Phenix gazette. [volume] (Alexandria [D.C.]) 1825-1833, 1833-06-04
TRIAL OF THE REV. Z. X. AVERY.

moved the Restriction upon The puoiieao"h VI ''e
evidence up to Monday week. We therefore
prepared the folluwing abstract OF the case as II
stood on Saturday, at noon, when The prisoner
counsr! announced they had done.-Boston lit.
STATE of Rhode Island County Of Newport
lx THE SUPREME JUDICIAL CouRr.
Preseat-EpuY. Chief Justice; DRAYroN and
DURFEE, Justices.
TIE SITE Is EPRR.9IM X AVERY.
This trial came on at special session oil The
Coat, holden by adjournment TN Monday the
Gin OF MAY. 1888. 1t was Oh an indictment
found the preceding March term. The hIst
count charged. that the prisoner On the 20th OF
D.cemher, 1882, at Tiyert"n, murdered one
Sarah Maria Cornell, by putting cord about Ter
meek and stransius her.
The second count charged, that the murder
was committed by putting cord ab"nt The neck
of the deceased, and afterwards ati"ns Tie
cord TO a stake, and so siran.ling her.
The third count charged the murder to have
been committed as well hy certain marital blows
iuflicte. ON the sides and abdomen OF the de-
ceased. as by the surt Of stransilng mentioned
in the first count.
To this uticmeht the prisoner pleaded not
not guilty.
On Thursday morning, MAY 9'h.) the case
was opened for the Government, ny Du'ee j.
Pearce. ESQ
I,was proved by the prosecution, that the de-
ceased was found hanging al stake IN a stack
yard, belonging 10 John D"fee, at Itertoh, on
FRIDAY morning. December 2l,t The stack
ward /. abaut quarter of mile from the out.
skirts of Fall River village, III sight OF the vii
L. I,E nn,fp.ss huu which about 6tJ
rods distant lis on the left hand side OF the
road leading to Fall River. between the road and
the shore Of Mount Hope Bay. The land about,
very rough. with large fast stones and some
bushes. fIer comb was found in two pieces. at
different times and places, bu, in tn. same gene.
ra, direction frUm the stack, aud ~ rods
from 1t. When found, her hair was scattered in
disorder over b. face, SO as TO cover II entirely;
her ealash was on; the strings Of 1t (as after
wards d;seoye.pd) under the cord, her cloak
hooked. except a short space over her breast; her
shoes were or. and stood side by side at little
distance ON the riuht side of her feet, ar as one
! witness stated, ip:t behind her feet. Her toes
touched the ground; her knees were ben, fnrward,
nearly to the ground; the clothes according to
I've testimony Of one witness, we're carried back
smoothiy towards the feet, her handkerchief was
on the ground, little distance on her LETT, aud
her gloves were on Both arms we're under the
cloak. the left arm hanging down, the other
raised 10 her brrast. There was no appearance
Of trampling or s,rugsingin or about the stack
yard,
The body was cut down and LAID within the
stack ward 1t was soon after put into wagon
and carried to Dufee's house, where coron'
er's inquest was held upon it. This was Friday.
The inquest adjourned to Saturday. when they
agreed upon verdict, IN substance, suicide, and
the BODY was buried
The cord Was piece Of three stranded mar
line Irvine, rather smaller than goose QUIZ. u
was probably four double. Two witnesses only
observed tine knot on the stake; one says IT was
slip KNIT, the other that there were several halt
bitches about tie stake. Two witnesses say
, they touk the KNIT on the meek To De Glove
! hitch. Tie cord was cut III close to the Knot,
and the string was SO deeply Undecided IN the
flesh, that the knot could not easily be SEEN
Four ends stuck GU, from the knot One end
was picked out, and carried round the neck
! The string came off in two pieces. From the
knot on The neck TO the knot on the stake was
| from four to six inches.
| The body was laid out on Friday afternoon. -
The women who laid it out testify. that all the
lower part of the abdomen was black like one
bruse, aud that there were black spots on the
SIDES of the abdomen. just above the hips, like
distinct prints, Qne on each side, OF thumbs and
fingers, the thumbs forward. 1t does not ap.
pear that they gave any information Of these ap-
pearances to the inquest which agreed on Satur-
day, or to the subsequent inquest, which met on
Monday.
On occasion Of this second inquest. the body
was taken up, and examined BY Drs. Hooper
and Wilbur. They extracted the fetus, but
did not remove the cloth which covered the lover
part of the abdomen. They discovered some
scratches and marks Of grass on the knees ana
legs below, slight confusion near the right hip.
and some discolorations on the sides Of the aodo-
men, which they took for ine'P'ent Putref.c'
ton. The indentation vas horizontal about the
neck, eooi distant (about an inch and an eighty
from each ear aud about three eighths OF an inch
deep. At this time they noticed no other ap-
pearances.
On the s5th Of January, the body was disin.
TERED again. principally to see it the right
arm vas broken 1t WAS found 70 be sound
The examination was BY the same physicians.-
They laid the BODY entirely bare. They found