Newark evening star and Newark advertiser. [volume] (Newark, N.J.) 1909-1916, 1911-03-06
BEGIN TRIAL OF
HUSKY NEGRO As
WOMAN ) SLAYER
Jury in Murder Trial Is See
cured After One Hours
Work.
DECLARE HE KILLED
FORMER SWEETHEART
Victim Was Terribly Slashed,
Dying Within Short Time
in Hospital.

The trial of Christopher Buntin, the
gigantic West India negro who. On De-
cember 30 last murdered his former
sweetheart, Mary James, at the nome
II John Pointer, 49 Spruce street. wnere
she was employed as a servant, was
taken I'D in the Court of Oyer and
rerniner before Judge Ten Eyck this
morning.
II took a full hour for Prosecutor
wilbur A. Mott and George A. Douglas,
who represents Buntin. TO select a jury
u twelve men. thirty-eight names of
forty-eight on the special panel being
ised. OF the men not accepted seven
teen we're excused by Mr.. Casey for the
defense. -Four were excused by Mr..
Mott. and five talesmen were excused
for cause on expressions of opinion
that they would not vote for capital
punishment under any circumstances.
Albert Weber, IF 297 Camden street,
the first juror drawn, was excused by
consent after the jury-box had been
aIled, as it was found out that he was
IN ill-health,
George Campbell. of Montclair. was
accented in place of Weber and will
act as foreman OF the jury.
Prosecution Opens.
with the jury sworn In Prosecutor
Mott got busy at once and told the
iury that the crime was a cold-blooded
one and that BuntiD should be con-
victed OF murder in the first degree.
The crime was comm tied about 8
So.clock in the evening of December 80
1lntin mad lived in the West Indies
with the James wofnan as his common
law wife for "a number Of years. Id
1903 she lett him and came to Newark,
taking service with the Pointer family.
In August, 1910, Buntin followed her
70 Newark and learned. so he claims
that h was keeping company with q
negro named Williams, Of New Dorp,
Staten Island. Buntin became jealous
and is alleged TO have r1ade several
threats against the woman.
sketch of the Crime.
on the night of the murder. Buntin.
armed with an eight-inch butcher
knife, and a rock weighing about five
pounds, forced his way into the kitchen
Of the Pointer residence, where the
James woman was at work.
According to statements made later
by Buntin ne had some words with the
woman. and after hitting her in the
chest with the rock grabbed her by the
mead and stabbed her in the neck, cut
ting her throat from the front to the
rear, severiAg the jugular vein. HIS
also siashed her on the right wrist
and left hard.
The woman died two hours later
after being removed 10 st. Barnabas's
hospital. Buntin was arrested by
P1ain~clothesman Philip Sebold, Of the
Fourth Precinct. on Spruce street, q
block away from the scene of the
crime, ten minutes after ne had stabbed
the wornan He still a the bloody
l1nife in his possession.
Engineer Kcmpf Testiaes.
The first witness called was Z. @.
Kernpf, a civil engineer, who identified
a diagram made b. him of the lower
floor of the Pointer home. He was fol-
lowell by County physician william Il.
Mckenzie. who told of the wounIs
found on the woman body, n said
she came to her death following
i,emorrbage from the wound in her
throat. Testimony of the same sort
vas given by DR.. Bevier Fl. B. Sleght,
Of 81 Lincoln Park, who was called TO
the Pointer home shortly after the cut
ting, and by Drs. Vail and Hamilton,
of ST. E~arnabas's Hospital, where the
woman later died.
Mrs. Frances POinIer's Story.
Mrs. France Pointer told the jury Of
now she heard sounds Of q quarrel in
the basement, and that a few moments
later Mary James came up the stars
TO the main floor and fell fainting.
Mrs. Pointer called her husband, who,
after calling DR.. Sleght. returned to his
tome just in time to see a man who
answered the description of Buntin
running away from his house.
After Detective Sergeants Ryan and
Fuite, of headquarters, n Plain
cIothesnaan Philip Sebold had told OF
che arrest Of Buntin, Captain Oscar
vogel, of the Fourth Precinct, identI-
fisd an alleged confession made In his
office by Buntin an hour after the cut
ting o place.
Captain yogel said Buntin's con-
eession was a voluntary n n not
secured under duress.
wanted to Make Glenn Breast.
SHE said he wanted to make a clean
breast of 1t all, and then confessed
10 infiicting the wounds that caused
The death Of the James woman.
after the confession had been writ
Ten out Buntin read it over and signed
ii of his own free will" said VogeL
Buntin was then called to he stand
in regard to the confession and adj
mitted he had signed Il. II did IT,"
said the black-skinned 9 foot S inch
West Indian, because the officers told
me It would be the best thing for me
to do"
Several OF the police officers were re-
called to the stand to clear up minor
details Of testimony just before court
adjourned for the noon recess,