New-York daily tribune. [volume] (New-York [N.Y.]) 1842-1866, 1851-12-12
TRIAL FOR MURDER.
Trial OF Laurence Reilly for the Murder OF
his wife. Anne Reilly, and his msthcr-in-
law. Mary GoidiBg, at wiiiiamsbursh in
Ias
SECOND DAY. Wednesday, Dec. 10
Conclusion Of the Eud,nce.

| CONCLUSION Of the Esdence.
KINGS COUNTY CoURT OF 0YEh AND TER
sINER-Before Judge BMculo and Justices ssilwel
ard Wnght.-At the opening Of the Court this morn
ing, Alexander McCue, Esq. addressed the Jury on
behalf of the prisoner He said the case was one Of
unusual importance. The Jury was not called upon
to decide an action that was 20 imperl merely the
liberty OF the prisoner, but solemn question that
involved his life. The prisoner at the bar is brought
forward to be tried on indictment found against
him for muroer, said to have been committed the
2sth of June last after long imprisonment and
period of suffering and anxiety which you gentle
men, cannot realize. It's very natural for a strong
prejudice to e1is. in the minds of persons agains.
one guilty of such an act as that laid in the
Indictment, which will induce persons to be-
| lieve that he must have given way 20 bad
| passions, which, instead of being an excuse,
| appeared TO aggravate the crime but at the
same time, as Jurors, you are called upon 70 release
| your minds from any bias that may have been ere
ated by the testimony for the prosecution and lend
willing 10 the testimony about to be produced IN
| behalf Of the prisoner The plea of insanity which
we are about to bring forward in behalf OF the prs
oneI is not always received with favor, and on
| the first blush there may be prejudice In your
minds against it but the counsel IN this case bring
forward simply because they believe there is truth
| in the plea. The prisoner was married to Anne
! Goldmg on the 18th December, 1916, and We wish
to show whether the decisions which evidently had
possession
not the results OF his treatment subsequent TO his
marriage by his wife and mother-inlaw. The latter
| came to the clergyman by whom Reilly married
| two three days previous TO that event, and
quested him to mary Reilly and her daughter stat
| ing that she was very young, being only about Is
| years OF age. The clergyman seemed unwilling to
| perform the ceremony, owing TO the extreme youth
of the bIce but at last yleloed and SAID that on the
| parties coming before him he would question the
| eIl to her understanding Of the relations
| OF the marriage contract. When brought before
/ n ms I'M u
| ling 10 many al that time, owing to various cir
| cumstances but the girl and her mother appear
| ing anxious that the ceremony should take place
| he at last consented The clergyman elected a
solemn promise from the mother that she would tell
her husband of the marriage and thus pave the way
for reconciliation between the parties, but up TO
the time of her being killed-for he did kill hershe
had never done so, nor had they ever lived together
| as man and wife. Nor up to a short time previous
| to the death Of his wife he had not lived in her
fathers house he had worked with various parties
WIlliamsb urgh and New York, but had not resided
in the house OF Mr.. Golding and when he did come
| TO live in 1t, 1t was not as the husband Of Anne
| Reilly, never being recognized as such either
| by herself or her mother. We cannot furnish
| any reason for such strange conduct on their
! part, but we will show that he was married
| Against his will that he had always manifested
kindly disposition toward his wife, and II Is not
| strange that such treatment as he received should
produce should a strange state Of moral and intel
lectual insanity as would render him irresponsible
for his acts. We cannot furnish any distinct facts
to prove his insanity, for is almost impossible to
give positive evidence Of 1t, unless you will take IN
TO consideration the general bearing, action and ex
pressiOns of the prisoner, and from them we infer
| The state of his mind. The statute bearing upon
the case states that person is not responsible for an
act committed while IN state OF insanity. and wen
tend TO show that the prisoner insane at the time
OF committing the alleged murder The learned coun-
sci here read from Greenleaf on evidence. sec. 32 In
relation to the law touching insanity. In criminal
cases to exonerdte party from guilt, greater de-
gree of insanity is necessary than to release him
| nom civil contracts and where the insanity has
hnen nf n n1fr IN he m h Tn Agnn
and judgment, any act committed is at)udged 10 be
the act OF body without mind to guide il. II IS
maintained on behalf of the prisoner. that his insan
ity was OF double nature-m0rdi and intellectual.
In intellectual II sanity the individual is gud ID and
Influenced by suppostitious circumstances that have
never occurred or II they have. are imagined by hun
| to an extIavagant extent. In moral insanity he
Judge of the nature of his actions with out being
able to restrain them. At the time the prisoner
mt.ed the act, although he may have been conscious
! of what ne doing although he may have known
that the instrument was deadly one, and Wound
inflicted 10y n would be nkeiy 20 cause death|ar
though he might have been able to distinguish De-
tween right and wrong abstract ideas yet was he
ia such condition to be unable TO repress his ac
! tiops. lie laboring under the deuson that his
wife encouraged the addresses OF other men-oi one
young particular-yet that this was but a de-
fusion there is no question His wife u virtuous
and worthy Young woman and he had nothing 10 COM
plain of further than being deprived OF the privileges
| of a husband, yet from dwelling upon her iancled
iufoelity he supposed himself justified III taking her
| life and fem his being not recognized by her as
husband, and seeing her and other females In the
house in company of male visitors, he was led to be-
/ lieve that she had formed other attachments and
that criminal conduct had been the result. Counsel
| tfen read extracts from Beck's Jurisprudence, to
show that one OF the faculties may be diseased, while
the rest are Ill a sound state, and that under the
influence OF such INSANITY person may commit
crimes mOtiyeless and me1pilcable to himself as
10 others. The sister Of prisoner who arrived at
Goding's from Ireland about two weeks previous TO
the fatal occurrence stated that the conducl OF neI
brother on meeting with her strange, as he dld
not recognize her with that warmth WHICH she ei.
pected, but With codness for which she could not
account that he acted in such a strange manner as
to produce doubts in her mind as to ms sanity IL
viii be urged b. the prosecution that the treatment
he received furnishes motive for his actions Out We
infer on our side that that conduct such as TO
lay his mind open to those decisions which the law
recognizes insanity, and we infer from ali me
circumstances that he actuaied by an irresistible
impulse which he could not control In this case
we think We shall be able TO satisfy you that he was
| lsboring under delusion-labonng under passion
! which made him irresponsible for the acts wmcn
| stand against him, and on these grounds shall ask
YOU for an acquittsl OF the prisoner
Dav,d " Booon. tpa'ior Of S. James Ssu, 6, v Jay
DTooihp know the prisoner a, .ht par anu M Anv " me
deceased Mrs GSd and her d.ushs5 the , an Iss
18th December 1876. in the Church Of the Assump,oa
of York snd Jay sts Brooklyn OF when was h'n
QSsstion BY you state the circumstances of
tobecied to by the Prosecson-OOection sustained by
oOIs he prisoner an ,lllierste man
A He is perfectly ilterate . p,,, .
brGgef Reug, swoTn-l ain sister OF Laurence hSli
was al The hOufe Ms Gpidng about three days oi
| The muTSef vas there weeks Altogether sa" nay
bIothtr there slept with his wife with the sscepuoh
four nights slept nights with Bridget h9uiAe ano
Margaret C0nroy he treated me very cooy aI 'ne ne
ard acted very strange wrote to him Il al was going 70
Ferrsylyara he did not all upon ma and went 20 see
Inn be said. though you had gone TO Boston as en-
tered the room where he he passed OUT ana sag ne
| cd NOT want e. sec ne; | intended TO 60 10 new
Work Int Mrs ColdIng would not let me because u
was SO ltte ard sept there; when L sIaia tneis
usually SLEPT with LaureEoes wife until me iass mshs
| when | was pus IL the garrett 10 sleep with Inc trls
We had gone 20 bed and laxhere for some tine PTS
OF cane up and at the foot OF the Stars Mr Uolu
ip came out ard desired him 20 go 20 bed ne then nig
up stars there sh boy IN his bed and ne iaS
down be SIDE him aer Little while he raised Up aeo toH
nv clothes and other clothes hanging on hhe hea my
beo rolled them bundle and used them iSt pillow
Mrs Ccldng hearrg noise, came up VIII cahule anu