Alexandria gazette. [volume] (Alexandria, D.C.) 1834-1974, 1834-10-09
CAPITAL TRIAL.

A Father Tried for the Murder OF has Son
On Tuesday last, the trial of John Wincheii, OF
Suffield Connecticut, was held before tne gu
;nerior Court in session at Hartford, forstne
murder of his son Uriah Winchell. 1t appeared
i'm evidence that bitter controversy naa io,ls
existed between the father and soh-tha' lhe
son had repeatedly made attacks upon ms per
son, and occasional depredatohs upon MS po
perty-that, for several years past IN cohse
auence of fear of bodily harm from tne son, or
some other cause unknown, Winchell had oeen
in the uniform habit of arming himself WIN
deadly weapons, sometimes WIN uiushet, anu
at others with pistol and dirk-that on the
24th of March last, the son was engaged IN set
ting up and covering coal pit OF wood taken
from the land claimed by both father ana son,
and about the possession of which, the contro-
versy between them orginated-that in the al
ternoon of that day, Winchell was seen wan
dering about the region of the coal PIT, appa.
rently carving pistol in his bosom-that ABOUT
sunset the report of firearms, ana the cry OF
murder, was heard in the direction OF the coal
pit, and the son found wounded by plstol shot
i'm the left side below the lower rib-that lmme-
diately after the report of the pistol and the cry
of murder was heard, Winchel was seen emer-
ging from ravine, near the pitt with pistol
in his hand, apparently exhausted in boGy and
agitated in mind and to the inquiry whether he
had shot his son, replied hestatlngly not untl
he hit, or hurt, me frst-that the son angulsh-
ed about thirty hours, in the most eXcruclating
agony and died.
On the part Of the prisoner it was commended
that there was no evidence of reconciliation or
malice; that in the absence of this evidence, it
was to he presumed that he armed himself Tor
the purpose of defending himself against the
anticipated attacks of his son; that he acciden-
tally came in contact with him at the coal pit
and shot him. not, however, in pursuance OF
previous purpose and design, but in selfde-
fence, or in consequence of the excited and
perverted state of his mind, occasioned by the
repeated threats and attacks of his son. 1t was
further claimed that, at the time OF committing
the homicide, he was not in possession oil mat
degree of sanity Of mind necessary to const-
tute him a moral agent, and render him ac-
countable for his acts-that though on most sub
jects he was rational, yet on the subject OF MS
! family controversy he was totally insane.
| large number of witnesses were examined on
this point, and mass of testimony adduced,
but tending more to establish oddly and &C.
centricity than alteration or alienation of mind.
The case was ably argued by the Attorney for
the State and J. Parsons, ESQ for the prosecu
ton, and by w. W. Ellsworth and W. Hunger
| ford, Esqs., for the prisoner. On Thursday
morning the case was committed to the jury,
| who, after an absence of short time, return
| ed with a verdict of MANsLAUGHrER. The pri-
soner is represented as an old grey-headed man,
seventy-two years of age. He appeared per-
| fectly unmoved throughout the trial, and when
the verdict was rendered did not shed tear or
! heave sigh 1t is stated that he is dissatisfied
with the verdict, and has requested the Sheriff
| to intercede with the Court to pronounce sem
tence Of death upon him.