayton.
Theodore Carr, Mantua.
H. G. Lock, Greenwich.
VIM. P. Carey, Logan.
James C. White, Harrison.
James G. Harland, Wenonah.
The offense for which HUMPHREYS is tried
is the shooting of John Campbell on Car
penter street, this city, on August "a last.
The men had been in Dickinson's woods
PLAYING crap, a quarrel ensued and the
crowd adjourned to the corner of Broad and
Carpenter streets, better known here as
Colored Lane. There the trouble was re-
newed and after exchanging violent words,
HUMPHREYS struck Campbell with club.
Campbell, who was more powerfully built
man than HUMPHREYS, started for him and
Hnmphries ran, closely pursued; when they
had gone perhaps sixty feet up the lane,
there was pistol shot and Campbell fell
with bullet wound in his side; Humphries
had put his hand into bis hip pocket and
shot behind him as he ran, with fatal effect.
The trial attracted little attention except
among the colored people, two-thirds OF the
spectators being Of that color.
The first witness for the State was Sur
veyor VIM. M. Carter, who testified to the
accuracy of the map showing the location OF
the points at the scene of the tragedy.
DIR. HI. H. Clark testified to being called
to see Campbell at 1890 on the morning OF
August %. Found him at the honse Of
Simeon Stevens, on Carpenter street; there
was bullet wound on the right side, going
between sixth and seventh rib, through the
lung and lodging in the muscles of the
back above the hip. He ordered him con-
veyed to Cooper Hospital. Next, saw him
head at Cooper Hospital.
DIR. VIM. H. Jones, Coroner of Camden
county, who performed the post norton,
said death was caused by internal hemor-
rhage resulting from the bullet wound. He
DIR, Glark's testimony as to
the course of the bullet.
MONDAY, p. NJ.
Monday afternoon was consumed in hear
ing the details OF the ''crap shooting" in
Dickinson's woods on Sunday afternoon as
told by Horace Stevens, james Thurman,
Samuel Collins and Benz. Groves, all OF
which showed that HUMPHREYS was the
"sE 49, GU
un Ia salnDline gsli t.sa l. 10 oro. >,
Ihen '1e sOene snif's st " 0no 49,. .no. +b ~
piodu anu 1olpo ss s'e ess~s w. Wa o.a.,n
Campbell came up and as
an excuse for his late arrival said he took
the wrong direction out of the woods and
went to the railroad crossing. At this time
HUMPHREYS had eRdgel in his hand, about
tnree tee0 ung ann "lp ehet 2 o raLa lo
thlck. hnHphr,es anu l"npp0i 9Aonono ~
salu'aplonS, yuen 5 pms Pnl io'
Cal,ppeii ou sue hIa!, gnu oanp
Dell Wenb Ior MN nulhphlleS .An u INV
bhe lane, Caihppell III elose pulsuio inI q,
pistol snob rang out anu oanp1ell zen i.
near IIe. ms poaiuinS nouso JUG .o0.Lon 49, u
oiin oeeyeos, Tue i,iS 30 nousI ~ quo i1ns'
ne was picked up anu LIZ. Oia.a was os'il e'
A DARK eloua OF witnesses tesellsu az W 'ne
occurrences " sne ass,,Ai9 anu u, onaso ~ ~
d mplries ny CalnpCel o1H gu Molo "
tne same geneIa, ehece, wn0p 0ne sno'
was nreu Cahi pDeil was cioso " nis OioinJ'
lor MN do eVety pouiiu'
WEDNESDAY, A. M.
The State rested its case about Ii q. M,
and then murderer Humphrles took the
stand in his own defence. He told OF his
IN the crap" game and OF ms
wrangle with Campbell; OF the coming
together on the corner OF Carpenter street,
and CampbelPs pursuit. AS to the SHOT
he explained thus: Il felt Campbell close on
me and felt that ne was striking me with
blackjack knew ne carried, then as ran
reached Tor my pistol, and wnen my hand
was on 1t, stumbled and 1t was dlscharged.
l had no idea OF shootlng GampDeii, IL was
accidental" lie tnen toio OF nus nlg1G 70
Plttsburg, OF ms capture ana return, all OF
winch are 1amiliar TO our readers.
The defense rested tneir case on n, ms 6esei-
mony ana Iece rs was saKen uheii I. oo'
r, FROM 10y unell .. 40 COUNSEL III Sne
state ana the oefenoant eiucioaeeu sne evi-
uence anu expounueu 'ne Jaw 70 que jury,
Ine1 Juselcs UarIison eook que o. .s a. anu
maui Dlle unplas5u piesel 10 u JUG "a" :.
Q! MURDER ene degrees u muluer anu d
NICE ulsolnctioh pes"een aecluenCsl anu ple,
he said, fare not criminal. If life is taken
harm, 1t Is not crime. Ihere were Two
facts Tor tne jury 20 nno, tnis occurrence