The mountain sentinel. [volume] (Ebensburg, Pa.) 1844-1853, 1851-10-30
The Newark Murder,
ACQUITTAI OF MARGARET GARRITY.

! The trial of Margaret Garrity, a young Irish
! girl, charged with the murder of man by the
name Of Drum, who, under a long agreement of
! marriage, had robbed her of her virtue and then
married another, terminated in the Essex County
Court, New Jersey, on the 18th inst, by
dict of Not Guaty,--some evidence having been
adduced tending to show that she was insane at
the time OF perpetrating the deed.
The following account of the parties and of the
murder, given in the testimony before the
court, is taken froI the \. Y. Times:
The prisoner i agal about nineteen years;
is possessed of personal appearance,
not without l-at--aoas to beauty, and has
character fer esH==azss of temper. and iveliness
OF disposition. tl1e. seemed to have made many
friends for her - I'll erent families where she
has been at service Two years ago young
Hishman, eBgzs4z- g. me mechanical oceupa-
ton in Newark. -Fescease enamored of her charms
and good humor and N short time succeeded
well in Winning he girls favor as to procure
promise of ElrTiage. Margaret gave her
whole heart to her lover. Their intimacy was
of the very closest Night after night they met;
they spent their holidays together; were recog
every arrangement for the marriage, the
precise time, was definitely settled Drum
availed himself of the confidence secured by this
state of things 10 tempt the unsuspecting girls
virtue. He used the ordinary arts of seduction
with the skill of thoroughbred villain. The
affection by the better side of his character
was to be abused and betrayed by the use of the
most approved and diabolical methods. It's
very intensity and self-forgetfulness were to af-
feet its ruin. Immediate marriage, the picture
of comfortable home and the happiest of do
mestic ties, were held out ailurements. The
favor of the seiucer's love was pleaded; the
crime itself was robbed of its criminal aspect,
and usual depicted as an innocent indulgence,
the evil of which, if any threatened, could readi
ly be prevented by resort to the altar. The
Irish girl is notoriously tenacious of her virtue
and Margaret, clinging to her wcnanhOod and
fair fame, held out long against the seductions
of her lover But the strength of stronger
minds than hers has a thousand times over given
way to constant importantly, Margaret had
bestowed al else she had in the world upon the
seducer, and her honor followed the rest
/ As usual, the grief and remorse of her latter
hours found no relief but in the reparaton prom
ised by her marriage. She urged Drum to the
performance of his engagement. He professed
entire Willingness, but postponed the ceremony
from time to time various pretences; and the
! girl seems never to have doubted his good faith
until fortnight or so before the final of the
tragedy. She had become conscious that the
/ punishment of her frailty was at hand, and
nothing but the fidelity of her lover could save
her from disgrace. Friends told her that he was
devoting himself to another; she refused to be-
| heve it She demanded an interview with him !;
he appointed day for the performance of the
rite; and left her to get her wedding dress rea-
! dy, and make other preparations for the happy
! occasion. Again she assured of his infdeli-
| ty; and calling at his lodgings, she forced him
! to walk with her across the Passaic bridge and
resolve her suspicious. He no longer disguised
his il-faith- He told her falsely that he was al
ready married to girl in New York worth $2O0.
and that union with his miserable victim was
therefore out of the question. Leaving her with
this. the poor girl was abandoned to despair, and
sought the river bank with the aim Of ending her