- DemoreaticAlla
Terms, 82.00 a Year, in Advance,
Bellefonte, Pa., November 29, 1889.
P. GRAY MEEK, - - -
Evrror.
THE HOPKINS MURDER TRIAL.
Damaging Testimony Against the Pris-
oner — Evidence of How Bloody
Murder Followed Abusive Treat-
mene of His Family— Details
of One of the Most dttroci-
ous Deeds in the Crim i-
nal Annals of the State.
The trial of Wm. S. Hopkins tor
murder commenced on Tuesday morn-
ing at 9.30, the grand jury having |
found a bill of indictment against him
for having killed his mother-in-law,
Mrs. Hester Wighaman. A bill of in-
dictment was also found against him
for killing his wife, Mrs. Maggie Hop-
kins. It will be observed that the
charge for which he was made to an-
swer with his life in this case was not
for the killing of his wife, who was the |
victim of his murderous pistol at the Dinth juror selected.
same time that his mother-in-law was
slaughtered, and who was shot first.
This may have been intended te avoid
any plea that might have been set up
in his defense on the ground of the al-
leged infidelity of his wife, and which
could not apply to the ruthless murder
ot Mrs. Wighaman.
The circumstances of the terrible act
are well known to our readers, it hav- |
ing occurred in the town of Philipsburg,
on Sunday, 22nd of last September.
Hopkins was married to the daughter
of Mrs. Wighaman some two years and
a half ago and had been living very dis-
cordantly with her and her mother. Some |
time before the murder he was charged
monwealth. Jonathan Packer, of Boggs
had formed an opinion and Was stood
aside. R. O. Way, a Quaker of Half
Moon, was opposed to capital punish-
ment and accordingly challenged. T.
F. Adams, of Milesburg, qualified, but
set aside by defense. ‘Wm. Hopkins, of
Howard borough, had formed an opin-
ion and was opposed to capital puni:h-
ment; challenged. W. G. Gray, of
Philipsburg, had formed and expressed
an opinion and was set aside. James
Harris, of Bellefonte, was qualified, but
challenged by defense. Joseph Schenk,
of Howard borough, also qualified, but
by commonwealth. G. R.
Quick, of Boggs township, was the
eighth juror accepted. Ienry Gentzel,
of Spring township, was qualified, but
was challenged. W. E. Irwin, of Phil-
ipsburg, had formed an opinion and
was opposed to capital punishment ;
challenged for cause. Silas Dickson, of
Burnside, qualified, but stood aside.
S. 8. Chrissman, of Philipsburg and
Henry Norris, of Pation, were chal-
lenged for having formed opinions, and
Geo. Wyland, of Patton, who had the
qualifications, was also set aside. John
Confer, of Shoe, the
James Houser, of
rejected
Snow was
Benner township, who had formed an
opinion, and Wm. Ellenberger, of Fer-
guson, who hadn't formed an opinion,
were alike rejected, as was also James
| P. Frank. of Miles, who had the quali-
fications.
exhausted.
The panel had now become
Abednego Stine was recall-
ed and again rejected, as was also
ry Vaughn and W. C. Farner. Upon
being reealled Mark Mooney was ac-
cepted as the tenth juror. W. Ellen-
berger recalled and rejected, and Simon
Wyland recalled and taken as the
eleventh juror. After John G Uzzle
[aud M. D. Mooney were recalled and
with having beaten her, for which le |
was arrested and afterwards discharged.
He then went to Houtzdale, but return- |
ing shortly after, he got stealthily into
the house by way of the cellar early in
the morning in question, and coming | 5 : oh A :
> q 7 > | Gunsallus, farmer, Snow Shoo tp; 8,
suddenly upon bis wife while she was |
washing the breakfast dishes, shot her, |
and then, proceeding upstairs, shot his
mother-in-law, their deaths being the |
immediate result of the shootine. His
subsequent unsuccessful attempt to kill
himself is well known.
The prisoner was brought into court
on Tuesday morning at the hour above
stated, and appearing at the bar was or-
dered to stand up, when the bill of in-
dictment charging him with having
murdered Hester Wighaman was read,
to which he pleaded “not guilty.” Then
came the drawing of the jury which
was not attended with as much difficulty
and delay as was expected.
:The first one drawn was M. P. Holter,
of Howard, who after stating that he
guilt of the prisoner and had no consci-
entious scruples against capital punish- |
m ; 3
The second juror | or ;
: J | the different grades of murder.
ment, was accepted.
drawn was Geo. Eckel of Pine Grove
Mills, who although qualified substan-
challenged by the defense. The third
was Abednego Stine, of Half Moon
township; he had no opin‘on in regard
to the case and no Seruples agairst eap-
ital punishment, but was set aside by
commonwealth. Fourth, Henry Vaughn
of Philipsburg ; admitted to beine hard
of hearing; challenged by the com-
monwealth. TF. B. Stover, of Belle-
fonte, had formed an opinion about the
guilt of prisoner ; set aside by defense.
Geo. Gent el, of Spring Mills, the sixth
drawn was the second accepted.
third accepted. Andrew Glenn, ot Col-
lege township; no scruples about hang-
ing nor opinion about guilt of prisoner, |
but challenged by defendant. Levi
Stump, of Potter township. same im-
pressions ahout prisoner and capital
punishment, but challenged by defend-
ant. W. C.+Farner, of ‘Potter town-
ship; same impressions, but challenced
by commonwealth. Cornelius Houtz,
of College. was the fourth juror selected.
Mark Moony, of Millheim, who was not
opposed to hanging ard had no opinion
as to guilt of prisoner, was neverfheles
stood aside. John Gunsallus, of Snow
Shoe, was the fifth sclected. Then
came Henry Ellenberger, of Philips-
bure, Wm. Harter, of Penn, Geo. Ocker,
of Centre Hall and Simon Nihart, of
Bogos, all of whom professed to have
formed no opinion and had no seruples
against capital punishment, but were
set aside by either commonwealth or de-
fendant.
admitted to have formed an opinion
and was accordingly stood aside by
commonwesnlih. S. . Royer, of Pot-
ter township, was the sixth selected.
Balzer Weber, of Howard, was set
Edward Moore, of Ferguson,
aside hecanse Le was opposed to capital
punishment. John Z. Uzzle, of Snow
Show, was challenged although he
wasn’t opposed to capital pnnishment
and had no opinion in regard to guilt
or innocence of prisoner, Joseph Apt,
of Spring township, seventh juror ac-
cepted. M. D. Moony, of Snow Shoe,
had the necessary qualifications but was
challenged hy commonwealth. John
Meese, of Bellefonte, had the qualifica-
tions, but was also challenged by com-
rejected the second time, Jonathan
Packer, of Bog
twelfth and last juror.
The jury as completed was as follows:
M. P. Holter, carpenter, Howard ; Goo.
was aceepted as the
Gentzel, farmer, Grege tp; James
Turner, farmer, Howard tp;
lius Houtz, laborer, College tp.; John
Corne-
E. Royer, farmer, Potter tp; Joseph
Apt, mine boss, Spring thy GB,
Quick, carpenter, Boges tp. John
+ Confer, Tumberman, Snow Shoe ; Mark
Mooney, farmer, Millbeim; Simon
i Nybart, teamster, Bogas tp.; Jonathan
Packer, blacksmith, Boggs.
After the selection of the jury court
adjourned until 2 o'clock, when the
| trial was resumed by the appearance of
i the prisoner and the swearing of the
|
Jury. Judge Furst then enjoined upon
them the duty of keeping apart from
i the world during the continuance of
the trial and holding no communication
with any one concerning the case. The
Court directed the ttpstaves to exclude
dl boys under 16 years of age from the
| Court room during the continuance of
d formed no opinion in recard to the | . 3
had fi ® BD gard ¢ i the trial. The case was then opened by
| District Attorney Mayer for the com-
iy ditated
» ! ments o premeditate
was James Turner, of Howard, and the | 1 "
monwealth, who explained to the Jury |
There
was no question, he said, that the pris-
: : | oner at tue bar had killed the party for
tially the same as the first juror, was | 7 Cl
” D ? | whose death he was charged with mur-
der. Ifthere was malice in a homi-
cde it constituted murder 1n the first
aegree aud it was for the jury to deter-
mine whether there was a malicious
motive for the act which the prisoner
had committed. He showed the deadly
Weapon by which that act had been done,
the very character of whi:h weapon im-
plied a determination to kill. He enter-
tained no doubt that the homicide,
which was not questioned, could be |
proved to have contained all the ele-
murder, and
therefore Le could ask a verdict of
oS
from the jury.
COMMONWEALTH'S TESTIMONY,
The first witness for the comm on-
wealth was W. R. Williams who show-
ed a draft of the building where the
homicide had been committed and the
cellar window through which Hopkins |
gained entrance.
P. J. Myers showed from the draft the
location of the rooms in the house,
two down and two upstairs, and
the lceation of the cellar stairs
where the prisoner came up to do the
shooting. He is a brother of Mrs Wig-
haman and the last time he saw her was
on Saturday before the murder, and the
next time was dead. On Sunday
morning he was standing on his back
porch and heard two shots. He ran to
Alport’s livery stable he
Hopkins on his kn. es bleeding. Ie
said he had shot his wife and mother-in-
law. Then went to Mrs.
Wighaman's and found Mrs.
Maggie Hopkins lying almost dead on
the kitchen floor. Started to go up
she
where
SAW
witness
house
stairs but came back and went to tele-
graph to Robert Wighaman, Mrs. Wig- |
haman’s son.
tobert Wighaman, son and brother
of the two murdered women, testified
that the occupants of the house had
been Mrs. Hopkins, Seely Hopkins,
Mrz, Wighaman and himself.
stated how on the Sunday morning of the
murder his mother got breakfast for him
and he started for Clearfield. "The
train was stopped at Graham’s Station
Tr,
5
where he got off and was taken back
howe and there found his mother and
sister dead.
Charles Johnston testified how he had
stayed at Mrs. Wighaman’s with Ro-
bert all night before the murder, leay-
ing the next morning. About half an
hour after he left he was told that Mrs.
Wighaman and Mrs. Mageie Hopkins
had been shot. He went at once and
found them both dead—both had been
shot in the head. The wound in Mrs,
Wighaman’s head was on the right side,
She was lying on the flcor in the bed
room over the dining room. Mrs. Mag-
gie Hopkins was lying in the kitchen
with a bullet wound in bier head.
of them.
Hen- |
guilty of murder in the first degree |
Dr. G. D. McGirk, practicing physi-
There |
was a pool of blood at the head of each | 1 :
! : ‘man ; Hopkins told me when in the
! yard digging post holes that he and his
wife could not live with her mother as |
| cian of Philipsburg, testified that in |
| passing Mrs. Wighaman’s house on the
! morning of the murder he saw a man
coms out bear headed, in his stocking
feet, and without a coat, and he started
[to run towards Alportes stable. Witness
Idid not know who he was when he saw
him come out of the house. Saw noth-
ing in his hands when he came out. !
Saw this man snap a revolver at his
| head and heard shots at the livery stable.
Saw him try to shoot himself. Recog-
| nized the prisoner as the person he saw
| that morning. Hedropped on the pave-
| ment after the third shot. After he fell
down he grabbed for the revolver aguin,
but some one took it before he got it. |
{Saw him aim at his head and then
dodge,
John R. Aikens testified that Lis
plumber shop is across from the livery
stable and near the Wighaman house.
He was in his shop on the Sunday
morning of the murder. Yhen
came out on the street he saw Hopkins
Hopkins said “John,
he
on Laurel street.
John, I have done the deed.”
He was then in the
Looked
a revolver
Witness ran
away beennsa he was afraid of hin.
ed to witness twice.
livery stable.
him have
alley near the
back and saw
pointing it at his head
Dr. J. H. Peirce sworn; Was standin | : : oe
’ > anything new. Macgie told her he invited
man | 2 ps |
at the door of my office. Saw a
standing on the street with a revolver in
his hand holding it to his head. I
heard one shot and then I van to the
livery stable and found Hopkins to have
the head which were
After fixing him up 1
Wighaman’s house und
e on the floor almost dead
froma wound in the head. TI went up
stairs and found Mrs. Wighaman dead
lying near the bed, one ball
strack at the left angle of the jaw, puss-
wounds in
scalp wounds,
ran to Mrs
found Mi;
Lia fl
ing upwards ; the other wasin the head.
This one must have produced death in-
stantly. Myself and Di. Buckingham
held a post mortem examination. The
first most have been shot upward ;
the second no doubt when she was on
her knees.
Dr. Buckingham in his testimony
corroborated Dr. Pierce as to the exami-
nation, testifving to the fatal character
of the wounds.
Mrs. Blanch Myers and Mrs. Pru-
dence Henmes, neighbors of the murder-
ed women, testified to seeing them lying
dead in the positions in which they had
fallen when they were shot down.
| Sheriff Cooke's testimony was to the
| effect that when the coroner's jury was
held he took charge of the bull dog re-
volver, No 93401, with which the
"crime had been committed, and that he
bad kept it in Lis custody until he
handed it over to District Attorney
Meyer. It contained when he received
it six empty shells and one chamber
i was entirely empty.
District Attorney Meyer testified to
‘having received the revolver from Sher-
tt Cooke and it was the one presented
'in evidence before the Court.
At this point the court adjourned until
3.45 Wednesday morning. Upon its con-
vening at that time Fred Land was
! the first to testify. Was at Alport liv-
| ery stable on the morning of the shoot-
(ing; saw the revolver and had it in his
hands, but did not examine it.
Samuel Rhule identified the revolver
| which was handed to him at Alports
'stableand which he presented at the in-
| quest, :
wman—IHopkins told me
he would kill Hester Wighaman ; toid
me at wy house near Houtzdale; he
showed a special ill will towards Murs.
Wighaman. He told me this when he
was at my house with his wife; she
eft on the 2:27 train ; don’t know whee
Le went; when he came back I toid
him his wife had gone home; our con-
versation was concerning their troubles ;
they walked from the staticn ; he told
me he would kill T. J. Myers, Esther
| Wighaman and Miss Emiline Clarkson ; |
I told him I didn’t want to hear that
language in my house, that I preferred.
him to stay away if that was the man-
ner in which be carvied on; Mis. II 1
kins said she and her husband had some
trouble; she told Hopkins
abusing her and her mother, and asked
me wis
me what they should do; told her they |
should move away by themselves apart
from
said her husband would not do it; he
was sitting by the side of his wife, and
when she said this he reached for his
hip pocket and with an oath declared ho
would kill Mrs. Wighaman, T. J. My- and handed him over to
ers and Mis. Clarkson, or any other
He call- |
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[their troubles; Mrs. Wighaaan
Mrs, Wighaman ; Mus. Hopkins !
person who would interfere with him |
and his wife; she also said he blamed
her for not being true to him ; he show-
ed special ill-will towards her when in
my house looking mad or cross like ;
so'far as I can rememter, this was the
exact conversation that passed between
us; he looked angry when he left.
Hopkins told me at the same time that
he would not go to housekeeping ; told
me ke could not tind a house to suit
him; told him I would help him if he
did rent a house.
Mrs. Jennie Wighaman sworn—Live
near Houtzdale ; am wife of J. JJ. Wig-
haman ; frequently visited Mrs. Wigha-
she was mean and stingy ; these were
their troubles; was there again latter
partof July when Mr. and Mrs. Hop-
kins and Mrs. Wighaman was there ;
took dinner with them and they told me
said
Hopkins was ill-using both of them, that
was Maggie and herself; whole sub-
stance of ‘the complaint was that
he was not treating them right;
Hopkins went out for awhile and when
he came back he grasped Mrs. Wigia-
man by the throat and pushed her in the
corner uttering an oath and asking her
whether she had told me all about the
fuss ; Maggie also told me in Hopkins
presence how she had wo suffer at his
hands; Hopkins then went out a second
time ; after re came back he picked up
the stove poker and threatened to use it;
he also suid he would kill her— Mrs.
Wighaman; he complained to me
that the “old woman” was mean stingy
and dirty ; he made no complaint to me
against Macgie; said she was all right ;
took Maggie
away ; came
I was afraid of him and
with me went
back the next day.
when 1
Cross-Examined—Tt was in July
when I was there that he o rasped Mis.
Wighaman by the throat.
ination of this witness did not bring out
gentlemen to the house one evening
after she and her mother were in bed
they brought some beer with them ; next
{ evening Hopkins invited Mr. Hughes to
come to his house; Hopkins went out |
and told Maggie that if Hughes came
before he (Hopkins)returned they should
ask him to come in and wait for his re-
tarn ; Hughes came, was invited in as
{ per Hopkins’ request, and in about fif-
havi | teen ; minutes Seeley came back; tron
waving | .
that time on Hopkins blamed Maggie
with being too intimate with Hughes ;
it looked to me like a black-mailing
scheme on the part of Hopkins to extort
money from Hughes. |
Mrs. Agnes McCulley, of Bellefonte,
sworn—was visiting at Wighaman’s in |
August last. Mrs. Hopkins and Murs.
Wighaman were at Dorsey Meyer's
Louse one evening while 1 was there; |
Hopkins came in later in the evening |
and asked Maggie where she had been
all evening, whereupon she answered
“why, in here ;” Hopkins then replied;
“ves, like h Hopkins and Mag-
aie then went home, afteewards heard |
them quarrel in the kitchen of is own |
house; heard him say he would shoot |
some one but don’t know who it was he |
meant. This was Aug. 2Istlast; when |
Mrs. Wighaman and I got back Seeley
and Maggie were quarreling in the
kitchen ; he said he overheard some re-
marks at the Passmore House earlier in
the evening derogatory to Maggie's
character; he made threats to shoot!
some one bnt J did noi hear who was!
meant. |
Mis. T. J. Myers.—Live in Philips- |
burg, am the wife of T. J. Meyers, |
know Secley Hopkins whois 26 or 27
old; frequently visited Mrs, |
Wighaman; heard Hopkins
threats against Mrs. Wighaman; he
would cut their hearts out ; several times |
Mrs. Wighaman was chased out of the
house by Hopkins; heard her beg of
Seeley for G.d’s sake notto kill Mag-
gie ; about every time he went into the
house the result was a quarrel between |
years
make |
a
them; my house is only a lot’s breadth |
from that of Mrz. Wighaman and could |
hear all lond conversation between the |
parties ; Hopkins and his wife never
lived happily together.
Robert Wighaman upon being re-
called testified that three weeks before
the murder Hopkins swore in bis hear-
ing that he would kill bis mother, was
very absive towards her, frequently
threatening to sheot and kill her.
Dorsey Myers: Went for constable
Gortner on a sunday morning about
three weeks before the murder, to have |
Hopkins arrested for abusing his wife |
and Mrs. Wighaman., When he came
back with the constable, found Hopkins
in the wood house, had no warrant for
Tuesday following there |
another fuss and I went to the
at the foot of the
stairs and as he attempted to escape,
and afraid he had
and waa trying to get away, I caught
his arrest.
was
I met him
housa,
killed some one
bim and gave him several squeezes,
Mrs. Wighaman waz ont getting a
warrantifor Hopkins arrest for abusing
Maggeie and herself, but he got nway
When
arrested him
Constable
and remained several davs. lie
came hack, cfiicer Glich
Gortner,
Cross-exam-
York, who testified
| ner
Mrs. Dorsey Myers: Heard Hop-
kins and Maggie quarrelling: live on
the same lot with Mrs. Wighaman.
During Summer Hopkins made fre-
quent expressions against Mrs. Wigha-
man, saying that he was thirsty for her
blood, and that he would kill her, cut
her heart out and similar threats ; he
said that if it wasn’t for the law he
would kill her ; then he said. d—m the
law T will not hang anyhow ;” saw
him choke Mrs. Wighaman because she
would not use the butter knife to help
herself to butter from the plate. Sever-
al times heard Seely and Macwoie quarrel;
went to the door but was afraid to enter
for fear be would kill me ; knew he was
hurting her because she screanied ; then
went for my hushand and screamed
“murder;” after T had my husband at
the house T went in.
Emiline Clarkson testified that she
Leard Hopkins frequently make threats
against Mis. Wighaman ;
betcre the murder he threatened to kill
her; Mrs. Wichaman was her sister; he
threatened to ruin her and his wife ; he
threatened to burn Mais, Wighaman’s
Louse and also that of the witness, and
would kill them all.
Officer Glich testified to having ar-
rested Hopkins on the Wednesday be-
fore the shooting on a warrant and be-
fore he could get bail handed him over
to Constable Gortner,
P. J. Laport, Justice of the Piece at
Philipsburg ; When Hopkins
brought to my office immediately after
the murder I «aid “Seely, what have
you done?”
was
fe answered “I have shot
Mageie and Mrs. W ichaman.” When
brought to my office he had no shoes or
coat on; these garments were found at
the house of Mrs. Wighaman. I had
no trouble in getting Hopkins to make
answer to all questions asked him. I
committed him to jail.
Dr. J. W. Dunwiddie testified that he
heard Hopkins say, “Ishot Maggie and
her mother,” and when asked what he
did it for he said, “for satisfucti mi
did it for revence.
fn J. M. Glich's testim my he stated
that when ‘Hopkins was lving in the
public building at Philipsburg after the
murder and his attempt at suicide, he
heard him say how he came from Houiz-
dale on Saturday : how he erawled in
the cellar window; how he laid all
night; how he shot his wife in the
kitchen Sunday morning ; his wife said,
“go out, Seely; then ho put his arm
around her and shot her; then he went
up aad shot Mrs. Wighaman
while she was on her kinces; he” bought
the revolver at Rochester, N. Y. ;
stairs
FOR THE DEFENSE,
This was the close of the evidence for
the W. ¥. Reeder,
e:q , then opened for the defense. The
first witness on that side was Dr. P. G.
Udell, a physician of Spencerport, New
that some fifteen
commonwealth.
[ Years ago hetreated Hopkins for a wound
{in the head ; it was a scalp wound and
not a fracture, and was not of a charac-
to produce insanity.
Frank Markz, express manager at
Osceolo had been a friend of Hopkins ;
| he was a joily fellow ; bug last Septem-
der while working as a carpenter on the
Davis building at Osceola he came into
| the express office and was very quiet
and showed some signs of trouble, but
there was no appearance of insanity
about him,
John R. Aikens of Philipsburg ;
Hopkins looked as if Le was bothered
about something ; said he had got de-
tectives out for bis wife and Mrs, Wigha-
+ man.
Wm. Fergeson swore that he saw
Hopkins at his stable the Saturday be-
fore the murder; he looked strange
and asked for a piece of bread; went to
t the house and cot him something to eat ;
he appeared to be in trcuble about his
bail.
Burt Hopkins, of Rochester, N. Y.
isworn; Am a brother of the man on
trial ; on the 13th of September W.,
Seeley Hopkins came to Rochester,
| walked into the house in a peculiar’ man-
the folks 777 He
followed me around like a doo and acted
very queerly ; he afterwards ran away
and T had to get a horse and buggy and
asked “How 13
hunt him ; I lived in Spenceport when
| my brother got hurt in the planing mill,
during his sickness he was delivions and
the cov
tx were hard to keep on bim dur.
ing his sickness and he tore his mother's
dress off ; he has an uncle and an aunt
nan asylum in England and they have
been removed to several of
asylums
on wccount of their bad condition.
At four o'clock Wednesday afternoon
the prisoner was put on the stand to
V
tell his own storv of the crime. Ie
said he was 29 vears of ave last July.
Y., where
His
father died in Rochesterabout 26 vears
was born mm Spencerport, N.
he lived until 21 years of
age.
ago: his mother is 3 ill living but al-
most dead from crief resulting from the
situation in which he: is now in.
came to Philipsburg eight years ao
he is a carpenter and worked for some
Mag-
ago;
time building cars. He inarvied
gie Wighaman about three vears
they spent some weeks at Spencerport
among friends, returned to Philipsburg
and went to housekeeping which they
tried about three months but
couldn’t make things meet; then they
for
everal days,
|
|
{ about it.”
| He didn’t
moved into the honse with Mrs, Wicha-
man; there they lived an nohappy life
almost all the time, always having
some family tronble. Gn one ocension
he brought home some meat and his
wife wouldn't cook it but threw it out
of doors; they then bewin (uu ;
and after the quarrel Myers came in,
took him by the throat!and choked him.
The trouble, he said, was caused by
his wife and mother-in-law always
picking at him. He denied ever hav-
ing used violence towards his mother-
in-law. Ile claimed that he paid rent
to Mrs. Wighaman; she was dirty and
stingy; she gave him no money and
expected him to work for nothing for
her; she did norassist in keeping up ‘he
table; in the family quarrels he often
broke a chair. He remembered a areat
many things that happened before the
the circumstances of the crime, deny-
ing point blank that he had commited
the offence with which he was charged,
recollect ooing into the cel-
lar of Mrs, Wighaman's house on the
nicht previous to the kiiling of Mrs,
Wighaman and his wite; he didn’t re-
member Iving under the cellar steps
all night; he said Le never kiew
of the shooting of his wife nor did he
recollect going up stairs and shooting
his mother-in-law. When asked when
lie lieard of the affair he answered, “I
read 1t in the newspapers since I was
in jail and hearing other people talk
To the question whether he
had not said that he wished he had
killed more while he was at it, he re-
plied, “I don’t remember saying any-
thing of the kind,” and to attorney
Spangler’s question, “what are von
here for?! he answered, “I suppose I
am here to answer your questions,
that's all.” When the examination
closed Lie was assisted off the stand by
the Sheriff, ’
The evidence for the defense here
closed, expecting two more witnesses
from Rochester, N.Y,
COMMONWEALTH'S REBUTTAL,
One Thursday mornine the prosecu-
tion called Paul McUnlley who testifi-
ad that be had worked with Hopkins
several years at the carpenter trade and
never saw anything in his conduet that
would in the st indicate insanity :
Lie niwavs talked rational, :
Neveral other witnesses in sucees-
sion testified that they knew and had
been with Hopkins previous to the
murder ard saw no hine in him that
indicated insanity, C
Dr. Pierce, npon being vecalled, said
that there is no such a thing 2s emo-
ional insanity; he saw Hopkins the
day re the crime and he
as perfectly sane then, and he was
the same on Sunday, the day of the
hooting. Fle was positive that Hop-
kins is perfectly sane, and has been so
ali atony-
Abraham Mills, one of the jail pris-
oiers, testified that Hopkins told him
that he was not one hit sorry for what
he had done.
A letter was handed in in evidence,
written bv Hopkins at Fairport, N. YY.
Sept. 9. 1889, in which he said that he
“will live to eat the goose that eats
the grass off the graves of his wife and
mother-in-law.”
The testimony an hoth sides was
here closed, the two witnesses for the
defense that were expected from
Rochester having failed to make their
appearance,
hot
For
Meyer,
the prosecution, Mr.
District Attorney, summed
up the case. Ho was followed by W.
¥. Beoder,' esq.’ ‘for the delonse
J. L. Spangler, esq., closed for the
Commonwealth. The speeches oceu-
pied about seven hours. At eight
o'clock on Thursday evenine the Judge
began Lis charge to the jury, which
was 2 plain presentation of the law ap-
plicable to che facts, as presented by
the witnesses, tobe judeed of by the
jury. At 9 o'clock the jury retired.
YERDICT, GUILTY,
The jury went out to deterinine upon
their verdict at fifteen minutes of nine,
the Jud ge announcing that Court would
remain in session until eleven o'clock
to wait for their decision. The Court
House was crowded, and but few of
the andience lefi the room, as the im-
pression was that a verdict would be
rendered before eleven o'clock. The
greatest decorum was observed auring
the interval of waiting, conversation
among the audience being conducted in
alow tone. The Judge left the bench
temporarily, and the prisoner was
taken back to jail. There was the
usual specnlation as to what the ver.
dict would be, but the impression was
general that it would be for murder in
the first desree. About ten o'clock
Judge Furst returned to the court
room and resumed his seat on the
bench. Shortly after, a stir was seen
about the door of the jury’ room,
and at fifteen minutes after 10 o'clock
it was annonnced that the jury had
agreed upon a verdict. The Judge no-
tified the Sheriff to bring the prisoner
into conrt, and requested the aud-
ience to make no demonstration upon
the rendering of the verdiet, whatever
it might be. Very soon Hopkins,
followed by the Sherifi, came through
the back enerance, and at the same
time the jury filed in. The prisoner
looked a trifle scared, but he soon re-
covered his usual stoicism. “Gentle.
men of the jury, have you agreed upon
vour verdiei 277 asked the clerk, “the
foreman answered “we have.” and the
paper containing the fateful decision
was handed to the elerk who read from
it the verdict of guilty of murder in the
first degree. A little twitching of the
muscles of the face was all the emo-
tion Hopkins dis ury was
then polled, each one declaring the
character of the verdict. Then “they
were discharged, the court adjourned,
the crowd quatetly left the room, and
Hopkins was led back io his lonely
cell.
layed. The j
murder, but was entirely oblivious of
Jd. C.
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