Rock Island Daily Argus

The Direct Evidence for the Prosecution in the Hill Case.
The Witnesses for the Defense so Far Examined—Summary of the Evidence Submitted.

The Hill vitriol throwing case is still in progress in the circuit court, and marked interest is shown in its outcome, the court room being thronged with spectators during every session.

Horst Von Keeckritz, proprietor of the Fourth avenue drug-store, was examined. He testified to having sold W. B. Hill some nitric acid on Nov. 2, which was the bottle which Hill claims to have purchased for his horses' hoof.

Miss Grace Sturgeon was then examined, and her evidence has tended to strengthen the theory of Dr. Kioyon as to the manner in which the acid was thrown. Her testimony was to the effect that on the morning following the occurrence, she saw Hill step from his porch and pick up something near the root of a tree which he hurled into the street. It struck in the street car track with a sound of breaking glass. Afterward hearing of the authorities were looking for a bottle she, together with her mother and Mrs. Hartz, went out to where the object had struck and found the fragments of a broken tumbler. She picked up the glass and took it home, where upon examining it she found that her nostrils and eyes were irritated from some substance apparently on the glass. She kept the glass and later delivered it to the state's attorney. Witness also stated that Mr. Hill afterward admitted having thrown out an old glass that morning.

Robert Fullerton, prescription clerk at Marshall & Fisher's drug store, took the stand and testified to having received the fragments of glass from the state's attorney, and had washed them carefully with distilled water, and afterward examined the solution for the presence of nitric acid. He found unmistakable signs of the acid combined with calcium and sodium.

State's Attorney Sturgeon then took the stand and swore to having delivered the box to Mr. Fullerton just as he had received it from Miss Sturgeon, which closed the case for the prosecution.

The first witness for the defense was Mrs. W. B. Hill, but her testimony was objected to on the part of the prosecution on the ground that it was incompetent. A long legal argument followed in which numerous decisions were cited on both sides, it being a stubbornly contested point of law. Judge Glenn allowed the witness to testify however, and her testimony was to the effect that she was married to Hill 12 years ago in Pittsburg, Pa. She was awakened the night in question by having something thrown into her face. She awoke and saw the arm of a man above her and recognized in the room a man named Robert Jones, a rejected suitor of hers, who fled from the room. In his flight passing through her husband's room. She then aroused her husband and he went for a doctor.

It being time for adjournment court was adjourned until this morning, when the case was again taken up and the hearing of Mrs. Hill's evidence was continued, during which it was brought out that one Robert White, a porter on a Pullman car had boarded with them sometime and that he had gone to Chicago about a week before she left on a visit to Pitt-burg, from which place she had returned a short time before the occurrence.

Charley Hill, the 7-year-old son of Mr. and Mrs. Hill, was put upon the stand, and told the story of how he had been awakened that night, and being told by his mother to go after the doctor, which he did. He also said positively that his father and mother had been at home all evening, and that his mother had put him to bed. His other testimony was corroborative of his mother's.

W. A. Taylor, a young colored man who worked and made his home with the Hills, was next called. He testified that Hill came down to the feed store after supper that evening, and later went out to buy some groceries and returned shortly after, and that between 7 and 8 o'clock he walked home with Hill and stayed at the house until about 9 o'clock when Mrs. Hill began to prepare the children for bed. He then went back down to the store where he usually slept.

A number of good responsible citizens were then called who testified to Mr. Hill's good reputation, after which court adjourned for dinner.