Massachusetts spy and Worcester advertiser. [volume] ([Worcester, Mass.]) 1823-1825, 1824-10-13
SUorcester:
WEDNESDAY, OCTOBER is, 1924
TRIAL FOR. MURDER.

French Cd.
The indictment contains two counts {; the
first of which ayers, that Abel French, Of
Fitchbursh, on the It'll day of April last, with
force and arms at Fitchburg aforesaid, in and
upon one Abel French, the second of that
name, in the peace of the Commonwealth
then and there being, feloniously, wilfully,
and of his malice aforethought, did make an
assault; and that the said Abel French, with
certain jack-knife, of the value of twenty
cents, by the said Abel French then and there
had and held, in and upon the sides of the
body of the said Abel French Cd, between the
ribs of the said Abel French Cd, then and there
leloniously, wilfully, and Of his malice afore-
thought, did strike and thrust, giving 10 said
Abel French Cd, with the jack.knife aforesaid,
two mortal wounds, each of which mortal
wounds was fthe breadth of two inches and
the depth of six inches, Of which said mortal
wounds the said Abel French Cd then ana
there instantly died.
The second count makes a general charge
against Abel French Of having killed and
murdered Abel French Cd, on the day afore-
said.
To this indictment the prisoner plead not
gully.
The cause was opened on the part of the
Common wealth, by the Solicitor General.
who made brief statement Of the facts he ex-
pected to prove, and proceeded to call the
witnesses as follows:-.
DIR. Peter Snow, sW0rn.-On the 18th of
April last, at o'clock, in the morning, | was
called to the house of Abel French, Cd. After
dressing the wounds Of prisoners wife, went
out the door, and saw the dead body of Abel
French Cd, lying there naked except his shirt.
| had it carried into the house. On eXamina-
ton | found one wound on the cheek, one
little below the eye on the left side of the
face, one on the left side of the chest, penc-
trating the cavity Of the chest, and another
penetrating the cavity of the abdomen. !
probed the wound on the chest with my fin
ger, and have no doubt it was mortal. The
prisoner told me that he came to the house on
the evening of the 9th with his brother; that
seeing no light in the house he raped at the
door, and soon heard some one walk from his
wiie's bedroom to the bedroom of the deceas-
ed, after which the deceased came and open
ed the door. While there he saw some of
his wiie's clothes in the deceased's room,
which excited his suspicious. lie then went
away, but soon returned back and staid about
tilG HOUSG lii hCdl SuLIisCs ] siG IICAl Stll
he went from the house of John Battles, il.
about one mile off, to the house of the deceas-
ed, TO ascertain if his suspicious were correct
or not. lie said he suspected he should lind
his wife and the deceased in bed together, but
hoped he should not. If he found his wife
alone, he intended to pass the night and part
of the next day with her, and then go off; but
if he did not, he intended to kill them both.
He waited at the door ten or iiiteen minutes,
till he heard the deceased snOre, and then got
into the window Of his wiie's bedroom. Find
ing no one there, he went to the deCeased's
room and found them III bed together asleep.
His wife lying the fore side of the bed, he
stabbed her in the throat, and then reached
over and stabbed the deceased, intending to
despatch them both. The deceased jumped
out of the bed, when scufile ensued, during
which he stabbed the deceased whenever he
could, till the deceased got held of his right
hand and prevented him; he then changed
the knife into his left hand, and continued the
thrusts. Ills wife said "put him out Of the
house :" deceased answered he would if she
would open the door. She opened it, and the
deceased soon let 90 his hold, and went to the
door and fell Oh the door stone he rose and
fell twice more. Wife said 81 am afraid you
have killed Mr. French; let US go and see ifhe
is dead" Prisoner answered he would not
90 near the scoundrel. His wife then COM
planned that she was faint, and requested him
to help her on the bed, and TO bind up her
wounds. He did so. She then requested a
bible, after which the prisoner went TO call
Capt Thurston and his brother. The prison
er repeated the same story in my hearing
twice, nearly in The same words.
Capt. Jonathan Thurston, Saeorn.-On Sun-
day morning, the 18th Of April last, between
one and two o'clock, | was awaked by a rap
ping. looked out, and saw man under my
| window-asked him what was the natter
/ He said "there is trouble at Abel French's, |
can tell you, ''-and requested me and my
family to go there. At my request he went
across the way to cali my brother. As soon
as could dress followed him there, and ask
ed him what was the case? He answered me,
I" have killed Abel French, and intended
killing my wife," and confirmed it with an
oath. We then proceeded to the house of the
deceased. While on our way the prisoner re-
lated the circumstances of the affair. Here
the witness related the story substantially as
testified by DR.. Snow, with the following adj
ditons. Prisoner said he had intended TO have
despatched both his wife and the deceased,
before either of them could leave the bed, and
then 60 and inform the neighbours, that they
might see how he found them. After the de-
ceased left prisoner his wife plead hard for her
| life. He said he ought to despatch her at
once; upon which she wrested the knife from
his hand and threw it away. She confessed
her guilt, and said if he would spare her she
would confess it to the world. lie remarked
he thought it strange she should ask iavours
of him. He assisted her to do up her wounds,
helped her to bible, and then came to call
us. When we got to the house prisoner spoke
to his wife, who was on the bed, but she
made no answer. We found her. very low.
! The prisoner then went to an outside door OPP
poste the one we entered, and said " French
is here" We found him about two rods from
the door, dead and cold, bloody ard much
mangled. Prisoner told me he supposed he
should be put under keepers, but he did not
care for that. lie then related the circum.
stances which took place the night before,
when he came to the house with his brother.