The Massachusetts spy, and Worcester County advertiser. [volume] ([Worcester, Mass.]) 1825-1831, 1827-08-08
TRIAL. FnR MURDER

for the murder of John Whipple, commenc-
ed at Albany on the Goth ult. and was conclud-
ed on the 9th. We have abridged from the
New York Commercial Advertiser the testimo-
ny given on the occasion, and publish enough
of it to give a general understanding of the
facts in the case. i
Alb. S. Van Rensselaer,, sworn. Resides
at Cherry Hill-was there on the 9TH May,
at 10 o'clock-was part of the time in the
cellar-was in the Cd story, and then went
into the Sd story--was with Mr.. Whipple
in the room in which he was killed, in the
I'd story-Whipple was in the room be-
tween 8 and 10 O'Clock, busy with sundry
writing at II table-witness
was on the opposite side of the table-the
room is the S. w. room-Whipple was
about :? or feet from the window. While
sitting there, heard the report of a rifle or
gun-witness thought he heard it rain
upon the stoop near the window-looked
out, and thought he saw PERSONS face
white man with black hat; and also
thought he saw something shine like a
rifle, or q pistol, or a gun-could not tell
which. At this, he sprang from his seat
and exclaimed OH" and at the same
instant the piece went off. Deceased in
stantly sprang from his chair, and exclaim-
ed g Oh Lord" Both started for the stairs.
On the Cd stair, deceased's hand on the
banister, slipped, and he fell. Witness
ran down stairs. Mr.. Whipple died almost
instantly. Witness seized a piece which
they kept, and was going out, but was pre-
vented by those within, because Orion had
said a few days before, that there was
panu about there. He did not see Whip
Die fall, because he ran down ahead of him.
Returned to Whipple, and saw him gasp
inr--iust alive and that was all. The ball
went in on the back side of the left should
er, and penetrated the chest Strang, a
few days before, told witness that there
were persons lurking about the house who
meant no good. He had seen them at the
courtyard gate, and once in the backyard
Strang said that he thought they could
have no design upon witness, because they
could have no chance. He also cautioned
witness not to tell the family of it, lest
they should be alarmed. Witness told his
mother and sister, and he believed all the
family. Mr.. Whipple was absent, but short
! ly expected to return at this time. The
shed extends a few inches south of the
north edge of the window. A person to
|
must have stopped little. Although he
could distinctly see person on the shed,
with a white face and black hat, it was
not possible for him to say whether it was
Strang or not. Strang was hired on the
26th of August, under the name of Joseph
Ortcn. "A few days, l. G. less than a fort
night before the ,nurder, Strang and wit
ness came to the city to sell some old iron
! g
good marksman with rifle, and inquired
of Mr.. Fay, and of Mr.. Moore, as to the
price of rifles. On the morning of the 9TH
of May, Strang had piece of lead in his
hand, which he said was the softest he had
ever seen. On the 18th of April, Strang
said he was going to Troy, to collect a sun
of money due him. He was absent all
night, and returned the next day. Mr.
i4fsiEseton be-o inquired, ,vhotho, Mrs
Whipple was absent the same night? Mr.
Oakley objected to the question, as being
a leading and improper one. Mr.. Livings-
ton stated his object to be, to prove by this
: witness the absence of Mrs. Whipple or
that night, and then to trace her to a tav-
! ern, where Strang and she staid, between
Troy and Schenectady. The Court sus.
I tanned the question, as one link in what
might prove, if the parties were found to-
gether that night, an important chain OF
circumstantial testimony.l Witness could
not of his own knowledge, say that Mrs.
4 w. was absent on that night. On the
night of the murder, witness slept, or rath-
/ er laid down with Strang. Stranp had
not told him that he had purchased rifle.
Strang went up to town between sun down
and dark, to buy cloth for pair of panta-
looms. He came into the house in Is or 20
minutes after Whipple was killed. They
had dog at the house, which would al
ways keep strangers off, but would not op-
pose those with whom he was acquainted.
Strang knew the dog very well. The dog
was at home that night, under little shed
on the south side of the house. In five or
six minutes after Whipple was shot, the
black woman called the dog, but he paid
no attention. Witness was standing at the
top Of the stairs when Whipple fell Strang
came up, and witness told him that Mr.
Whipple had been shot. AS Strang look
ed on the body of Whipple, he turned as
white as sheet, or ghost, and witness
then suspected him. Here the prisoner
smlled.I Strang was a member of the
coroners jury that sat upon the body, and
witness testified before them.
DIR. Joel A. Wing, called and sworn.
Was the physician called to examine the
body next morning after the murder; the
ball was extracted by him; it entered his
left shoulder, passed across the chest, and
cut off an artery leading to the heart. The
ball wasrather a'large one for rife, but
he was not much conversant with such
matters. THE ball was here produced,
and witness said it was the same1 Wit
ness had conversed with Strang about the
murder. He said, he presumed it must
have been done by somebody down the
river, as Whipple had had some difficulty
with some canal men.
Dinah Jackson, (black woman,) sworn.
She lived at Cherry Hill, and was at home
on the night of the murder; she heard the
gun fred, and heard a noise before, like
that of some person attempting to raise a
window seVeral nersnns childrnn .ro.o l.,