The Republican. [volume] (Oakland, Md.) 1877-current, 1927-10-27

backed up Bickford's statements. He
said that he was helping repair road
on Meadow Mountain at the time.
Rifle Offered In Evidence
Joy Griffith, deputy sheriff, who
was present during the raid Miss
Swami referred to in her conversation
with Bickford, told the court and jury
that he had found a % calibre rifle
IN the house, which was the gun which
Miss Swami used in the shooting. The
rifle and a number of shells were ex-
hibited in court.
The rifle, Griffith said, when he
found it during the raid, was very
dusty and apparently in a neglected
condition. When it was found after
the shooting, he said, it had evidently
been thoroughly cleaned and oiled up.
Andrew Shartzer, of Oakland, who
testified Monday morning, was placed
on the stand again in the afternoon,
when he also described the condition
of the gun His description was SINH
lar to Grifith's.
Describes Scene of Crime.
Henry Johnson, a Swanton farmer,
testified that he was present at the
farm about one o'clock on the day of
the shooting. He stated that he saw
the body of Mosser and also spots of
blood few feet from the porch of
the house. He picked up % calibre
shell, he said, three or four feet from
the porch, which, he asserted, had the
appearance of having lately been fired.
The shell was produced in court and
he identified it.
John McRobie, of Swanton, was also
present the day of the shooting, he
testified. He stated that he, too, saw
the spots of blood, the first spot be-
ing about 7 feet from the house, ac-
cording to his testimony. The body
was about twenty feet away from the
house. McRobie also testified to find
ing brick in the house and a broken
lamp shade. He was the last witness
of the day.
Doctors Describe Wound.
DR.. N. l. Broadwater, Of Oakland,
and DR.. H. 7. Coffman, of Keyser,
We're among the first witnesses to be
examined after court convened Mon
day afternoon. DR.. Broadwater saw
the body about 1900 o'clock on the
day of the shooting. 1t was stretched
out on the ground, he said, about 20
feet from the house. The legs were
drawn up, he said, and after exami-
ing the dead man he found small
bullet wound in upper left part of
the chest. Mosser's mouth was full
of blood, DR.. Broadwater declared,
which was due to the fact that one of
mans lungs had been punctured by
the bullet.
Both physicians said death must
have been almost instant. They were
questioned to some length by the at
torneys. After being examined by
David A. Robb, for the defense, it
was brought out that the bullet had
glanced on the lower part of the third
rib. 1t was shown that the bullet en-
tered the body at an angle, which,
the attorneys and physicians said,
would indicate that Mosser was eth
er bending over when the bullet hit
him or that the person firing the gun
was in higher position than Mosser.
DR.. Coffman, who performed the au-
topsy, stated that when he examined
the body it was partly decomposed
and covered with white substance.
The wound, he said, which was
clean one, was not difficult to trace.
The widow of the dead man, Mrs.
Daniel Mosser, of Keyser, took the
stand late in the afternoon. Mosser,
she said, left Keyser about 1880 in
the morning Of the day the shoot
ing, taking with him prepared re-
ceipt, which, with the rifle and shell,
were offered by the prosecution as
evidence.
There were frequent objections on
the part of the attorneys during the
taking of the testimony, and twice
the jury was sent out of the court
room while the court considered the
objections.
Defense Admits Facts
William R. Offutt, in opening for
the defense said Monday morning that
they would admit the facts concern
ing the shooting were, in the main,
correct. However, he said, the entire
affair was an accident and that there