Gloucester County Democrat. (Woodbury, N.J.) 1878-1932, 1903-04-16
THE BRANDT TRIAL.
v srdiet Of Aequittal after Brief Conference

to hearing testimony of large number OF
witnesses, most of them from Philadelphia,
who had known defendant from twenty
years down. All testified to his gooc
character for peace and order.
Morris Saches, the brother-in-law, testl
fed that he advised leaving Williams body
where it fell until the Coroner had seen it.
Mary Saches, sister Of the Brandt broth
ers. testified that William told her hi
would never forgive Peter for not allowing
him extra profit in the sale of poultry, anC
would .sdo him dirty She also corrob
grated the States witnesses as to William
call at the house when on his way to Peters
on September IA.
Mrs. Schwitzer, the Brandt boys mother
told with great directness of the occurrences
oe that terrible night. She had retired
when looking out her bedroom widow sht
saw bright light coming up the road, ther
VIM came to the door and demanded to bt
LET in. She opened the door and he, with
flaming lamp in his hand, searched thu
house all over. Then he went out toward!
Peters. begged him to calm himself, but
he swore that he would kill Peter Aftel
he left. / locked the house and went dowr
To Hammond's house. There found Petel
and his wife and children. VIM. wen
back to my house and tearing an iron graf
ing off the cellar window, smashed out &
window and went in, all the time looking
for Peter
Eureka Brandt, Peters wife, testified tt
William Brandt, Mr.. Saches and the little
boy coming to their home on the fatefu
Sunday. September IA. OF the doing:
throughout the day, to the point where
Mr.. and Mrs. Saohes, and Williams wife
and their little boy left Peter's to go home
she corroborated previous witness. Their
she told of William twice assaulting Petel
in his house and threatening to kill him
Throwing furniture about, and at her until
she was Obliged to flee with two children IL
her arms and the third clinging to hel
dress: how she screamed murder" and ne
one came; of her slow and laborious flight
toward the boys mothers house; of seeing
William coming up the road toward hel
with a flaming lamp in his hand. SHE
crouched beside the road, but William saw
her, and shouted, eff / don't find pete
Ill come back and kill you and the chill
dren. - Of her return to Hammond'f
house, and there meeting her husband
How she told him what William had said
He took the children in the Hammond house
and going to his own home returned with
his gun. After the shooting she said Peter
wanted to go to Newfield and give himself
M. but she would not let him 90, she was
so terrified.
Anna, wife of William Brandt, testified
to the facts as related by other witnesses u[
to six or seven o'clock when she, Mr.. Saches
and the little boy left. Speaking of VIM
she said he was mad all the afternoon; he
was very quick tempered, IF anything
didn't suit him he was ready to fight"
Peter Brandt, the last witness was sworn
at three p. M, Thursday. lie testified
that he landed in Philadelphia from Prus
STA, Germany twenty years and four months
ago. With the exception of three years
spent in Nebraska, he had lived in thai
CITY up to the last week in May, 1902
when he moved to near Malaga, where he
had bought some land from his brother
My brother was going to move to Atlantic
City, and leased his house to me for two
years. We had bargain that he was t.
sell our poultry, eggs and squads, and if he
got higher price than could get in New
field, he was to have the difference.
FRIDAY, April TO-
He detailed the visit of his brother
brother-in-law and child to his house OIL
September IA, and related the incidents o.
that day 20 the hour of his brother-in-law'
family leaving between six and sever
o'clock. When we were alone, William
asked me to get down the account book
He was angry and struck me and said
"now YOU - =---- hit me if yor
can" | said, ''no Bill" | won't hit you
He checked me and got away and ran out
doors to the pigeon house, from where
heard him quarrreling with my wife, anc
using profane and abusive language.
went to the front of the house and listened
heard him say ''you must move out of the
house before next May. Pm the hos;
around here, and I'm going to put you out
of here tonight yet. egot it in for you
YOU - I then went in the
house and took my little boy in my lap
He came out and struck me in the face,
and threw me on the floor l said, "Bil
you've broke my arm" He replied, 81
don't care if l have" | will kill you, you
-. / got away, my clothing
half torn off and went up to my mothers
told her of the trouble, and started back tC
Hammond's through the field saw William
going up toward mothers carrying a lamp
Went around the house and met my wife
Because of what she told me | took the
children in Hammond's house and went
home, got bhe gun, and returned to Ham
mond's aad stood in the shed. Saw VIM
return from mothers to my house, and
heard him say, s'you are seven years Older
than |, YOU could lick me when | was a
boy, but you can't now-I'll kill you to-
night.' He went to my house, then back
to mothers again. ! heard smashing o.
glass at mothers. Then after q while he
went back to my house again, swearing as
before Heard smashing noise at my house
then in the chicken house. | then took the
gun and went out. | knew he had some
heavy instrument to do the pounding with
that is the reason L took the gun. 1 went
to see if l couldn't quiet him. The womer
and children were all in the Hammond
house and all the lights were out. | wen
to the end of the chicken houses nearest my
house, and as | walked along, called in
each yard, "Halloo Bill, you have done
enough now, your wife is waiting for you,
you had better go home" | heard nc
pounding after | first called to him. A:
| stepped through the sixth gate, 'BilPi
came out of house No. six, only a few steps
from me. He had the iron CRATE in hi;
hand raised above his head. He said
you - -- I'll kill you. ] was
carrying the gun in my left hand, and
sprang back and as l turned to run, fired.
He was only two or three steps away from
me. l kept running till | was outside the
chicken runs, thinking he was following
me. l called Hslloo Bill, but got no
answer; went back and saw him lying
there; spoke to him, but got no answer
Thought him dead. Took the gun to the
house, and went back and he was in the
same position. Went back to the Ham
mond house and found my hrother=in-law,
sister, mother, and all the women there
We talked about removing the body but
my brother-in-law said ''No, it's case fol-
the Coroner " / got ready to go to New
field and give myself up, but my wife
wouldn't let me. The gun was a Win
chester repeating shot gun, with one shell
in that had been put there to shoot rats.
Prosecutor Starr subjected the defendant
to rigid discrimination, but did moi
shake the testimony in any particular.
Lawyer Starr opened the argument fol
the State briefly and was followed by Mr..
Swackhamer who addressed his opening
remarks to the Court, quoting the law and
presidents of self defense, many decisions
in this and other States on that subject
Then addressing the jury he reviewed the
testimony in the case and made an eloquent
and impressive plea for full acquittal.
Justice Garrison's charge to the jury was
a concise presentment of the law of MUIR