The New York herald. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1840-1920, 1851-12-12


TRIAL OF LAWRENCE RxLY FoR THE MURDER OF
his WIFE AND HER MoTHxI-rHE DEFENcx-
TESTIMONY CLOSED.
COURT rERmNER.
Before Judge B&rculo, and Justices stwe and Wright
DIosnrEx lo.--The Court met - before. A striking
change Observable In the prisoner He looked
worn and hsegard, compared with his appearance sf
yesterday. He maintained his position with studied
quietude but the defence proceeded the involuntary
sctisn Of his eye svnced the inward fearful state Of
anxiety under which he labored.
The Court vas more crowded than on the first day,
the curiosity Of the audience being doubtless excited
to hear the theory Of the defence for orime which
primo acie presented such clear Of murder The
Rev Mr.. Bacon who had attended Rely during his i'm
prisonuent, was present, seated behind him.
Alexander McCue, Esq, opened the defence in 9
speech Of great length, of which endeavor to give
synopsis SUFFICIENT to explain the grounds upon which
that defence rested After imporing jury to Danish
from their minds any prejudice that the atrocousness Of
the crime hao produced and to give their patient at
tentiop, he said he hoped to show that the prisoner
was "a man more snned against than SHINING ana
be acting under . deuson which rendered him un.
accountable for his acts They would have preferred to
try him the indictment charging him with the murder
Of bis wife but the counsel for the people had exercised
their right and selected the other. 1t however all
the set and he therefore hoped the prisoner
enabled to prove The presented some very pscu
liar features. The jury would recoect that Of the
Ing they called her, married to the prisoner
not. The facts briefly they would prove that
they married the 18th December ISIS just
years ago 1t was important to them to prove the cir
cnmssncee OF the marriage to show the revulsion
feeling which must have taken place in the bosom this
defendant when the delusicn took possession OF him
which the natural offspring Of the t-eatms
cevec at their hands Mrs dooing had gone cler
gyman and asked him If he would marry her daughter
He ider
ed her too young enter into that important relation
refused but consented when the parties were brought
before him examine them and he was satisfied that
che understood the relation he would perform the
mony. They came before him, and then Rely objected
not from any want Of Affection but because he
more time to prepare in pecunisry way But mother
and daughter were both anxious and pressed the
contemplated; and the clergyman only performed 1t
the mother promise that they would Immediately In
promise was never fulfilled and from that time up to
the hour Of committing the fatal act he per-
mitted to live with her in the relation Of and wife
Why this they could not tell and only parties who
could have explained It dead and the defendant
IN an unfortunate position In presenting of
that he lived there at then her This
was certainly STRANGE and they could explain it,
stances Of the marriage and that he had always shown
great affection for his wife, and them infer whe
thsr the man who entered into this relation, and
thus debsrred OF his privileges not driven that
peculiar state Of mind that would prepare him receive
any deusop. They did not dispute there had been q
every killing was not murder and the law hal wisely
provided, in some cases, that the offender should
psisted and reduced lesser offence They would in
this case he hoped prove 1t was not done with that
yemeditatsd design which was the essence of murder
liDgs were so perverted that he not In his right
reason; and they did not establish that they would
desvor 70 reduce TO granddaughter Though he feared
he might be tiresome must read some extracts from
established works the subject of insanity lie then
read passages from Greeniea 37s Becks Medi
cal Jurisprudence sc and argued that the defendant
was under q dsl1sion. 1t appeared by the evidence
man in bed with bis wife They believed that his Wife
was the contrary perfectly chsste and virtuous and
would have in evidence, that this entirely dsu.
under intellectual but insanity, not an uneom-
mon esse nov that the subject is better understood
to commit murder. The counsel for the prosecution
would no doubt argue that all this treatment that he
i, vac jus. the conduct that would pervert ali his ns
tra feelings and prepare his mind for the reception Of
sdelus;on The act itself the strongest proof Of his
state o. mind and the books laid down that the
self might ohen be the only glaring thing to guide
them IN their deliberations 1t was not necss-
ssry that be should net know what he aong There
many such recorded and lately in sister
STATE bad instance where the defendant not
Of the wrongs she had The prisoner
bad declared 10 him that had there been fifty people in
the room he would have done the same He could not
pesby help it and there could be no adequate motive
In The mipd Of sane man for the murder OF both.
lie stated that be knew the prisoner and bad Known IN,
deceased Mr.. Goldng and her daughter Ann the pri-
soDer ard Ann eoldps were married By him the 18th
December 1876 In the Church Of the C inception corner
Q; foik and jay streets Brooklyn Of which he pas
Own you ~A,- the circumstances attending tina.
The bisiriet Attorney objected. and
The Court ssked how they were connected with this
MI Dssman explained that was to show the fact Of
The ignorance Of the father Of the marriage and the cir
cuDstsnces to the time Of the occurrence under which
Judge Bsreulo thought they were beginning q. tn.
treatment, proved, would produce revsnssful and
malcious feeling but II did not follow that It would
sanity bsre they Ven. into the causes NH tn. Court
had attended 70 the opening and thought this case did
not come within any Of the cases alluded to except the
authority and only psrvs,sion Of justice. ''N ~
M piksmsn then formally offered to prove the cir.
sspn and n. Court ss down. The aa,
thusThst they might give evidence Of acts or words
At or o.s tim. Of IL: Of % Ss
but not evidence Of former bad treatment In relation TO
biz marital rights or Of provocation ct connected with
We on.nce i~sM The witness then was directed TO
Bridget Rely lister Of the defendant, then call
three or four days before the occurrence was there
two weeks sltosether vmy brother there slept with
my brothers wife with the exception Of four nights
Rourkr, who vas examined yesterday; he trested me
very ecoy all the time, and acted very strange wrote
tLst vas gong 70 fennty1vhniA ana asked him
10 eome and me- be did not dc so and vent 70 see
HIM when ssv him he said Il thought you were In
Botton be psssed out Ct the roon aud sad be aid not
want to see me; going 10 New York but Mrs Gold
ing would not let me- his bed changed the garrett
where ve slept We vent to bed and he aud sat
On the garvt stairs Mrs Goldng out and desired
him 70 90 to bed; he then TO bed there ives an
ifi.h Toy there hung my clothes on line By my
bed be got and gathered Clothes he went to bed
a. ais. 6c,des,s request who came up with candle;
little while Afterwards he got up again; he roaned
and acted Strangely he did this again be scted very
strangely and did not treat me . brother would ct
s Mrs. Golding said he crazy; (otected 10 by the
nhrres Attorney, unlss all Mrs. g. o stateme ns were
admitted. Tc this Mr.. Dksman sssented and proceed
es)-vken witness got up In the merniny sLe asked /
Mr. Goldirg where Lawrence was; and che said he
gore cot without any hat coat and she did not see
him again before she went 10 Pennsylvania; they
sad In the family that he very queer. and /
they id rot hpow what TO make Ct him; Annie said /
tbis; ~ten abe going away Mrs Goldng followed /
Ter 10 the bach gate and asked her II Lavrence had
given Der any money; the sad--no; aud Mrs Goldug