Maumee express. [volume] (Maumee City, Ohio) 1837-1838, 1837-04-15

tilll tHef5t cat OHI'o vi JuStiNO " W u iAANo
with You have friends and relations
Of good family, whose reputation and
feelings we. cannot permit TO suffer by
your folly. Mr.. Clerk, enter plea of
snot guilty."
Y well, l aint guilty then, if you say
ESQ., responded the prisoner but | did
! it all that And sinking his voice he
muttered, what queer cattle I've got
amongP
The district attorney opened the case
for the people, with his accustomed pers-
picuity, as follows:
Gentlemen Of the jury-h is painful
to my feelings as a man, but my duty as
district attorney, to charge the prisoner
at the bar with crime, at the bare men
ton of which, the very oyster-shells in
the street rise up Indignantly to scrape
the criminal to death. Yes, gentlemen
of the jury, | shall make it appear to you
that the accused is guilty of the horri-
bic enormity of numbering his wife, for
that whereas, with force and arms, to
wit, with swords, spears, muskets, can
mons, slaves, clubs, ropes, halters, hands
and feet, the prisoner at the bar laid vio-
lent hands upon his wife's tongue and
tore it out by the roots, in consequence
-of which she bled to DEATH
Mr.. Botherem interrupted the learned
gentleman, and moved to quash the in
dictment, inasmuch as it charged the
prisoner with manSlaughter, whereas it
appeared by the district attorneys own
showing, that the man was no man, but
a woman, and that the crime was mur-
der.
Mr.. Quibblequirk replied, that as it
did not appear that the prisoner had in
tended his wife to bleed to death, it was
clearly a case of manslaughter.
Per curidm-You are both wrong
The crime is neither murder nor man.
slaughter. 1t tismayhem. Let the trial
proceed.
The district attorney called John
Johnson to the stand in support of the
prosecution. Mr. Saucyiaw objected to
the competency Of the witness, he hav-
ing been convicted and sentenced to
state prison for seven years few weeks
ago, for larcency and forgery. Mr..
Quibblequirk replied, that the witness
had been pardoned out a week ago; and
according to law, pardon restores the
witness to the competency, and to the
responsibility Of his character.
The court pronounced the witness un-
i .InI1astionahIv con1netent
4 John. Johnson being sworn, deposed
and said, he visited the prisoner, having
formerly been acquainted with his wife.
That, on repeating the visit next day,
he found the door Of the prisoners room
locked, and was on the point of retiring
when he was arrested
.Botherem-By what officer?
WitneSs-By terrible screams. l
burst open the door to see what was go
ing on; and | discovered the prisoner
beating his wife with red thong of re-
markable length, which the unfortunate
woman told me was her own tongue.
Alderman Murphy-Oh bother! that's
no go how could she speak when her
tongue was torn out
The witness looked rather foolish, and
scratched his head most indusiriously.
To be sure suggested Quibblequirk,
z she toldahim by signs
ITO be sure she did r chimed in the
witness, did | not tell yousol'
so you did, replied Snapdragon.
you may quit the stand, added Quib-
blequirk, who wasfather dubious of his
witness.
Mot SO fastv exclaimed Botherem,
Stop, Mr.. Johnson, ! have a.word with
YOU
Very well, SIR
Now remember you are on oath,
Mr.. Johnson. What is your name?'
John Johnson,
4 What was your fathers name 2
Peter Johnson
'Then you are-not johnson, but Pc
ter's SON. Gentlemen Of the. jury, this
is worth your attention. But have not
done with you, Mr.. Johnson. how're
member you are on oath. Howold are
your 4
Five and thirty
Pray when was your last birthday 2
Last December
And this is April. ] beg your atten-
ton, gentlemen of the jury the witness
has sworn he is only five and thirty, and
now he says he is four months older
What credit can you give to such con-
Trajectory evidenced =
The district attorney then said he was
aboutto produce very tant-Mit-
ness, on account of whose absence the
trial had been repeatedly put off.
John Snooks was called to be examined.