The New York herald. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1840-1920, 1851-05-16
ITE MS OF VS..


THE LATE TRAGEDY AT WASHINGTON CIrY.-lt
was our painful duty to announce yesterday the
murder Of wife by her husband, who shot her
dead with six-barrel revolver, about o'clock on
Monday night, as she was endeavoring to get out OF
his way, and enter her fathers dwelling, of which
she had been an inmate for FIVE week, past. The
investigation Of this tragcai affair yesterday before
Coroner Woodward resulted in a verdict, substan-
TALLY and distinctly charging the husband, John
Day, with the wilful and premeditated murder of
his wife, Catharine Virginia Day, by malicously
shooting her with revolver. number Of wit
were examined at the Coroners inquest, from
whose testimony we are led to the conviction that
the verdict Of the jury, rendered after fair and
deliberate inquiry into all the circumstances Of this
horrid deed, is fully justified by the evidence SUBJ
mitted to them. II appeared from the testimony Of
James Il. Summers and other witnesses, that Day,
the prisoner, he approachedhi wife in the street.
enough for you?S To which he replied, 81 reckon
it is warm enough for you, as you have been parad
ing the avenue all day" One Of the witnesses tes-
tilted that Day added to this remark, sAnd Pm
going to shoot you for it," John A. King, who
saw Day in the course of the afternoon, testified
that he said to the witness that he was going to kill
somebody chat night" King told Day that he was
drunk, and Day said, eyes, have been drinking
all day" The witness saw Day with the pistol,
and advised him to put it away Richard Nj. Dow
ner said that Day, the prisoner, was in his cigar
store between and o'clock on Monday cvenin 3;
that Day then threatened she would kill somebody
before morning, either man woman, he did not
care a d--n which" Mr.. Downar told Day he had
been drinking, and he would think better Of it.
Day said he knew he should go to the pententiary.
but he did not care how soon. He added, that
"nobody respected him and he did not respect him
self" and be did not care how soon he went to the
Ienite ntiary. John III. Sessford saw Day arrested
by officer Boss, and told Day he thought his wife
would not recover from her wounds Day exclaimed,
"Oh. my Godn' and commenced crying. Mr.
SessioTd said that he did not think Day ntoxi-
Gated when he shot his wife, nor did he think. when
be cried, il was anything but ieigned cry. The
mother and young sister Of the deceased said taat
Day had re Deatedy threatened to take revenge OF
the deceased; had choked and collarcd her on the
night the mother took her daughter (the deceascd)
home TO protect her from his threats and violence
Or Butt described the nature Of the wound
inflicted the deceased and united with Dr.
stone in the opinion (after having made q
post norton examination under the direction Of
the Coroner and the jury, that the wounds the
deceased received had caused her death. IL APP
peared that the extracted ball, which DR.. Stone
handed to the Coroner, had fractured the eighth
rib, passed through the lung, and caused internal
bleeding, which resulted in death. The deceased
after receiving her death wound, exclaimed. "Oh
john After she was placed on the sofa il her
fathers house, she exclaimed, in the hearing of
Dr. Stone, Gas he tcstiied,) "For Gods sake let
Inc die can't get over it, She died IN half az
hour after she was shot. The verdict of the Jury,
as recorded by the Coroner and drawn up by the
toreman, j. IL. Goddard, is as follows The jury,
upon their oaths, find that the said Catharine V.
lay was standing at her fathers door on the even
ing Of the 18th of Max, 1851, about 3 o'clock in
company with her brother, sister Mary, her cousin
and katharine r. kecner, when John lay, her hus-
band, came up TO the party, and after some few
words had passed between the deceased and her
husband, he said, Ill shoot you, ana then pulling
pistol from his pocket, the deceased ran to get
into the house. pursued by Day, and, when enter
ing the kitchen door, she was shot by the said Day.
discharging two bullets from the six barrel pistol
and the jury believe, from the evidence. that the
said Catharine V. Day came to her death by being
malicously and wilfuily shot by Ler said husband
John Day.--Natioaai HteAige,c0, Nay Ii.