The New York herald., 1846-03-30

The community were astonished yesterday, on the
receipt of the intelligence that Albert j Tirrell
whose trial for the murder Of Maria Ann Bickford,
at Boston, occupied their attention for some days
back, had been acq1 ted by the jury We saw every
where little knots OF people talking the matter
over and there was but opinion, and that was,
that il was a most extraordinary verdict. There
never was in the history of crime, IN the minds Of
many, clearer case of cool, premeditated and de-
liberate murder, perpetrated by an abandoned and
profigate man. The circumstances Of the case are
briefly these
Trrell and the victim were persons Of abandoned
character One was living apart from his wife, and
the other from her husband, and both had been CO.
habiting In adultery for long time previous to the
murder. After continuing in this adulterous con.
necton for time, and travelling over the coun-
try we find them in house in Boston, where
Maria Ann Bckford was murdered. They had
retired for the night the inmates OF the house
had discovered fire in the chamber, and heard
the footsteps OF some person escaping. After ex-
tlngushing the fire, they found the body Of Maria
Ann .Bckford partially burned, and her throat cut
IN an awful manner. On making further search,
several articles OF apr arel belonging to Trell
found, and the wash basin showed evidence of
some person, whose hands had been bloody, hav-
ing washed in It, Soon after the discovery OF
the fire, Trrel was seen in another part Of the city,
endeavoring to hire conveyance to take him out
OF town as soon as possible. Suspicion Immediately
fastened on Tirrell as the murderer; officers were
in pursuit Of him, but he effected his escape to New
Orleans, where he was arrested and brought back
to Boston for trial.
The defendant engaged most eminent counsel,
Er., nj
that the victim committed suicide; and secondly,
that Tirrell was a somnambust from his youth
and if he really committed the murder, he did 1t
while he not in his right mind. ,chiie he
asleep. The trial proceeded, and the Common
wealth proved the minds of hundreds the fact of
Tirre's being the murderer, beyond the possibility
OF doubt; and yet, the jury, to the astonishment
of vast number of the moral people OF Boston,
brought IN verdict of not guilty That portion Of
the defence about somnambulism is the greatest
piece of humbug we have ever heard Of; and the
very fact Of such defence being put in, is pretty
strong proof that it was made use Of in place OF
better. As to the idea Of the woman having COM
mltted suicide, it is preposterous, and too imsy to
admit Of moments argument The jury, we be-
lleve, based their decision on the ground that it
was selt.murder; but it puzzles us to see how they
apparel and cane Of the prisoner were found ia the
room; and that, with the circumstance of the wash
bowl, and the prisoners subsequent fight and es-
cape when pursued by the officers Of justice, forbids
such a supposition. We therefore consider the
whole defence, and the verdict, as most exraordi-
nary in every point Of view. 1t will afford terri
bic precedent It is a mockery of all law and jus
tice and is direct inducement for q repetition Of
tho Ortpn Uhatc kn,,> H. Ar
sachusetts for their lives and property, when an
abandoned villain can enter house, murder his
victim, and employ counsel whose ingenuity
and skill will work out his acquittal, by making
up story Of somnambulism, or some other
humbug' We have, in this, precedent that
will be followed in the same manner that the plea
ofinsanity was, for years to come Every murder
er will, hereafter, plead somnambulism as an ex-
cuse, or some other equally shallow defence, which
the fertile ingenuity Of counsel may coin, if he be
fortunate enough to be tried In Boston. He may
snap his finger at the law and Judge, and repeat
his crime All that is necessary, is to get his mo-
ther, or grandmother, to prove that he got up and
walked In his sleep. when he was young, and made
noise resembling, no matter what, as if he was
half-stranRed. and jury will acqui him. For, not
wthstandng the rumor that the Jury based their
decision altogether on the suppostion that the un.
fortunate woman committed suicide, we are dis
posed to think that the plea OF somnambulism had
its effect upon their minds, and they let it infu-
ence their Judgment.
We have never heard SO universal a condemna-
ton as there of the verdict of the jury in this case
since the time Of the Ellen Jewett tragedy in this
city, to which this case similar in every res
pect In that case, the victim was likewise prosti-
tute. After the crime of murder was committed,
the crime Of arson was added, as it was in this
case, and the verdict was the same We remember
well the outcry that it caused In Boston, and the
sensation it produced in this city. Public opinion
here condemned the jury in unmeasured terms;
but the press and people of Boston were vocferous
in denouncing it for months afterwards. But we
have now evidence of a still greater outrage
being committed in Boston on the laws OF the COM
monwealth. We had no such plea as somnambulism
raised on the part Of Robinson, neither was an at
tempt made to make out case of suicide.
1t was reserved for the city of Boston, whose cor
poration laws will not allow man to earn an hon.
est living by selling a newspaper on Sunday-nor
permit a man to smoke segar in the streets with
impunity-to get up this farce and carry it out.
What can be said now of the morals of that city,
whose citizens have been guilty of such a shameful
disregard of their laws, to permit asvagabond
like Tirrel to 60 unwhipt Of justice, for committing
crime OF the deepest and blacklist dye, with pre-.
mediation, and under the most revolving circum-
stances!
WRECKS DURING THE PAST YKAR.-The past
year has been one in which more American vessels
have been wrecked, than any other one during the
last forty years. Among the prominent of thes
have been the Henry Clay, the John Minturn, the
New Jersey, Hilah, Sophia, and Hamlet In adj
dtion to these, large number Of other vessels, Of
all descriptions, have met with the same unfortunate
calamity.
The loss Of life and property in these wrecks has
cast gloom over many hearts, and darkened, for a