Saint Mary's beacon. [volume] (Leonard Town, Md.) 1867-1983, 1909-09-30
Circuit Court Continued.

At 1920, A. NJ, Thursday, Septem-
Der 20, Joseph Morgan Forrest was
brought into Court and from the
regular panel and Is additional
nemss previously drawn from the
box, the jury was selected as follows:
William f. Ford. Foreman, JUS
tus Ryder, John Johnson, George
Fl. Long, William T. Bennett, j.
BENJAMIN Hebb, Thos. w. Aud.
Edward B Norris, ] Frank Bowles.
John ]. Dean, Igns. Y. Mckay,
Charles A. Pembroke.
Tried on indictment for murder OF
William p. Forrest. Plea OF Not
Guilty"
States Attorney Robert O. Combs
made the opening statement for the
prosecution rehearsing the tragedy
and telling OF the capture OF Joseph
Forrest eighteen days after the sup.
posed date OF the commission OF the
crime. Mr.. Combs stated that the
prisoner had been indicted by the
Grand Jury for murder and said,
Il am here to make good the indict-
ment." Counsel for the defence
Messrs. VIM. Meyerell Loker, Yer
non M. Dorsey and Daniel @. Ham
mett-made no opening statement.
The first witness called for the
State was DIR, Joseph 0. King, who
told OF the finding of the dead bodies
of Mr.. and Mrs. William Z. Forrest
and described their condition and
the condition OF the house and room
where the bodies were discovered.
Justice Joseph G. While, who acted
as coroner 10 the case was the Sc
cond witness and also described the
condition OF the bodies and OF the
house. Brent Davis told OF the cap
ture Of Joseph Forrest when be
came TO his home and asked for
something to eat. He said the boy
drank s glasses OF milk and alto o lot
Of bread. Claimed his name was
William Thompson.
Willie WEIGH testified To- going 10
Mr.. Davis house and there seeing
and talking to the prisoner. Took
prisoner in his buggy to Chaptico.
On the road was met by Constable
w. B. Long. who had been cent for.
Prisoner admitted he was Joseph
Forrest; said he had killed his moth
or accidently and did not know any
thing OF the death OF his father.
w. B. Long corroborated Mr..
WEIGH. Prisoner was given o hear
ing before Justice T. b. Carpenter,
and committed. Brought him to
Leonardtown.
Prisoner told him that he had &C
cidently shot his mother and tried
to take her body to the house; claim.
cd that he didn't know about his
father. Said that after be left home,
he went up the Three Notch road
and out into the woods; that he nur-
sed cows and dug acorns and roots.
While on the road, prisoner went to
sleep and was talking to himself
Prisoner was very weak. Mr..
Longs statement that he didn 3
think prisoners mind was right was
ruled out by Court.
Daniel Guy, deputy sheriff, was
next witness. Testified that he was
at scene OF tragedy two days; found
q bloody ax In garrett.
John Gray, who had been confin-
ed In cell with Joseph Forrest, was
the States main witness. He testi-
fed that he had been In cell with
Forrest for about a month. Had
suggested to Forrest that it would
be good for him to make a clean
breast Of the affair Forrest said he
had shot his mother sccidently; the
load struck her in the back OF the
head, but after she was shot, he took
ak and cut into her head while she
was dying; said he was mad about
going after cattle. When his moth
or asked him about the yearling,
said he had cursed the yearling and
her too. Forrest told him about the
shooting In the cornhouse; said he
carried his mother s body up stairs
that night; didn't remember how he
killed his father Said his parents
were all the time abusing him about
work, and that he hadn't worked
and didn't intend to work Said he
had money OF his own $40 was his;
had $15 and something. Said he
lost two % cents pieces when be
went for abe gear. Didn't remem
Der whether he got the gear. Joe
said be had plenty OF sense; that
most people said he was crazy, but
he wasn't. Gray was subjected to
o rigid cross examination. Said
Joseph Forrest told him Mrs For
rest was on the left side of the corn
house; be was on the right; corn
shelter was on the left side too and
when shot she was between him
and the corn-sheller. fs
John Davis testified that he knew
Mr.. Forrest and that he was about