The New York herald. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1840-1920, 1849-05-08
The Trial OF Mrs. How ard, In Cincinnati, for
Murher

since the opening Of the trial The prisoner attended
at the boarding house Of Mr. Howard and asked to
Mrs Howard. who waited upon her. The next know
ledge that the witnesses had of the transaction is de-
The first saw OF deceased she rushed into the ktcb
en-, her hands clasped about her neck and almost
mediatey fell muttering something did not hear dis
through the yard, crying to Captain Howard, "your
wife is killed!' He hurried down stairs and went into
the room DON When ! went in, heard him say, Mary
W no murdered her? | told him there was lady in
the dining room. Capt. Fl. exclaimed, :" know the
murderer' He then ran up stairs for his knife, as
supposed The shrieks and noise of the inmates in the
room alarmed the neigborhood, and the house fill
ed with ~, people. The woman was dead had fallen
Name of the deceased was Mary Ellen Howard Came
to my house in September last Deceased was small
woman, good looking, handsome FORM and was in bad
health Was killed on Friday, Feb. I'd. Was not as
stout as Mrs. Howard
The deed is traced home to the prisoner by her
confession, related by Mr. Henshaw under examIna
lion. He said -
On the night of the I'd February, went dol n to
where Mrs Howard resided in Cutler street. the lady
who opened the door said: ~ am very glad you arc
come, as Mrs Howard Is distracted" ] asked what
was the matter She replied she did not know.
room STOPPING down the stove, though she
Lighting fire. She turned round, the expression
sad 81 have been just down to your room" ] said.
"You did not find me there?" She then turned away,
with her head towards the stove and sat down. was
agtated by her wild appearance, and ! said with n
view to direct her attention from me- MADAM, your
.ars very steep; they have put me out of breath
She continued at the stove three minutes APP
paren:iy making fire. it was rather cold night She
still continued silent and remarked to her that her
dress tom For moment two she still silent
and then turned round suddenly and sad "Ive killed
that woman: Her conversation very rambling and
disbeeving her assertion, endeavored to learn what
She said 1he had been at work all day till about four
o'clock when she went next door to lady who she
thought would give her information about her children;
that the lady could tell her nothing but two other la
dies who in the room could; that they told her
Captain Howard was boarding with woman passing
his wife, in Fifth street. that he had taken this woman
the children brought them to her. and that
he about removing with her and the children to
New Orleans; that she (defendanD then returned to
her house and started to find them that she knocked
along at all the doors in Fifth street to find where they
boarded; finding where Captain H. lived, she inquired
Mrs. H. was, who then came down; that she ldefen-
danD struck her blow with knife; that she fell
and defendant left the house; she added, she told
Mr.. Scott Of the circumstance and that he said he
did not blame her. | heard her say about
month before, that Captain Howard was living some
where in Fifth street went down towards the direction
in Fifth where l supposed the boarding house was,
and then ascertained what had taken place. then
returned to Mrs. Towards house, and she asked me
wife had stabbed another She repeated my words
with singular expression of cou ntenance, and re-
to do. She paid attention to my remark at first,
but asked when going. what she had better do
l repeated, she ought immediately to Mr.. Sect
She replied, MIR. Scott will do nothing for men /
then said She had better see MIR. Spencer the Mayor
She did not appear to comprehend what was sug
gesting-or that anything more than ordinary had
happened, and said g Madam, must go.' She said,
"Do not leave me' l said, If you want to talk fur
ther with you must put on your cloak, and shall
20 into the street, We then went into the street. and
the first remark she made was, Pm very cold
wonder if made fire " After five or ten minutes,
found she was in unsettled state of mind and
we then returned to the room, and when again spoke
Of her going to the Mayor, she asked if her going to
Marshal Hulse would not answer we'll said yes,
the best place she could 60" She asked nae if could
go with her; said Eyes" On going into the street
she uneasy, and when in the neghborhood of Mar
shall Hulses, she said she would go and him, and
then return and fix up her room. | said she could
not return that night when she expressed good deal
OF surprise and wished to know "why!' She pressed
with reiterated inquiries, till stated to her that
the woman was dead; she clasped her hands and cried
out, "Oh, my God what crimes has that man made me
commit" She then wanted to return to her ROOM and
] said would go back with her. | her 20 to her
house ana turned up Barr street leaving her to re-
turn not word was said by her that night in reference
to escaping to kentucky think she showed the
knife saw no sign of blood upon her. but she might
have said something about having washed her hands;
she occupied two rooms two other females occupied
the other apartments in the house.
Cross-ea9mi,ed by Judge WALKEn-Will you state to
the Court for what purpose you called upon Mrs How
ard upon the night of this alleged act by her?
friend of mine geing to California had placed at my
disposition some check to be made into shirts had
given the work to Mrs Howard and called to see how
lar she had progressed with It, ....
You stated that when she entered the room she was
STOPPING as II engaged in making fire will you now
state how long she was occupied in that way?
She was STOPPING near the door of the stove when
u /
maned Fighting fire Later in the evening after
had left the house, and proceeded to Fifth street to
ascertain the truth OF her story, when returned back
did not observe any fire in the room-and when re-
qucstcd her to out, her reply wait till light
re she put in few shayings and lighted them without
any regard arranging the wood aud upon coming out
doors her first remark 81 wonder if have lighted
fire ~
When she spoke of perpetrating the deed charged
against her, did she the term woman or the
woman - have killed that woman" the ex-
preston
thnv pho
with woman did she speak of her as his WIFE or as
woman with whom he had been co-habitng Ger
tainy not as his wife.
What was your reason for supposing she had not
committed this act 81 did not believe It possible she
could have so acted.
Was anything said about blood Yes; when I re-
marktu hat her story must be chimera Of the BRAIN
and nothing serious had happened she replied chow
came, then that warm blood upon me dreamed last
upon me producing the same sensation had when |
FORM Oh her state OF mind That she as crazy as
seeing Mrs Howard once twice week, except whom
he was absent from the city; his acquaintance with
her was not OF familiar character but he entertained
srong friendship tor her she and her relations being
from the same section of country he had come FROM
ana think her insane on two particular occasions before
inns occurrence one was i'll July last when she
about setting out on visit to her friends the other
was in last winter in reference to the making the
shirts, which she then declined saying she was going
directly off somewhere and in hour afterwards cali
ing to get the work. knew the defendant to drink
whskey or ardent spirits of any kind regarded her
liable to insanity her tendency to which seemed to re-
late to her husband and children 1t seldom said
the witness regarded her in that light, and then
adopted soothing manner towards her; what mean
hat was that led her on to hope she would get her
children, putting down Immediately the tendency of
The mind on that point.
Did suppose her capable of distinguishing rrht
rom wrong!
Judge Walker objected to the question: unless it |
we're applicable to the two points Of insanity which he
iad suggested-it covered too much ground and |
likely to lead to false issue The learned counsel re-
erred to Wnslow upon insanity, where il was con- |
ended that the capacity to distinguish right from
wrong was not an unerring test to apply; party
night labor under form Of insanity protecting him |
rom legal or moral responsibility, and which drives
lin by impulse to the preparation of after he
lad struggled against the morbid desire conscious Of
MS guilt but compelled to do what was wrong in the
light of God and man.
The Court admitted the question
The witness then answered the question: did think
YRS Howard generally capable of distinguishing be- |
ween right and wrong, and disposed at all times to do
What was right.
Geographic despatch gives the result Of the trial
Is follows - '