Evening journal., 1904-11-29
NOW ON
TRIAL FOR KILLING
GEORGE D. FARRA
Children Testify Against AL
legged Murderer of Their
Father
PRISONER SMILES DURING HEARING
Bloody Iron Weight Is OF
fered in Evidence by the
State

Charles Thorn. alias "Boozer," was
placed on trial In the Court OF oyer and
Terminer this morning on the charge
of numbering George ID. Farra, the
crime having been committed on De-
cember II, 1897, nearly seven years ago.
Farra was a farmer and lived about a
mile from Wilmington along the Cause
way The prisoner was not arrested
until last summer. when he was caught
In Harrisburg, where he Lived He was
living under the name Of Charles Booz-
er and denies that he is Thorn. The
prisoner is represented by ]. Frank
Ball
Jury Selected.
1t took more than an hour to select
twelve men TO compose the jury and
thirty-seven names were drawn from
the box.Of, this number the defense
challenged sixteen and the State four.
Several of the Jurors had conscientious
scruples against hanging. others had
formed and expressed their opinion as
TO the guilt or innocence of the prisoner
and two were opposed TO voting for a
verdict Of guilty on circumstantial evil
dence and were excused. They were
Evan w. Gallagher and Charles Cald-
well. The jury as selected follows:
Frank II. Poole, foreman; Thomas w.
McVcy, Cornelius Davis. George !.
Chandler, Robert Betty William r.
Robinson, Henry w. Perkins. Elmer 10.
Kirk, Robert L. Baldwin, William e.
Linton, Abraham J. Burns and W. Cali
mer Berson.
State Opening.
ncr,,frr Aftc,.,..r fra,,.r.f ro4.h..n-
made the opening address to the jury,
In which he explained the various ver-
diets that can be rendered under the
indictment.He talked for about twenty
minutes In which address he explained
what the State would prove in regard
TO the facts OF this murder, which took
place seven years ago. Charles Thorn
he said. was living with Mr.. Farra al
the time OF the murder. but when Il
was discovered the next morning Thorn
! had left the premises. At the tim,
} Thorn was practically n stranger In
the vicinity as he had only been in Del.
aware a few weeks. on the day pre-.
vious 10 the murder a man paid Mr.
Farra some money in the presence OF
Thorn. Mr.. Richards said the state
VIII prove that Thorn, who was llvinp
under the name of Boozer. told several
persons that he killed a man In Della
ware and had to get out.
Prisoner Smiled.
The prisoner is a large stoopshoul-
dered negro. and II he is Thorn, does
not seem to worry. Before the jury
was selected he would occasionally
smile when Mr.. Richards was address,
ing the jury. He was very attentive
but did not change countenance in the
least when IL was related how Mr.. Far
ra was found with his skull crushed
in.
Daughter a Witness.
The first witness called by the State
was Mrs. Mabel Bramble. formerly Miss
Mabel Farra. daughter Of the murdered
man. Mre Bramble was examined by
Attorney-General Ward and told a cleal
story and also identified Thorn as ths
negro who lived on the farm with hei
father. Witness said she also identified
Thorn at Harrisburg on September
last.
Mrs. Bramble said on the day pre-
vious to the murder she heard hei
father say he was going into the city
after his pension and that a man named
Murphy paid him some money In tn,
presence Of Thorn. The witness stated
that she and her brother went to bed
that night and left their father asleer
on the sofa. Thorn was IN the same
room reading a book when she retired
The Body Found.
Mrs. Bramble told about finding her
fathers body with the skull crushed in
on the floor the following morning. An
iron weight smeared with blood, which
was I'm the room, was put In evidence.
TRIED to burn house.
When she found her fathers dead
body the witness testified that Thorn's
coat was around his head and the coat
b was saturated with coal oil. A fire had
s been started among some corn cobs a
e short distance from the body Thorn
e had not slept in his bed that night and
could not be found after the body was
q discovered.
Mrs. Bramble was cross-questioned
by Mr.. Ball principally as to the iden-
tity OF Thorn, but failed to shake her
testimony in that respect.
William Farra, a son OF the dead
man, was on the stand when court took
a recess. His testimony was practically
the same as his sisters.
George T. Durham Acquitted.
Yesterday afternoon George T. Dur
ham, colored, was acquitted OF a charge
Of acting improperly toward a seven
teen-year-old white girl. Deputy At
torney- General Richards prosecuted
the case and Durham was defeated by
George n. Davis and Herbert L. Rice.
The case OF William e. Woodward,
accused OF embezzling twenty dollars
! from Lester X. Baylis. agent for the
Lima Hunt Club. was continued until
Friday, with a view Of settling It.
Thomas Wilson was convicted of
stealing harness and was sentenced to
pay S12 restitution money. be whipped
with 10 lashes and serve six months In