Newark evening star and Newark advertiser. [volume] (Newark, N.J.) 1909-1916, 1910-11-25

: PROSECUTOR Crossiey says that the
States case is perfect and that Sears
will be tried for murder in the first de-
gree, regardless of any confession This
Is understood to mean that the prose-
cutor will not be willing to accept
plea of guilty of murder In the second
degree, which would save prisoner
from the death penalty.
Kept AIoof from Negroes
Sears, although ilalf-breed negro.
was not much given TO associating with
colored people He Is or was a member
of the National Guard, belonging to 4.
company at New Brunswick. A2
was in this way that he formed the
acquaintance with Rudolph Norhaus.
the young white man who came to
Dutch Neck yesterday to go cunning
With Sears. The prosecutor is satisfied
that Norhaus has no knowledge CT the
double crime.
OF late years Sears has been of q
morose turn of mind. ENe is said to
have taken "a dislike to his mother.
and at one time the Armstrongs were
forced to send him away from the
homestead because of this. Later he
was permitted TO return.
1t is also claimed that Mrs: Arm
strong has been fearful of Sears and
that she always kept a revolver under
her pillow at night. A revolver was
found under a pillow in Mrs Arm
strong's bed yesterday morning.
John Sears is light skinned negro
with straight hair. 1t has been discoy-
cred that the prisoner. a half-breed.
claims kinship to the minister's wife.
and that he. the negro. expected to re-
ceive an inheritance from Mrs ARM
strone's family when she and her hus-
band, the minister, We're dead
1t is now believed, as Sears admits.
that only one person did the killing.
The finding of two wads from different
gauge shotguns in the room in which
the murders We're committed is still
unexplained. but an autopsy this morn
ing showed that both the minister and
his wife had been killed by the same
gauge gun, which was a twelve gauge
weapon. This corresponds to the gauge
of a gun owned by Sears and his
gun, as shown by an examination, had
been recently discharged. He at first
explained this by saying that he had
been out cunning all day Wednesday.
Sears's Mother Is Watched.
Sears's mother, who is colored, has
been spirited away by the county au-
therities, and it is thought she is be-
ing held as an important witness The
authorities believe she saw her son
kill the aged couple. and that she is
trying to shield him from the conse-
quences of his act
Harry .. Leavitt, assistant cashier
Of the Mechanics Bank. this city. said
A l..
funds in the bank at Cranbury, and
came to the Mechanics Bank here
about every two weeks and had 4
check for SIS or s2o cashed He is be-
lieved to have been a rich man. The
fact that he frequently went to the
bank, ii is thought. made the negro be-
lieve that Armstrong was much
wealthier than he really was.
Coroner Views Bodies
jury empaneled by Coroner W
Bower, of Mercer county. today viewed
the bodies of the Rev. Anzi L. Arm
strong and his wife, who were muir
dered at their home, in Dutch Neck.
Wednesday night. The Jury alsA
made a thorough inspection OF the
house in which the aged couple were
killed. The coroner fixed December
as the day for taking testimony. The
jury will sit in the Mercer County
Court House here
The murderer entered the house from
the front porch Mrs. Armstrong WAS
reading in the dining-room. and sli8
apparently went to see who had en-
tered the house. She was shot and in
stantly killed, all the shot entering her
breast. Not shot was found in us<
walls or in the furniture
Mr.. Armstrong upon hearing the shot
came from his study at the right uf
the hall and he was shot as he 81.
tered the dining-room, AS tn the case
of his wife every shot fron the gun
entered his body and killed him m
stantly, the charge entering near tbs
heart.
The houzskseper Says shs hsar.z -