Perth Amboy evening news., 1908-05-29
MURDER TRIAL
CLOSE TONIGHT
Summing Up Of Testimony ID
the WhItmOrO Case Defend
ant on The Stand.
FEELS CERTAIN OF ACOUITTAL

Prisoner Tells SNory SuppIementina
the AIibi Which Has Been Sword
to by Other Witnesses--He Exs
plains His Delay In Identifying
His Wife's Body In the Harrison
Morgue-says He Could Not sees
Special By United Press Wire:
Jersey City, May 29:--The WhitS
more murder case went to the jury
today. The attorneys summed up
during the morning. Prosecutor
Vicxers, for the state, placed stress
on the ciroumstantial evidence which
had been introduced. Attorney Simp1
son, for the defense, declared that
little had been done to clear up tho
Lampblack swamp mystery, White
more seemed confident he would be
freed. b
Both prosecution and defense finish
ed the presentation Of their cases, and
the summing up was begun at 1Qi
o'clock. Whitm6re himself took thu
witness stand and told a straightforA
ward story Of his movements on the
night Of the murder, which, with the
alibi set up III the Judgment Of many
who heard 1t, may go far toward Hes
curing his aequittal.
The defendants story supplemented
the alibi made out for him through
tho testimony OF Samuel PulverB, ass
eistant dispatcher at the Third avenue
II" bridge station, and Mr. and Mrs.
Daniel O'Neil, tenants Of the Adams,
street house Brooklyn, which was conFl
Quoted by Whitmore and his Wife
Both the o'Neils not only told Of hav4l
ing seen Whitmore at his home at q,
quarter before 10 on Christmas night.
but they also swore to having heard
Mrs. Whitmore declare on ChristmRs
day that she was going to Sehenectasl
dy This supported Whltmore's latet
statement that he gave his wife $11l
for that purpose. Mrs, O'Nei als6l
swore that Mrs, Whitmore invited hekl
to go with her to Schenectady.
PulyeEs sw0re positively that Whit
more entered his Office at 1880 oi1l
Christmas night. He was not shaken
on cross examination.
Couldn't See Well In Morpue.
whitmore told of reading in thgl
newspapers Of the 1ndlng Of wofnN
Nl,s-beAy q -. v sssrtHisS
+ there to view the body. He sid ha
was prompted by the reporters not ID
identity the body. The light was pool
In the morgue anyway, he said, and
! he couldn't sec we'll On his second
visit after his arrest he made moro
careful examination and became COM
vinced that the body was that of hts
wife. The witness made positive del
nial in response to questions by big
counsel that be had killed his wife oil
that he had any motive for desiring I'd
put her out Of the way.
The prisoner was put through 4
grilllng cross Examination, during
which the fact was drawn from hind
that he had been convicted of assaulH
and robbery at Troy, N. T., in 1904
and sent to Dannemora prison. TbiA
ddfnlseion was Offset. however, by thH
further statement that Governor BlacIf
had pardoned WhItrnore.
Whitmore declared that the man oN
whose evidence be bad been convicteql
was tried for perjury, convicted and
sent to prison for three years
Explains He Letters.
In answer to d question by the prose-
cutor WhitmoFs said that the letteg
which he wrote to the selter family
in schenectady was ip Acknowledge
rnent OF Christmas gifts and that The
signature wqs meant for "TheodorE
and teAa." In general the prosecuE.
ton failed to shake the Testimony he
had given on direct examinations
whltmore told how Q'Neil had
brought down some Christmas dinneY
70 tb6 Whitmore apartments. The dss
fendapt said he vent out to get drihN
and some tobacco, and when he res
turned his wife had gone.
mThat was the labt time I saw her
until ! saw her body in the morgue,g =
declared the defendant
| Replying to the point blspk question:
oDld you induce your wife to 60 td
Harrison with You on Christmas might
and there murder her and throw her
body into the swamp?' Whitmore re.
Piled:
Il did not. I have never been "A
Harrison in my life, except when ]
went there to identify my wlfe'a
BODY