The Cecil Whig. [volume] (Elkton, Md.) 1841-current, 1903-04-18
Cecil WI1ig
Fifty Years Ago.
TRIAL OF JOHN pRITCHARD FOR
THE KILLING OF HIS WIFE.
p. C. RICKETTS,, Editor.
Saturday, April 10, 1853.

Term 1893. Monday, April 18th.
John pritch1rd arraigncd on the charge
of murder for the killing of his wife,
Maria
Counsel for State, Richard Gr;sun ANA
James T. Mccullough; for defence. Iohn
"A. j CrcSwcI. aud Hiram Mccullough.
The prisoner pleaded mot guilty.
Forty .iurymrn were called before a
panel was obtained; out of the regular
%, five were obtained. and : out of Is
talesmcn summoned. 10 were challenged
peremptorily- had formed an opia-
ion. The following were the .Jury-Sam'l
a. West, William Lindsey. Lewis Croth-
ers. James NJ. Sewell, Charles II. IIaincs
Joshua Green, n V. Atkinson. John \.
Atkinson. Ellis Jones. Peter Coulter,
William Il. Scott and Thomas Slrick-
land.
The follow x witnesses were called
ia the order given =
Andrew Rambo.-On the morning of
November 25tn, 1852. between daylight
snd sunrise, fund the dead body of II
woman lying in the lane between the
house of Caroline Prtchard and the
Newark road She was lying on her
back, with tn fingers of her left hand
through the la idlc Of jug. There were
two wounds nh her forehead. Went 70
my corn field where hands were ut work
and to J. Stewart. Went with Stewart
to the house If Caroline Prtchard Uhe
widow, told ber | had found Il dead
woman. She asked where .\Hd Who a?
Asked her if ttc woman had been at her
house. she sud no, no one had been
about. Their Na4 much blood about the
yard, and in 4 sand hole near by. Asked
her if She had seen the blood. she said
ii was the hla3d Of rabbits JOHN had
Eillcd the day before. Mr.. trrSwrll oh
jected to anything said by her being re-
peatcd. and the State waived further
questions on that point. Saw marks us
OF Il dragging body from the house to the
sand hole. blood along the path from the
sand hole to the spot where tn" body was
found as if it had been carried and from
Zine to time laid down. Saw two or
three cuts about two inches long on fore
head, and several on the back of head,
shcy seemed 20 have been made by Il
heavy instrument. Did not see much
blood where body was lying. and it seem
ed not to have been lying there long.
Saw a hoe, hair string, part of Il comb
and a club, al; of them bloody Did not
see Pritchard that morning.
Q1ere the club and hoe were Produced.
James Stewdrt.-Was husking corn for
Mr.. Rambo, 40 on 50 yards from Pritch-
ards house. Went out about sunrise.
There was no stir about the house, but a
great smoke coming ont of the chimney.
My son said they were burning leather,
thc smoke having a peculiar smell When
| was at my taird shock of corn. Rambo
came and said he had found the body of
Il dead woman Went to the house. saw
much blood. Saw the hoe picked up,
and ShrcdS Of woman's dress. She
was heavy woman. about 40 or $50
pounds.
John Millrr-WaS on the Inquest,
found several cuts. an inch or more long
on the head Of the corpse. probed two,
found no break in her skull Life had
not been long extinct, the body was not
stiff. Was a. the house, saw the hoe,
with fresh blood marks on it. John
Whann. of Newark, was Coroner.
j. w. Wc,ton.-WaS Mt Pritcharl'S
house on the 2lth of November about
20 minutes pest nine. Saw the body in
til" lane but partially clothed. lying on
its back with thr fingers of left hand
dIbuu' int ilhnuIt bl an empty Jug.
Mrs. Dcan.-I.ivc one-fourth mile from
pritchard's, was walked by child between
u and | O'Clock, on The might of murder
and distinctly heard three pitiful screams
in the direction Of pritchard'S huil>r. not
words. but screams lik" som" person in
distress.
Cross EXaniuation.-Dont know who
owned the house, the pritchnrl's lived
there. Henry Pritchard lived there in
hi" life time with Caroline. his wife.
Maria had been there. hut never made
that her homr. Don't know whether
Maria had i'vch with John for some
time or not. Mr.. Dean WAS away at
Lords Factory.
Richard Doln-WUrk> ut Lords Fac
tory. is the night wntchman there. Went
home before daylight that morning. and
saw IA light waving about pritchards
yard. Never saw lights there before. 1t
was Thanksgiving Day. no work was to
be don" ut mill, let the fires 20 out. an,
left mill earlier than usual.
Cross EXamiuaLicn.-llad seen the wo-
man. but meyer spoke Ia her. When last
saw her, she was lying by the roadside
drunk and htl Il jug. SHE was generally
recognized anh known az the wife II
John Prtchsrd Went by the name of
Pritchard.
Enos RamhO.-Mct John pritchard on
the railroad track that morning between
and I o'clock. about mile and a-half
from his house on the way towards New
ark. He was walking at moderate
gat" ana spoke as he passed Lives less
than mile from I'litchard'S. John lived
there. Maria lived at Mr.. Hollands