American telegraph. [volume] (Washington [D.C.]) 1851-1851, 1851-08-01

Charged soith the Murder Of his Wvs.

THAI OF John Day,
Charged Oih the Murder Of he Wvs.
Continued
After the closing Of our report yesterday,
brief discussion arose between counsel as to the
right OF defence to re-examine Mrs. Fridley
concering the birth, death, and burial of the
child. After which,
recalled, at this stage, by the defence, for cross
examination but her examination is confined
to those points.
| Cross-examiaatioa By the Defence.
Mrs. Sarah Ann Fridley.-The child was born
on the 18th September, on Wednesday; !
think So 1t appeared to be healthy child
1t died on the next Monday. II was taken sick
on Wednesday night; it was born in the morn
ing. | remember DR.. Howard calling there the
next day. He asked me if the child was
well, and | told him no. He looked at it,
and he told me to give it some OIL don't
remember whether he saw it the next day when
he came or not. He was there on Thursday
and Friday. He was there on Saturday l
believe he saw 1t then, but don't recollect.
did not think any thing allied the child
more than the common ailments Of any other
infant. The doctor was there on Sunday; it
was his last visit. 1t was on the bed there, and
l can't say whether he saw it or not. He asked
me if had given it the medicine. / told him |
had 1t died on Monday about IL. 1t was
buried that night about early candle-light. No
coffin was prepared except what Mr.. Day pre-
pared for it. 1t was put in box by him. Day
was home on Monday; he left my house on
that morning about nine o'clock, and returned
a little after twelve. He came back after the
death of the child / sent to no neighbor to
confer about the child before it died. He John
Day. wouldn't let me do SO. He was at home
pretty much all the time from the birth of the
child till Monday morning, except that he would
go out every now and then for few moments.
He was not absent in Alexandria all of one day
between the time of the birth of the child and
its death. 1t was buried in the yard of my
house. Mr.. Day buried it. Persons were in my
house backwards and forwards while the child
was sick. | could perceive soon after the birth
OF the child that something ailedit. Mr.. Fridley
and set up the whole night of the birth with
it. The commissions came on after the doctor
ceased his visits. gave it oil several times. l
wanted to send for the doctor, but John said it
was not worth while. After the child got so
poorly, | wanted to send for the doctor, but
John said it wasn't worth while. Both times the
doctor looked at the child l told him it was
poorly. 1t lived about day and night after
first having the commissions. do not know
whether it had fits or not; it looked black in
gave it oil on the suggestion of the doctor ;
| don't know whether Mr.. Day gave it any
thing or not. He said he was going to give it
laudanum; this was said think the day after
| its birth There was no laudanum in the house !;
| / did not see any. 1t was soon after it was
born that he said so, but after it appeared sick,
he objected to persons going into the room.
He gave no particular reason for this Mr..
Day proposed to have it buried where it was
buried He said it was his child, and he could
do as he pleased with it. l opposed this, and
said would like to have it buried at Holmeads
battle-ground, where my children were buried.
He gave no other particular reason for burying
it there. l told him l would much prefer to
have the child buried in coffin and buried
where it ought to be. He said that box would
answer every purpose of coffin, and he took
up q little wood box which was setting at the
side of the fireplace, and he said this would do
as good as any thing. My daughter kept her
bed one day after the birth; and she was con-
fined to her room about two weeks, as near as
/ can recolect.
George w. Fridley was also re-examined on
some immaterial points relating to the child.
THIS MORNING. The spectators are not
numerous, and the public interest appears to
flag.
John w. Wood sworn. Is married to Days
mother, and therefore his stepfather. He and
his wife were at Mrs. Fridley's house sometime
about the middle of last March. The CONVERSE
ton was chiefly between Mrs. Wood and Mrs
Fridley. Heard Mrs. Fridley say that Mrs.
Days child had died, and that Mr.. Fridley had
buried it on the premises as still as he could.
That was what kept them in that house under
the heavy rent they paid, lest some person
might come into it who would discover the
child, and make fuss about it. His wife
Mrs. Woody said it ought not have been done.
Mrs. Fridley said they (he supposed meaning
Day and his wife) did not want it buried in the
public burying-ground.
| Silas Kirk sworn.-Knows the prisoner at
the bar. Saw him on the Sunday evening be-
| fore the death of his wife on the corner of 10th
street, in front of Coombs' tavern, between 8
and 10 o'clock. Several other persons were in
company with Day.
VIM. Tucker sworn.-Heard Of the murder on
the evening it occurred. Believes that he was
with Day the evening before it occurred at
cigar store near Tenth street, on the avenue.
They purchased cigars at the store of a female.
There was some conversation between Day and
the female. Parted with day, he thinks, about
half-past 8 o'clock. The night after that heard
that Day had killed his wife. Saw Thomas
Birch at Coombs' tavern when he IT. and Day
were there on the night before the murder.
Mrs. Boron recalled. Mrs. Days child was
born on the 18th Of September Mr. Fridley
came for her, and she visited Mrs. Day on
Thursday; she visited her again on Friday, and
on the next Monday for the last time. She was
told at Mr.. Fridley's that the child was sick.
She told Mrs Fridley on Friday that she had
better see Dr. Howard about the child, when she
replied that she had mentioned it to him (Dr.
H. On Monday evening she did not see the
child. There was gentleman at Fridley's who
Mrs Fridley introduced to her as Mr.. Green
After Mr.. Green left she Mrs Beron) sim
quired after the sick" Mrs. Fridley said,
Didn't you know the poor little baby was dead
and buried?" She Mrs. b. said she had not
heard it. Mrs Fridley told her the child was
buried at Holmeads burying-ground, by Mr.
Thompson, but that Mr.. Fridley had seen it put