Evening star., 1928-10-27
ROBERTSON TAKES
STAND IN DEFENSE
Denies Killing Mills, Owning
Black Shirt and Firing Pis-
toI Taken by Police.

By STAFF Correspondent OF The Star.
FREDERICK, Md, October 81
Samuel P. Robertson, on trial here for
first-degree murder, took the stand in
his own behalf today and, speaking i'll
clear decisive tones, denied that he had
killed Edward L. Mills.
Robertson's wife, who had testified for
her husband few minutes before, sat
directly in front of him and cried dur
ing the entire time he was telling of his
movements from the day of the murder
up to the time he was brought to trial.
Robertson wore gray-striped suit
with a white collar and tie. He ap-
peared nervous when he first took the
stand but soon gained assurance and
at times gave evidence of temper, par
ticnlarly when denying report that
his wife had told him she had been
abused by Mills.
Robertson denied that he had ever
fired the pistol which was taken from
him by police, that, he had ever owned
a black shirt, that he had ever en-
tertained any i'll feeling toward Mills
and that he had taken a pistol with
him when he went to see Wilson Trout
in April, shortly before his arrest.
Tells of Examination.
Robertson, who is 80 years old, said
that he was born near Hunting Hill on
farm adjoining the Mills home. On
several occasions before his sixteenth
birthday, he said, he worked on the
Mills farm, and frequently ate his meals
AL. II tNfc
story, picking up the narrative at the
time of his arrest. He described the
manner in which he was taken to Balti-
more and subjected to rigid exani-
nation by police of that city in the
presence of Alvie MoXley of the Mont
gomery County police force.
Time after time they asked me II /
killed Ed Mills. / always answered that
I did not. They locked me up in cage
unfit for monkey and kept me man
acled like dog Finally I became so
sick and nervous that when a detective
asked me again if had killed Mills
replied that I wouldn't say that did
and wouldn't say that didn't until
could talk to lawyer.
II asked them as many as Is times for
permission to see my wife, but was
never permitted to do this During that
time she had no way of knowing where I
was. The police were abusive and often
threatened me, but may manner toward
them was always that of gentleman.
"On the way back to Baltimore my
hands were locked in front of me with
handouts, even though there were
three policemen in the automobile.
Chief Moxley asked me several times
if I were comfortable, and I answered
that was. meaning that did not want
any help from him."
Admits Buying Typewriter.
Robertson admitted that he had pur-
chased the typewriter, but declared that
he had never learned to operate it.
Robertson declared that he went to
bed early in the night before the shoot
ing and that he did not get up until
about 7:30 o'clock the next morning.
Mills was killed shortly after daybreak
on the morning of July 2, 1927. Robert
son said that he went to a church
festival that night, taking his wife and
three children with him. Several OF
his friends had testified that he did
not seem to be in any way i'll at ease.
On the following day he said he went
to. the home of his parents who live on
a farm adjoining that of Mills. I'VE
talked a little bit about Ed Mills being
killed and / was interested because I
had known him as boy. decided to
go over and see Andrew Baughn1an,
who lived across the road from Mills,
Baughman told me about the killing
and we talked for several minutes be-
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