The New York herald. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1840-1920, 1847-12-19

HoNEsDALE, Pa, Dec. IL, l647.
I'm Extraordinary Murder Tral-Singuiar Defence
Perdiet Of Gully.
The trial of Harris Bell for the murder of Mrs Eliza
Williams, wife of Rev. Gersham Williams commenced
In eur Court of Oyer and Terminer on Tuesday morn
ing last, and closed on Friday afternoon -
The atrocity Of this murder the circumstances IN.
der which it perpetrated and the hgh
ty Of the decead have awakened an intersst In the
result Of the trial before eQuaed In this county
There were about twenty witnesses examined the
commonwealth and some six or for the defence
The circumstances detailed in the evidence for the
prosecution, are substantially these -
The deceased left her home alone Sunday the
Of August last to attend Sunday school, about one nd
shalt miles from her residence The rest of the family
left in wagon some time after to attend church the
same place. on arriving at thu school house. and ind
ing the deceased had not arrived became alarmed and
turned with number Of others, back the road to-
wards her residence to search for her The BODY was
discovered In small piece Of woods at tho side of
the road between two logs, the dress thrown up with
evident marks of having been ravished after most
severe and struggle her part The pri
soner having been passing the school house short
time be.ore was immediately suspected pursued and
taken he WAS found sitting log by the road side
apparently Indifferent, and making no exertions to
escape He confessed the murder after little hest
fancy but denied his intention to MURDER stating that
his intentions were 10 ravish only 1t In evidence
that the prisoner had been about the
raj days, representing himself as cripple and begging
his living He had also represented himself as an
Indian doctor, and had prescribed In some instances
The prisoner, degraded and british looking vaga-
bond when brought into court, showed not the lesst
sign Of anxiety agitation as could obseve and in
this state he remained during the whole trial. occasion
ally bursting out into apparently uncomfortable fits
laughter at some remarks OF the witnesses.
The defence set up not insanity but diotcy in
ducsd BY long course Of vicious Pr.otices that by
his passions entirely controlling his wits and de-
stroyDg his intellect to such extent to render him
an unaccountable being Tbs main reliance of the de-
fence was upon the evidence of Samuel r. Wood and
William Blemdin OF Philadelphia the former of whom
stated that he had been the warden of the Eastern
he nris had hsar
Msy the 10th, 1888 In Chester county, Pa of assault
and battery with intent to ravsh and had been
fenced to i've years imprisonment that he had received
him and entered him the records simple and had
always regarded him such found him useless priso-
ner, unable to learn trade and had set him to pick
ing wool snd oakum; believed his general mental
organization TO be very detective This testimony was
corroborated by William Blunden who sverseer in
the penitt nary Much was also made by the defence
out Of the cross examination Of the witnesses the
prosecution as to the strange and conduct
Of the prisoner before the time and after his arrest
As rebuttipg evidence the commonwealth produced
some nineteen witnesses, among whom were doctors,
clergymen, Sc, who had examined him In prison and
elsewhere all whom testified that though his conduct
strange and his mind evidently weak they believ-
ed from their examination he had sufficient intelligence
20 right from wrong especially where that
Inc cause was most thoroughly and ably argued on
penHli tns commonwealth by 9. s. Minor, W. Myers,
and +: Wheeler Esqs, and the prisoner defended In
powerful and mastery arguments, by Hon VIM II
Dimmick, NJ. Crane, and f. Lusk Esqs all Of whom
volunteered their services In his behalf After the close
OF the most powerful and eloquent argument by Mr.
Crane that have heard this bar the effect was
plrceptbe on the whole audience in the court room
and heard it whispered from to another that tn
prisoner could not be convicted.
The Court charged the jury that tho principles OF the
law which to govern them So bstaptallv A.
they were laid down by the counsel for the common.
wealth Simply Ind the prisoner sufficient kpo
when he committed the act to know that IL was an act
contrary to the laws Of God and man!p No matter
what might be their belief TO the state OF bs mind
previous or subsequent to the commission of the act II
they believed that at the time he knew right from
wrong they were bound to convict that though they
believed his moral ssnsibties entirely bunted by
his own vicious habits, and by OF crime he
had no sense Of moral obligation remaining II he had
sufficient intellect left know right from wrong he
legally nsble for his acts that although they
isved from the evidence he did not intend TO murder
only to ravish. they believed death had taken place
from his hands they bound under statutes TO
convict OF murder In the frat degree
The Jury, after retiring few hours, returned with
averdict OF Gully, which received by the prisoner
with total Indifference. The prisoners couusl then
moved for new trialthe rule was granted to be ar
gued at the next term and sentence suspended
Swiss SHARP SHOOTERS The war in Swltzer-
land will be bloody one, and the officers will
fare the worst As Swiss unrivaled
In the world and few OF them will miss their at
800 yards from his childhood the Swis. Ia accustomed
to handle the heavy rife Of the country At the
skirmish the 81 Gothsrd the two frat picked OF
we're he officers Ia command This Cbamois hunter
res ct the ehamois he distinguished the
aoimsrs horns and rarely misses his ann A Swiss,
from habit nr,s without taking deliberate aim
London Morning Chronicle,