Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1909-11-26
STORY TOLD
Finding of PooIe's Body De-
scribed in Rockville Court.
TRIAL OF OLIVER HARRIS
Charged by Prosecution With First
Degree Murder.
LARGE THRONG IN COURTROOM
Little Difficulty Experienced in OBJ
tanning a Jury-State's Attorney
Waters Opens for Government.
TRIAL OF OLIVER HARRIS
LARGE THR0NG IN COURTROOM

Special Dispatch to The Star.
! ROCKVILLE. Nd, November 26.-In
the trial of Oliver Harris today, charged
with the murder last July Of John Hen
son Poole, John W. Poole. the father Of
IT, deceased gave to the court graphic
description of the discovery of his sons
| body in his lonely shack beside the canal
| Not a detail of the gruesome scene did
the gray-iaired Maryland farmer omit.
| The memory of the horrors attendant
upon the finding of his sons body three
weeks after life had left him affected the
witness keenly, but he kept firm control
of himself, even when he handled and
identified the clothing worn by his son at
the time of his death.
Less self-contained was Poole's mother.
who faced her husband bravely when he
began his story, but the recital soon
brought tears to her eyes and she sat
| with bowed head. sohbing silently as Mr..
| Poole continued his story.
/ Opening Statement Of Prosecution.
Within few feet of Mrs Poole sat OIL
| Yer Harris. the defendant. His bearing
terday. He listened closely to the read
ing of the indictment and to States At
torney Waters opening statement. He
smiled once. That was when MIR. Waters
said that he would prove by Harris own
confession that Harris fOully murdered
Poole. The prosecuting attorney declared
that not only did Harris confess to Police
Capt. Humphrey in Baltimore. but that
| he made another confession after he was
brought back to the Rockville jail early
this month to await his trial.
Mr.. Waters said he would prove that
Harris. and Poole were together at Travi-
'ah on the night of July 81, that Poole
exhibited roll of bills in Linthicum
store and said to Harris:
Don't that look good to YOU" and that
Harris replied 1T looks good to me any
old time
Poole's Alleged invitation.
The two then crossed the road to Wat
ers store. the prosecuting attorney de-
clared. There Poole was heard to invite
Harris to spend the night with him.
Harris accepted and the two left the store
together.
We will prove said Mr. Waters. that
the defendant was without funds OH the
| night of July q. but that on the MORN
ing of July % he turned up at Linthi-
Gums store with a large sum Of money
and made several purchases. Before he
reached the store he was seen by friend
| coming from the direction of Pooles
| house. He had three pints of whiskey
| and offered the friend one of the bottles
| When the friend demurred harris told
| him he. Harris had plenty of money"
| Later in the day, according to the pros
ecI. nc attorney, Harris ordered team
from livery stable in Rockville and
n II lie OF md
an to Rockville, where they attended the
Masonic fair.
Mr.. Waters said he would ask for a
verdict Of murder in the first degree.
Large Attendance at the Trial.
| There was large crowd in the court
room today, many of those in attendance
| being friends of the Harris and Poole
| families. Harris father sat beside him,
| while his mother and sister were seated
at the side of the courtroom within the
| rail.
! Little difficulty was experienced this
morning in obtaining jury. The twelve
men finally sworn were John II. Cordel
Josiah ]. Hutton. William P. Jones,
ence Moore. David s. Craver, Francis p.
Musgrove. Clifford l.. Howard, Lewis w.
Barnesley and Leonard l.. Nicholson.
The Fathers Anxiety and Discovery
When he was sworn today John Hudson
Poole said he had become worried over
the disappearance of his son and finally
| went to the house where he lived August
IA. AS he approached the house his sus-
picions were aroused by the appearance at
! one of the windows of a swarm Of flies.
He tried the door and found it locked. AS
| he stopped to peep through the keyhole he
| caught an odor which almost overpowered
| him. He was overcome and went to get
assistance. He met Mr.. Pennyfield and
several other men and they returned to
! his sons house and broke open the door.
Young Pooles body was found locked in
| the closet 1t was covered with a red
| comforter.
Charles Pennyfeld's Story.
Following Mr.. Poole on the stand came
Charley Pennyfie son of George Pen
nyfield of Pennyfield's lock on the canal.
The elder Pennyfield has been known as
character along the canal for twenty
Ave or thirty years He was a great
friend of ex-President Cleveland and the
two often fished together.
Charley Pennyfeld is something of a
character in his own right. He owned
the house young Poole occupied and help
ed the elder Poole to break into the
house and get the body of young Poole
| August IA.
| Pennyf1eld described the finding of the
body. There were three small holes in
his head and one large hole. The small
holes. he thought, had been made by
bullets and the large hole by some in
strument like a hammer.
| Pennifeld went on to say that he rented
the house to young Poole June 1 and that
from then until the time they had found
Poole's body he saw the young man but
once. That was when he went to the
house to get the July rent.
| At o'clock the court took an hour S
recess. George Cornwell had just been
called to the stand at that hour.
| When the court reconvened at o'clock
this afternoon George Cornwell was on
the witness stand. He corroborated the
testimony Of young Pennifield regarding
the condition of the body of Poole when
il was found.