Every evening, Wilmington daily commercial., 1918-12-16
CHAS, H, JOHNSON
PLACED ON TRIAL
ON MURDER CHARGE
Accused in Cecil County Court OF
Killing Major John r. King
at Aberdeen.
COURT ROOM CROWDED
Special Dispatch From Every Evenings
staff Correspondent.
Elkton. Md, Dec 16

I SIsSfa JUSpttEN tfbto bN'iS HNs'h"E
staff Correspondent.
Elkton. Md, Dec. 1s.
The court room here was crowded when
| the Circuit Court for Cecil county re-
convened this morning, in view oil the
! fact that it had been announced that
( TODAY Charles Halwardt Johnson, Of
Aberdeen, would be placed on trinl for
murder.
At II.3O o'clock announcement was
made that because of the judges having
! been DELAYED, the convcnlng of court
would bc deferred until 2 O'Clock. and
/ the gathering immediately dlspcrsedl
Attorney-Gencral David J. Reinhardt
| of Delaware occupied chair within the
| bar of the court.
| Army circles arc represented bv many
! of the leading officers OF the proving
/ grounds.
The case is attracting wide attention
| because OF the prominence at the families
Of the patries involved The array Of
legal talent represented on either side pro
baby has never before been cqualcd in the
Cecil County Court.
johnson is charged with shooting and
killing Major John K. King, architect OF
the Governments Proving Grounds on
the morning Of July Il last.
When the case was called for trial at
the November tenn Of Hartford County
Court, upon petition of the State II was
removed to Baltimore county for tTial,
the State alleging IN it's petition that IT
could not obtain y fair and Impartial
trial in Hartford county. Last month. when
the Baltimore County Court convened.
| II was removed to this county upon petition
of the defendant, alleging that he could
not obtain a fair and impartial trial IN
that county.
a large numner Of extra talcsman have
been summoned BY Sheriff McAllistcr
from whom 10 select the jury.
Chief Judge Albert Constable is barred
from sitting in the case because he was
summoned hv the defendant rs a witness.
johnson resided In this county tho greater
part of his life. and was deputy sheriff for
two wears under his father, the late
Samuel johnson Later he was book
keeper and teller for several years in
the Second National Rank, Eikton. He
resigned that position to become cashier
Of the National Bank at Aberdeen, which
position he held up TO about five years ago.
THE TRAGEDY.
Last vesu. when the Government
proving grounds was located near Ater-
deem. johnson obtained q position in The
accounting department. He became ac-
auainted with Major King, acrhitect Of
the grounds. King n little later went 70
the johnson home. having rented n room
there For some time the two men seemed
70 be fast friends, and it is alleged that
Hing used his influence to push Johnson
up in position, because he recognized bis
ability.
During the carly part Of July trouble
broke out between the men, the cause
for which has never been made public.
and Johnson ordered King out of his
home. The Major Is said to have re-
piled that he had rented the room for
month and would not move until the
time was up. Furthermore, he is re-
ported 10 have said he had no other
nlace 10 70 and, therefore, could not be
made 30 get out unll he found other
/ quarters.
Counsel for the defendant, 1t has been
announced, will claim that Johnson act
ed in self-defense when he shot Major
King. Mrs. Johnson heard the shot and
found hing grappling with her husband.
The wounded soldier died several hours
afterward at the post hospital. The
report thai Johnsons mind was tenn
porarilv unbalanced st the time is M
true, according to Harry 5 Carver, enc
Of the counsel for the accused. He says
johnson was violently attacked by Ma or
King and, believing his Dfe In danger,
johnson shot him.
TWO JUDGES SITTING
Judge Phileman B. Hopper of Center
Vile and Judge William p Adkins Of
Easton were on the bench because Of the
disqualification of Judge Albert. Con
stable vi Flkton, because he had been
subpocnaed by the defense as a charsc 4rr
witness.
Both sides have some of the best
legal talent In Maryland. States attorney
Walter f. McComrnas of Belair ard
States attorney Joshua Clayton nf
Elkton, assisted by James j. Archer of
Belair. private Counsel retained by the
King family, are conducting the pro-
secution Stevenson g. Williams, H;rr,
Carver and Thomas H. Robinson e
Belair and William r WarburioD,
Omar D. Crothers. James 1 Evans.
Herrv L. Constable. + Kirk Brown and
Henry II Mccullough Of Elhton ar,
attorneys for the defense
The jury was drawn from regular and
extra panels, composed OF Is and IS lnen
respectively A lorg trial is expected, aa
the State will call 10 witnesses and the
defence 40 The Sheriff Of Hartford county
brought johnson by automobile from
BeIair to Elkton today The judges
who motored TO Elkton did not arrived