Herald of the times. [volume] (Newport, R.I.) 1830-1846, 1833-01-24

Icy w. Il. srAPLEs,Cot tNsEL FOR THE STATE.
JomN DURrEE, of Tiverton, says that
on the morning of Dec 2lst, passing
through a lot with his team, about sixty
rods from his house, he saw the body of
Il female hanging on the inside of Il stack
yard. lie stopped his team and went to
see whe Their she was dead or alive, and
found her dead lie turned from the
body and called to two men in sight
three were within hearing, and came -
A knife was handed TO him, with which
he cut the line, and laid the body on the
ground lie then went and brought the
coroner to the body, jury was summon
ed, and the body taken to his house.
Her name and place where she boarded
was ascertained. lie went to her board
ing house got her trunk, handbook, and
wearing apparel, and carried them TO his
own house. lie got them for things to
lay her out in. lie was told the key was
in deceased's pocket and the woman de-
livered tie key to him. He unlocked
the trunk, found four letters, three open
and one sealed; examined these, opened
letters led him TO suspect the prisoner
lie handed the letters to the jury, who
returned them to him, and he locked them
up in the trunk. The inquisition was ad-
journed to next day, when the jury IL
greed upon a verdict and he then buried
the body. On the 22d, his wife and sis
ter examined the trunk to ascertain her
brother of the deceased and a strip of pa
per with her name in pencil marks. lie
disclosed contents to the coroner who is
sued IA warrant for jury. This jury
with the exception of two were the same
as before. They met the Monday fol-
lowing at his house. The body was ta-
ken up by order of the coroner. Doctors
Wilbur and Hooper examined the body
without the presence of the jury, and ai-
ter reporting to them, the jury insisted
that the doctors should examine farther,
and the body was re-buried. The pa
pers found in the trunk were delivered
by him to the coroner
The body was found more than GO rods
from his dwelling house. String was
hemp twinc doubled. The body was
suspended to u stake on inside otthe yard,
which stood perpendicular in the ground.
The cord was fastened to the stake by
slip knot. lie did not take cord from her
neck and cannot say what knot was a.
round her neck. Her toes were on the
ground-her knees were bent forward
near to the ground-her shoes were on
her right side about l8 inches off, stand
ing side by side. One had some mud on
the instep-her pocket handkerchief lay
about the same distance on the other side
right hand on her breast, and left hang
ing down-both under her cloak, which
was hooked together nearly the whole
length he thought She had a calash on
her head; her hair was so much dishev-
elled, so that he had to part it from her
face to ascertain whether she was dead
or alive. The length Of the cord from
the knot on her neck to the knot Oh the
stake was less than six inches. The
three persons called first by him were
Richard Durlee, Benjamin Meyers, and
William Allen. The right cheek and
ear lay against the withe that connected
the two stakes; could discover no 81 gns
of her having stranglcd; not scratch
on her face or mark ON the hay or grass
under feet.
ELIHU Hicks, is the coroner who cal
led Jury. The cord round the neck
was nearly even with the neck; one eye
quite closed, the other nearly so; she was
quite cold; lips were very red, saw no
marks of struggle; grass not broken or
hay removed. On seeing body alter
dug up, the neck was very red where the
chord had been. The letters and papers
now presented by him to the court were
delivered blm by John Durioe.
JOHN ORswELL testified, that the letter
produced to him, received Of a gentle
man in Providence to carry to Fall-kiv-
er, to deliver to S. nj. Cornell; he de-
liyered the same to Mr. Cole, in Fall Klv-
or, she took it about 28th or 29th ol No
vomber last; the person who delivered It
to him, was, according to the best OF his
Judgment, the prisoner ; cannot recol-
lect how he was dressed; thinks he had
a dark colorcd cloak on, and no specta-
clcs; he delivered it the same day he re-