Martinsburg gazette and public advertiser. [volume] (Martinsburg, Va. [W. Va.]) 1826-1833, 1833-06-13
TRIAL OF THE REV Elk AVERY


have removed the restriction upon tn
publication of the evidence up TO Monda
week We have therefore prepared tn
on Saturday at noon, when the prisoner
counsel announced they had done. - 30,
Atlas
State of Rhode Island County of.Newport
ls THE SUPREME JUDICIAL CoURr
Preseat-EDDY, Chief Justice; DRAYroN
and DuRFEE. Justices.
THE SITE Is T.. K. .ATERR
This trial came on At special session oil
the Court, holden by adjournment on
Monday the 9th OF May, 1888. II was on
an indictment found the preceding March
term. The first count charged, that the
prisoner on the goth of December, 1882,
AZ Tiyerton, murdered one Sarah Maria
Cornell, by putting cord about her neck
and strangling her
The second count charged, that the
murder was committed by putting a cord
about the neck Of the deceased, and at
forwards sffixing the cord to stake, and
SO strangling her.
The third count charged The murder to
have been committed as well by certain
mortal blows inflicted on the sides and alb
domen Of the deceased, as by the sort Of
sgangllDg mentioned in The first count
To this indictment The prisoner pleaded
not guilty.
On Thursday morning, MAY 9th the
case was opened for the Government, by
Du,ee j Pearce. Esq
II was proved by the prosecution, that
the deceased was found hanging at stake
in stack yard, belonging TO John Dnrlee
at Tiverton. on Friday morning. Dccem
Der 2lst The stack yard is about quar-
ter mile from the outskirts of Fail Riv4l
village, in sight of the village, and OF Dur
fees house, which was about 90 rods dis
tant. 1t is 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. Her CONT
was found in two pieces, at different times
and places. but in The same general direc-
iion from the stack, and 30 rods from it,
When found, her hair, was scattered in
disorder over her face, so as 10 cover ii
entirely; her calash was on; the strings Of
IL Gas afterwards discovered) under the
cord, her cloak hooked, except short
space over her breast; her shoes were off,
and stood side b. side at little distance
on the right side Of her feet, or as one wit
ness stated, just behind her feet Her
toes touched the ground; her knees were
bent forward, nearly 10 The ground; the
clothes according to the testimony of one
witness, We're carried back smoothly to
wards the feet. her handkerchief was on
the ground. a little distance on her left,
aud her gloves were on. Both arms
were under the cloak, the left arm hang
ing down, the other raised on her breast
There was no appearance Of tramplng or
struggling in or about the stack yard
The body was cut down and laid with
in the stack yard II was soon after put
into a wagon and carried to Durlce's
house, where a coroner's inquest was held
upon it. This was Friday. The inquest
adjourned to Saturday, when they agreed
upon a verdict, in substance, suicide, and
the body was buried.
The cord was a piece OF three strained
tia,line twne, rather smaller than a goose
quill. Ii was probably four double. Two
witnesses only observed the knot on
abe stake; one says it was a slip knot, the
other that there were several half bitches
took the knot, on the neck to be a Glove
hitch The cord was cut off close to the
knot. and the string was so deeply imbed
ded in the flesh, that the knot could not
easily be seen.--F, ends stuck out from
the knot. Opa 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 after.
noon. - The women who laid II out testify
that all the lower part of the abdomen
was black like one bruise, and that there
was black spots on the sides OF the aldo
men, just above the hips. like distinc,
prints, one on each side, of thumbs and
fingers, the thumbs forward 1t does not
appear that they gave any information
oil these appearances to the inquest which
agreed on Saturday, 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 lower part of The abdomen
They discovered some scratches and
marks of grass on the knees and legs be
low, slight confusion near the right hip
and some discoloratons on the sides Of
the abdomen, which they took for incpi-
emit putreiaciion. The indentation was
horizontal about the neck, equi distant "a.
bout an inch and an eighth from each
car & about three eighths of an inch deep
AT thistime they noticed no other appear
ances.
On The 25th Of January, the body was
disinterred again. principally to see if the
right arm was broken. Itwas found to be
sound.-The examination was by the
same physicians They laid the body en-
tirely bare. They found the lower parl
ofthe abdomen, and the back, low on each
side of the SHINE. of a dark color. RV