The native American. [volume] (Washington City [i.e. Washington, D.C.]) 1837-1840, 1840-10-03
FATAL ARRAY.

FATAL ARRAY.
MAN KILLED IN THE PUBLIC STREETS.
The following dreadful occurrence has
occasioned great excitement in this city,
and especially in the western portion OF
lit where il took place.
Two persons, named Allen Watts and
Richard Collier, between whom some pre-
vious misunderstanding or quarrel existed,
fell into company together at Sauter's tav-
ern, opposite the Seven Buildings. There
were some other persons present, and
amongst that number man named Henry
Tucker, shoemaker, who resided at
Georgetown. Watts and Collier had a
quarrel in the house, when the letter slap
ped Watts in the face. Toprevent fight
| in his house, the landlord Immediately
turned the parties concerned into the street,
where scuffie and fight Immediately en-
sued between Watts and Collier. 1t is
probable that Henry Tucker, who was
standing by, interfered and endeavored to
part the cOmbatants. Be that as it may,
| it is certain that Watts was seen 10 give
Henry Tucker three or four stabs with a
pocket knife, which, in less than two
minutes, caused him to fall down lifeless
in the street Watts was Immediately
seized and taken before Justice Drury,
who, after the excitement subsidized, which
was very great both in and around the
lofice, examined the witnesses and the
prisoner. The latter, on being questioned
by the magistrate, admitted that he had
stabbed the deceased, but did not intend
to stab him. The prisoner said, in his de-
fence, that che was assaulted by Collier,
that he drew his knife for defence, and
stabbed away Unfortunately that he
did not intend to kill Tucker, but to de-
fend himself from Collier who was the
cause of what happened" After hearing
all the evidence, the examining justice
committed the prisoner for trial at the en-
suing Criminal Court on the charge of
wilfully numbering Henry Tucker
We understand that, at post mortem
examination of the deceased by DR.. Dawes
and DR.. Magruder, it was ascertained that
the blade of the pocket knife (which is a
sharp pointed one, and nearly three inches
in Lengthy had penetrated the heart, and
also the lungs. There appeared to have
been four stabs given with the knife, any
of which, except that in the lungs of the
deceased, would have proved fatal.
! We also understand that a coroner's in
quest was holden over the body of the de-
ceased late on Monday evening, when
the jury returned the following verdict.
that "the deceased came to his death by
four slabs on the left side, inflicted by the
large blade of pocket knife i'll the hands
of Allen Watts"
| We have derived our information re-
specting this horrid affair from the COM
hitting magistrate, who politely impaired
1t at our request.
We take the above account of this most
horrible murder from the National Intel
ligencer. We do not wonder at it at all !;
it is only another case of the fruits of in
discriminate immigration The affray
commenced in one of those sinks Of cor
ruption, a low tavern, kept by buchanan
"a Commemorative proof on our article of
last week; and the murderer, we under
stand: is an Englislman. We shall COM
ment 10 further, but leave the murderer in
the hands of the law, and these establish
ments, where murderers are made, to the
just indignation and rebuke Of the COM
munity.
ANoTnER.-Mrs. Merry, most unex-
ceptionable woman, wife Of Mr.. E. G.
Merry, a respectable farmer at Chenille,
near Schenectady, was brutally murdered
during the absence of her husband, by an
Englishman, named Charles Cook, who
was in the employ of Mr.. Merry, and who
| had followed her into the cellar, made a
degrading proposal to her, which she re-
Ijected, then seized her, and cut her throat
from ear TO ear with a carving knife, Kill
ling her instantly.
A man named CHANA, who resided but
few miles from this place, was commit