Hide Article Text (OCR)
Ending of Case That Has Held Snow Hill in Suspense —An Able Defense —Fair Trial The case of Oscar C. Lewis and Hamp ton Vickers, charged with attempting to burn Mason's Opera House, Snow Hill, on the night of the 21st of Febru ary, came to a close last Saturday night, and after consulting for twenty-five minutes the jury brought in a verdict of guilty. The members of the jury were: Alex ander H. Stevens, Edward W. Davis, R. Harlem Robertson, Charles S. Dale, Levin J. Bunting, R. Scott Ritchie, John J. Collins, Julius P. Jones, Daniel C. Holloway, Hiram D. Littleton, Frank P. Bailey, and Captain George W. Truitt. The Court House was filled to over flowing, as the people of Snow Hill were much interested in the case. For weeks it had been the one subject of conversa tion and during the trial business in the town was almost suspended so great was the excitement and interest mani fested by old and young. Vickers and Lewis were given a fair trial, and their guilt had been established to the satisfaction of the public. Their lawyers, as was their duty, fought over every inch of ground in their defense and when the verdict was rendered by the jury, made a motion for a new trial. Judge Jones said he would hear argu ment on Monday morning. When Court was called at nine o'clock Monday morning the Court room was well filled. Messrs. Upshur and Handy made their arguments and sat down. Without hearing the State's Attorney Judge Jones denied the motion, and af ter consultation with counsel for the prisoners and the State’s Attorney, or dered the Sheriff to bring Vickers and Lewis into Court. When they arrived they apparently knew their fate and the only hope left them was the considera tion of a merciful Judge. Judge Jones ordered the prisoners to stand up and in sentencing them to seven years each in the penitentiary he said that certain representations had just been made to him which came too late. ‘‘You,’’ he said, ‘‘have been convicted of a most serious crime, for which you must pay the penalty, and the Court must now pass sentence upon you.” It is understood that the reference made by Judge Jones to representations just made to him, was the confession of Oscar Lewis that it was he and not Vickers who set fire to the Opera House, although there is no denial that Vickers was with him. State’s Attorney Johnson had woven a set of evidence around the prisoners from which they could not escape and he presented the case in a masterful manner that carried conviction to the jury. Fire was discovered in Mason's Opera House on the night of February 21st, between twelve and one o'clock. The wind was blowing a gale and if the fire had not been discovered promptly there is no doubt that the entire business sec tion of Snow Hill would have been de stroyed. When the trial of Lewis and Vickers was commenced on Thursday of last week the first witness placed on the stand by State’s Attorney Johnson was Mr. Stephen G. Mason, the owner of the Opera House. He stated that Lewis had been in arrears with his rent, and he had made demands on him for pay ment; that Lewis apparently became angry because Mr. Mason had called on Lewis’ father in regard to the matter, Mr. Lewis, Sr., being on the rental con tract; that the witness was told by Le land Richardson, a clerk in the employ of Oscar C. Lewis, that Lewis was an gry and that he had better look out for trouble; that, therefore, he asked Wil liam Stevens, night telephone operator, whose office is in an adjoining building, to keep an eye on Mason’s building that night; about 11.30 p. m. Clarence John son came to his house and told him that he thought there was something wrong going on; that about 1.30 in the morn ing the witness’ sister came to his room and said that somebody had called from outside that he was wanted at once; that he immediately dressed and went down to the street, but finding that the elec tric lights were not burning and fearing trouble, not knowing who had called him, he went back home and did not go down town; that he learned of the fire from the telephone operator the next morning. Richardson, the clerk of Lewis, testi fied to the same effect, and further that Lewis’ business was in bad condition; that his stock had run down and his credit was bad; that he saw Lewis a day or two before the fire take some papers out of his safe; that after Lewis came to the store early in the evening of the fire, when he seemed angry, Lewis sent a boy out on some errand unknown to the witness; that a few minutes later Vickers came in and he and Lewis went in the entrance to the cellar way in the rear of the building and closed the door; that they remained there in close con versation for about 15 minutes, until someone came in the store to see Lewis, and the witness called him out. William Stevens, the principal witness for the State, testified that he was em ployed by Mason, the owner of the opera house, to watch it. He said he went down on the street about 11 o'clock in the night and saw Lewis and Vickers in Lewis’ store under the opera house and he afterwards ‘‘saw them come out of the store and go up into the opera house with a box of excelsior,’’ He then went to his post as night operator for the telephone company, in the building next to the opera house, and from one of the windows in the tele phone building opposite to one of the windows in the opera house he said he saw Vickers in the main auditorium with a flashlight. He saw him twice, and in a few minutes thereafter he heard the curtain of the stage lowered, saw a flash of fire and then he telephoned to various persons that there was fire in the opera house. He said the wind was blowing a gale, and all the electric lights in town had been put out when he saw the flash of fire. Stevens said that a few days after the fire that Lewis sent for him to come to James Wilson's tailor shop, and that while he was in the shop Lewis offered him money if he would leave town until the State Fire Marshal had completed his investigation. Wilson was present, and the fact that he was not put on the stand to contradict the statement of Stevens was significant to the jury. Oscar Lewis testified that he was home in bed at the time the fire occurred, that he arrived home at 11:30 and immediate ly went to bed. Vickers testified that he was at the Electric Light Station at the time. Several witnesses swore that both men were seen in the neighborhood of the fire at the time they claimed they were not there. The public is relieved to know that the guilty parties have surely been found.
Newspaper Details
Democratic Messenger
Snow Hill, Maryland, US
Sat, Apr 13, 1912
Page 1
Full Page
Clipped by
Alexa D.
USA 11 May 2026
Other Publications Near Snow Hill, Maryland
Democratic Messenger
Snow Hill Democratic Messenger
