The Litchfield County post. [volume] (Litchfield, Conn.) 1826-1829, 1827-08-09


james Hill testified that he recognized the prisoner
to his satisfaction, tho man who came 10 his
honsO in April last during thunder shower. lie
took more particular notice Of thepcope than he did
Of tl'e horse and Wagon. His clothes aud those OF
the woman with him did not correspond. She had
fine cloth riding dress; his pantaOous were rat-
or coarse The prisoner SAID their child sick and
they had come away without baggage, and he without
a great coat.
Maria Van Rensselaer, testified that she resides at
Cherry HI,and is daughter of the late Philip Van
Rensselaer,. Knows Mrs. Whipplc had riding habit
of lilac mixed color, similar in colour to the clothes
now worn by the prisoner. Remembers a thunder
shower about the middle of April. Mrs. Nhipplc was
from home the night Of that day. She left home,
saying she going to Mr.. F0bcs. She rcturnedthC
next day. The prisoner was absent from honc on the
same night
This witness further testified that in a conversation
in the kitchen, previous the murder, Mrs. Whip
pie and others being presently respecting the villains
who said to Turk about the house, and the pro-
prety of shooting them, the prisoner said, Were l
to shoot at Them and it should turn ont to be MIR.
Whippe, will you stand the law for me; or betweenthe
law aud me ?"
Many other witnesses were examined, mostly police
Offices and members of the grand jury which found
the bill of Indictment against Straug. This testimony
went to convict the prisoner upon his confessions,
and upon his appearance while in jail of his having
pointed ont the place where the rife with which be
shot Mr. N'hippc could be found and where it was
found of his having practiscd firing at glass, to de-
tcrninc whether a ball would glance upon that sub
stance-of his having been supplied with money by
Mrs. Whipple to purchase the rifle, &c.
His Honor Judge Duer then committed the cause TO
tho jury, in an able and lucid manner. After few
predatory remarks upon the enormty OF the offence
charged in the Indictment, and laying down the law OF
murder and the circumstances necessary to constitute
the crime such as the fact of killing with malice pre-
pense, defining what's necessary to constitute such
malice, sc. the Judge took up and examined the ex-
traordinary chain oftestimony which had been addu-
ced by the prosecution and traced link by link from
the beginning the final and fatal CONCLUSION. The
circumstantia testimony was examined and applied
first and independently of the confessions OF the pris-
oner-the whole tending clearly and distinctly to con-
firm the truth Of these conference.-the confessions, at
the same time as far they go, accurately agreeing
with the circumstantial testimony. The charge was
clear and impartial, but could not be otherwise than
strongly against the prisoner 1t was concluded at a
qua rer past IL O'clock A. NJ. when the jury retired.
After being absent 20 minutes, they returned with
verdict of GUILTY.
The trial of Elsie d. Whipplc upon the charge of
having been accessory to the murder of her late hus-
band was going on at Albany at the time of our last
dates from that city. The following notice Of her
carly history was received by correspondent of the
New-York American from aunt of the prisoner,
and NAV therefore be relied upon true. 1t clearly
proves ono thing that the fond lovealsy so called
of mother often leads the ruin of the daughter.
The grandfather of Elsie Lansing, now Mrs Whlpplc,
(and father of my informant,) was wealthy man,who
had long before his death, apporoned ms estate IN
such manner as to leave each OF his children pos
scsscd of a handsome property. To the father of
Elsie he had been somewhat more liberal than to the
ofhcrs--While her father and mother lived, ne had
been particularly kind to her. and seemed TO take much
interest in her welfare. In this he ha, to combat the
weakness of an indulgent mother. Elsie was an only
child, and had such winning ways that a tender moth
or could exercise little authority over her She was
particularly study could her parents IN
aiuce her apply to it that Iabour winch might nave
made her requirements respectable. Her grandfather
saw this with regret and finding while at home with
her mother, she was likely to remain an ignoramus,
since she had passed her thirteenth year as such ne
made Use of strong arguments to induce her mother
to send her to some distant seminary. Consent was
at last obtained on condition that the old gentleman
should take her mother to her every Saturday.
She accordingly went to Troy where she had remain
ed but three months when her mother died. The care
of the orpan then devOlved upon the good lady from
whom obtained my information, and she was sent to
Waterford school for quarter. AT ITS close she re-
turned to the house Of her father, to spond vacation
of two weeks. Her aunt felt degree of compassion
for Elsie who very pretty and apparently docIle
and did think it proper to exercise over her any
greater restraint than had been used by her motner
She therefore permitted her evening visits to neigh
hours house. between theirs and which lived the
brother of John Whipple. With the family OF Whip
pcs they then had no intimacy. did Elsc's aunt
or fnthor know that time of the cNIstance OF her
future husband Elsie gone every evening du-
ring the vacation, and generally returned IN time to
hear PRAYERS which her father was IN the strict hao
il of Joining his family at 10 o'clock each night She
said on being asked where she had been, that she had
snent the evening at the house of Dir. Is. The vaca
ton ended, she returned to Waterford and renamed
another quarter ut the end Of which her grandfather
came for her. The term had closed OR Friday; but
she prevailed upon the old gentleman to stay until
Monday, and again until Tuesday. But on Tuesday
morning the bird had flown and her grandfather re-
turned without her. The whole family were alarmed
and excited upon the OCCASION, and the more so,
since no one knew Of an individual with whom she
couId have cultivated sufficient intimacy to lead to an
cIopcment This remark asonc day made by her aunt
in the presence Of her neghbor, Mrs IL. to whom
she Observed that during the vacation Elsie had visit
cd no house but hers though Elsie, 1t was true, had
gone out every evening THIS led to an explanation
IN which it appeared that Elsie had been at the house
of Mr. b. but a few moments each evening, and that
the remainder Of the time, until the hour OF prayer
had been spent in the house of their intermediate
neighbour, the brother of the deceased where the
lovers had been allowed to enjoy each others society
alone John Whipple the deceased was then man
without propcrty---hc worked as common hand on
board his brothers slooP, for which he received ten
dollars per month. How this courtship began is not
known That the marriage of Elsie could not have
been acceptable her friends will certainly not be
surprising when it is considered that she was but
child being then only fourteen years and five months
old-that she had married man without property or
standing and that she had in doing so shown total
disregard to the wishes OF her friends and relatives
Both Whipplc and herself were for long time eN-
lied from tho family. Her father died and, to aggr
waite the breach, Whipple filed bill in ehanccry a
ganst EIsiee grandfather in relation to some part OF
the uroperty which he had given his son. and from