The midland journal., 1905-03-31
SHIPPERS FOUND GUILTY.
Confession Admitted AS Evidence----Jury
Soon Returns Verdict.
DAY AND NIGHT SESSIONS OF COURT.
Soon Returns Verdict.


the afternoon the prosecution re-
lentlessly welded together the
chain of evidence which, standing
alone, they now consider sufficient
to warrant verdict in the first
degree.
Shippers in his own defense de-
MED that he committed the mur-
der and solemnly vowed that he
had been cajoled into confessing the
crime. Harris, he declared, pest.
cred and tormented him so that he
would have signed anything to get
relief from the vampire that was
eating out his spirit and shaking
his mental equilibrium.
His statement was a complete
denial of all that had been attribut-
ed to him in regard to the crime.
He was on the stand nearly two
hours.
Harry W. Harris was again
placed on the stand Wednesday
morning and repeated the same
testimony before the jury which
was given before the judges the
night previous.
The lawyers for the defense tried
to show that Shippers had been per-
secuted and given false promises in
order to get his confession and earn
the reward offered for the capture
of the murderer of Mr.. Constable.
Each declared that they had no
thought of reward till the proposal
had been made to Governor War
field and given publicity in the
newspapers.
| VERDICT OF GUILTY.
The case was given to the jury yester-
day afternoon and within half an hour
they returned verdict of guilty of MUIR
der in the first degree" The judge then
sentenced Simpers to be hanged, the date
to be set by the Governor. Shippers was
returned to the penitentiary on the s:sI
train where he will remain until three
days before the date set for his execution
when be will be brought to Elkton to be
hanged. While being conducted to the
train. his sister tried to hand him small
package, supposed to contain poison, but
was pushed away by one of the detectives.
Considerable excitement prevailed which
was further increased by Shippers cursing
everybody within sound of his voice.
The case of Mrs. Mary E. Brown,
of Newark, DEL, against the p, B.
& w. railroad company, for $3.50,
damages for the killing of a horse
and demolisning buggy and har-
ness owned by her, at the North
street crossing, Elkton, in October
last, occupied the Court from Mon
day until Wednesday afternoon of
last week, when it was given to the
Jury, which returned verdict of
5000 for the plaintiff. The horse
was driven by a colored man
named Saunders, who with his
companion, Mrs. Ella Hamman,
were killed by train which struck
their team. VIM. T. Warburton
and Henry Warburton, for plain
tiff; A. L. Crothers and L. M.
Haines for defendant.
The suit of Mrs. Margaret Smith,
of Port Deposit, against the P, B.
& w. railroad company, was placed
on trial Thursday morning. Mrs.
Smith brought suit to recover dam
ages for injuries received by falling
down a cellar-way of the passenger
station at Havre de Grace, on jan
uary IL, 1904. She had gone to
that town to attend funeral, and
returned to the station in car
riage. Being a large woman,
weighing about 230 pound, she got
out of the vehicle backward. and
after being on the platform for a
moment or two started to step out
of the way of some other people.
In doing so she fell into an open
cellar way breaking the bone at the
base of her spine, known as the
cossyx, also otherwise injuring him
self. After all evidence had been
submitted, counsel for the defense
offered prayer to have the ease
taken from the jury on the ground
that Mrs. Smith had not purchased
ticket and was therefore tres
passer, but they failed. The case
was given to the jury on Friday
afternoon, which, after a short de-
liberation brought in verdict for
81 900 in favor of the plaintiff.
Counsel in the case were, Omar d.
Crothers, for plaintiff, and L. NJ.
Haines and A. l.. Crothers for de-
fendant.
Court then adjourned until Mon
day.