Alexandria gazette. [volume] (Alexandria, D.C.) 1834-1974, 1904-11-01
THE McoUE CASE.

JOurneu lmmeulately LOT tue uBy. All
the adjournments were taken at the in
stance of the defense, and one-third Of
this sitting was taken up in examination
of witnesses for the State
The popular impression made by the
DAYS management was that the defense
is very much up in the air. The recess
at $3.50 was granted for conference be-
tween the prisoner and his counsel, the
purpose of the conference being, in the
opinion of many. to decide whether the
accused should be put on the stand as a
witness in his own-defense. Whatever
the purpose for which they conferred,
after the halt hour granted by the Court
for the conference had extended to an
hour, the counsel for the defense return
ed to the court and requested an adjourn
ment until 10 today and permission to
confer with the prisoner last night at the
Office of Edward o. McCue, on the second
floor of small building 10 Court square.
The wishes. of the defense we're ac-
coded to. 80
The prosecution, before the defense
h ID intro luced any witnesses, provided
another surprise for the defense. I MS
line as stated in yesterdays Gazette, ii
was letter, written by William McCue,
eldest son of the accused, some two
weeks after the murder Of his mother,
to her sister, Mrs. L. L. Griggs, OF
Athens, G..
The letter which came on yesterday to
Ernest Crawford, is as follows;
Dear Aunt Sallie; received your kind
and afectionate letter few minutes
ago, aud ! will answer now, as am
afraid will forget it. We are now at
home with Aunt Sammic and Uncle
Marshall Dinwiddie, who are very kind
and good to us, but | come home and
miss IN dear mother, whom | put be-
fore my God. and who ] miss many
times in the day.
"Aunt Sallie, am fighting one of the
greatest battles now. | am among all
my fathers people, and they, of course,
wonder Why | took such step in this
case, but / am going to do what think
is right in Gods care, in spite OF any
tuman being living. | never was in
worse trouble than this. ! cannot Sleep
and when ! 60 to bed, and wake up with
the same trouble, | feel as though ! can
not stand it. have got only ono thing
10 live for now-my little sister, who is
dearer to me than ever before.
"Your afectionate nephew,
CIVILIAN.
Charlottesville, Va, Sept. II, 1904. "
Young McCue admitted the genuine
ness Of the production.
Some of the prisoners insurance poll
cies, amounting to so, 900, were offered
in evidence Practically all of them
made Mrs. McCue the beneficiary in case
the insured died first. The prosecution
pointed out that all Of these policies had
a loan value.
The witnesses for the defense were
Webb Raines, of Richmond Thomas
Burke, of Harrisonburg, and Miss Addie
Moore, of Rappahannoek county, who
were called to discredit Ernest Craw-
f,rd's testimony as to family discOrd ;
Frank Minor, colored, of West Virginia,
formerly at the McCue home Mrs. Mar
tina Hanger, OF Staunton, who had
spent three days at the McCue home ;
Mrs. NJ. J. Taylor, sean stress Mrs. Ed
ward y McCue, Eldridge Turner, DR..
j. P. Browning, and Policeman Grady,
of Charlottesville, and Mrs. NJ. II.
Crawford, of Staunton, TO prove harmo-
NOUS relations.
Miss Moore recoIected conversation
in 1899, or tbereabouts, in wL'ch Mr.
Crawford had said something about the
McCue honeymoon still continuing. Mr..
Burke, called to testify to similar ex-
preston, said be had never heard Mr..
Crawford make any reference to the
"happy home" of the accused.
BEFORE adjournment Mr.. Lee stated
that the defense would probably rest its
case by noon today. The defense
had but few witnesses to be examined,
and it looks nov very much as if the ar
gumeut will begin not later than Thurs
day.
The jury examined the outside of the
McCue residence to note the proximity
Of the trees to the porches. The physi-
cal condition of the wife OF DR.. McCue,
brother OF the accused, preventing her
appearance in court, the jury called at
her home, where she testified that be-
tween 9:15and 9:30p. m. on the night Of
the tragedy the telephone bell rang and
her husband answered it.
Immediately aiterward she learned,
in conversion with him, what had hap
pened at the McCue residence. The ac-
cused, who was standing within a few
feet OF his sister-in-aw. burst into tears
and took q seat, burying his face in his
hands. Mrs. McCue said her husband
lett Immediately, carrying his emergency
case with him.
Charlottesville, Va, Nov. When
the McCue murder trial was resumed
this morning, the defense recalled
Policeman Grady, who testified that on
the night of the murder blood dripped
from McCue's face to the bosom of
his undershirt. Three brothers of Nc
Cue testified in turn that no CONVEX
sation, such as jsilsr Martin swore he
had overheard, had taken place in the
prisoners cell. 1t will be remembered
that Martin testified that McCue, in the
alleged conversation, sought to coax his
son William, 20 give favorable testimony
in court, Detective Albert Baldwin
denied that Ernest Crawford had sug-