The New York herald. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1840-1920, 1852-03-14

MURDER AND MARRIAGE-A New ARGUMENT
| AGAINST CAPITAL PUNIsHMENT.-The recent execu-
ton Of German in this city, named Grunzig, for
the murder of his wife Victorine, by administering
poison, has produced curious exhibition Of feeling
among the German population, excited chiefly by
their press of all shades of opinion, which unan-
mously denounced the execution Of Grunzg as q fla
grant judicial MURDER The funeral to Greenwood
Cemetery having been announced for a Sunday, at
least three thousand persons assembled, (many of
them freemasons) and marched in solemn procession
down Broadway to the South Ferry, to express, as it
were, their conviction of the innocence Of Grunzig
their dissent from the verdict of the jury, and their
contempt for the administration of justice in New
York. 1t was quite an imposing sight, and no doubt
was intended as startling demonstration The case
was treated as of martyrdom and as if the judi
cial proceedings had been mockery of justice. Here
is sample of German opinion on the subject:-
From the New York Algcmeine Zeitung 18th Feb1
There are other points with which vigorous
agitation could be commenced In the first place,
the abolition Of capital punishment, Michigan and
Rhode Island have gone before-New York must
follow. The Legislature ia now in session, and q
petition, circulated at the present moment, under
the awful impression of the late execution, would
probably obtain such number Of signatures that
this would be the last execution in the State. 1t
is exactly in such cases that the miserable effect Of
the whole punishment becomes evident The peo-
pie, whose minds are heated to an extraordinary
extent, forget how they undermine the jury. The
sentence of the Jurors must be taken true sem
tence, which. at least, ought not to be 50 often
exposed to the criticism of passion; but the law
which dictates capital punishment must be demo-
lshed; the conservative side this should be pcr-
ceived the most. Accustomed to engage authority
for their passions and struggles-their hopes and
delusions-the people heap more and more on their
shoulders the compatibility of institutions which
barbarous centuries have bequeathcd to u.s. In
stead OF opposing the law, they oppose its executors;
and this mode OF procedure only lead to a dsas-
trous confusion of IDEAS This execution has ended
law suit which also affords illustrations ofanother
institution with which society torments itself until
lassitude or exhaustion. namey-marriage. This
case demands some reflection. victorne the
wife of Grunzig, had claims on her husband accord
ing to odd rights" and Margaretta, his mistress
thought to have newer and fresher rights. In this
way 1t came TO conflict; and as our regulations
are 50 exemplary it came to the well known solu-
tion-one OF the three parties was poisoned the
other executed, and the third is in prison to await
perhaps more serious accusation. The whole is n
consequence fthe aforementioned institution Tmar-
ringeI; but it is said that society is endangered
that moral indignation is produced-if only word
is uttered about such Il corrupt institution.
The evidence against Grunzig was purely circum-
tantial There was no proof that he had purchased
poison and though there could be no doubt that the
death OF his wife was caused by some destructive
mineral yet it also appeared according to his own
statement that he himself had paraken of the poi
soned food, and was very sick from its effects He
complained to Margaretta Lohrens, (his mstress)
who was examined rs witness for the prosecutions
that he was Sick that his face was infamed-hc had
burning in the throat, and could not find any re-
medy. Margaretta took him to cairvoyant in
William street, and he afterwards felt better The
clairvoyant recommended him some milk and rs il
had done him good, he fastened home and said he |,
would give some to his wife, who was still sick II
did not appear that there had been any quarrellinr
between Grunzig and his wife Margaretta said he
always seemed to like his wife very well. But it
appeared, the other hand, from Margaretta's own
testimony, that some angry words passed between
her and Grunzig's wife; that Mrs. Grunzie scoldod
and insulted her, and threatened to strike her. A
proposition afterwards made by the wife to the
mistress to 60 back to Germany and leave her child
here with Mrs. Grunzig; but to this Marcarctta
would not consent, and good deal of suspicion has
attached TO her, both from circumstances that trans
pired on the trial, and from others which have been
since brought to light.
Thi. being the state Of facts the German papers.
Of which there are six eight in this city, took the
matter up. and denounced the execution as MURDER
and marriage MS the cause of it. Marriage" says
one Of them, rs quoted above, " is a corrupt
institution" and this is urged az an argument
against capital punishment The doctrine and the
argument alike novel and startling and ought
to help the philosophers Of the Tribune very muchin
their denunciations against capital punishment. |
Such is the moral and intellectual ament supplied
to n very large portion Of our population by the
German newspapers; and what the result OF such
teachings must be, VIC leave tho reader to judge.
Fourierism, and moral reform are gong
ahead with vengeance in this great CITY