Litchfield enquirer. [volume] (Litchfield, Conn.) 1829-current, 1838-10-18

NOthern CtrcHtS an Me I~SI ""'''"S' " A@'''~ j
aroOFs Magazine. '
INC last trial of interest that / witnessed +
in fhe Crown Court was one which TOOK place 4
on the next or the day after. II was that Oh {
a man for the murder of his wife. Tie SEEM {
ed about thirty five years old, and was dres- {
sed in respectable mourning. ne $1,000 a.
the bar with an air at once OF nrmnesS ana
depression. He was little uhoer inc aver-
are height, and his countenance rather pre-
nossessing than otherwise. From the evil
dence in chief of the first two witnesses it
would have appeared clear that he had been
guilty of most barharous murder. On
their dispositions before the coroner a YER
dict of manslaughter only had been return
ed, but in reading them, Mr.. Justice Patterson
had felt it his duty to instruct the grand jury /
to bring in a bill for murder-a step which I
seemed most amply justified by the evidence !
which they now gave. 1t appeared from the |
testimony that the deceased had been very |
far advanced in pregnancy that the prison. !
er had had some dispute with her-bclng 2 |
most violent man, they said-knockcd her
down, her head falling against the sharp
corner of o chest of drawers, which cut 1t
open and it bled profusely; and that, while
she was thus PROSTATE and insensible, the
prisoner furiously kicked and struck her re-
peatedly-death, on the same evening or the
evening after, forgot which, being the con-
sequence. .-s.f.f3 ia. ssas . :: s..st,ts45E sest,
As far as this evidence went, nothing, of
course. could have been more brutal than the
conduct of the prisoner, but on cross examl-
nation of the first witness, O little Unlocking
old woman, the mother of the deceased, and
who gave her evidence nlanifestly under the
influence of the most bitter resentment to-
wards the prisoner, the case began to resume
very different aspect. It was wrung from
her after great prevarication, and was also
established by other witnesses, that she had
herself on the evening in question Deen
drinking gin with the deceased, at the resi-
dence Of the latter, a miserable cellar. inat
she had herself fetched five quarts Of gin
for the deceased on thatoccasion.s That the
deceased and the witness, at her request, mao
frequently pawned all her husbands clothes
and those of her children, whom she had
once or twice sent to bed early in the AFTER
noon, to enable her SO to dispose OF their
clothes. That the prisoner was pilot,
remarkable steady and hard working man,
and earned amply sufficient to- enable him
self and family to live in very comfortable
circumstances; but this accused propensity
of his wife's had beggared them, and driven
them from their former comfortable dwelling
to the wretched cellar in which had occurred
the catastrophe then the subject of inquiry.
That on the evening in question he had come
home from the sea wet and wearied, but
found that every article of his clothing had
rem were lying in bed almost naked, their
little clothes having shared the same fate,
and that his wife was drunk, as was also the
first witness. Furious words very naturally
ensued, and it was under these truly exas-
perating circumstances that he had struggled
with his wife, so as to occasion, but it was |
clearly unintentional--her fall; and Ger !
tainly did appear that, either while she was |
falling or Immediately afterwards. he had |
more than once struck, her with some vio-
lence, but not in a way to have alone caused |
her death, which the medical evidence show
ed to have been occasioned by the Injuries
which she had received upon her head in fall
ling upon the drawers, added to the effects of
violent excitement and excessive liquor upon
person in her situation. s74 d s. lg9
The third witness brought forward against
the prisoner was, alas his own daughter,
little girl about five or six years Of age, de-
Gently dressed in black. When her name
was called, the prisoner with an agonized
countenance, looked away from the spot
where she was to stand his lips quivered,
his chest heaved, and, in spite of his efforts,
tears forced themselves from his eyes. MIR.
Justice Patterson observed his agitation and
seemed not little affected when he beheld
the little thing in obedience to the summons
of the loud voiced officer, was brought into |
Court and placed closely beside him. to give
evidence which might seal the fate Of her |
father. She was so very short that he hand
ed over to the officer the foot.stool he had
been using, in order that she might stand up
ON it; and even then the head of the little
witness did but just come above the top of I
the witness box. She was rather a pretty |
looking girl, and her face was very sad and \
pale. She did not however cry, though her
eyes seemed glued to the figure of her miser-
able father, who never once ventured to look
towards her, and whoset tears, silent evidence
q ..s@At No. 1a.nsa
fell. In all other respects, he preserved a 4
stern composure throughout the proceedings.
My Child" said the Judge, as thought,
with little emotion, as he bent his ear to i
her. do you know that you have come here
to speak the truth Z" - Tsf
.i5g Eyes, SIR" ss 4a casa aattof .Jn.,xr y i
And will you, dear, speak the truth--and
tell us oil the truth, and nothing else g. ,f'
-" What will become Of you, do you think,
if you tell lie!" .'s''S7 ii1't *'.aaH1
She paused; the Judge then repeated the
question, and she answered distinctly, ~
shall be burned in everlasting fire." T. sp
Where did you learn that g. 81 hat /
iii The Bible, sir."sa, aA 10 GAS s,li pc,l I
Have you ever been at school 20 4
Yes, sir at the Sunday School,"
She may be sworn" said the Judge, and L
the oath WINS Immediately administered to !
her. M ~ - f'aHI9 faiil a7ilj I
y Was not this, dear Christopher, grievous
sight To- sect The little daughter called to
give evidence against her father, on his trial
Tor his lie. for the murder Of her own MOTH
er. Though in a melancholy tone and sad
manner, she. gave her testimony with great
propriety, clearly and firmly. Her tiny
voice could be heard distinctly In all the
parts Of the crowded and silent court. She
ovinced as was TO be expected, strong lean.
ing towards her father but abe admitted thnt
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