The republic. [volume] (Washington [D.C.]) 1849-1853, 1853-06-18
L &C AL NATTER


CRIMIsAL CouRr.-The case of the United States
William b. Sas.cer, indicted for the murder OF
Emeline Johnson, on the 18TH of September last.
BY the administration of poison, was proceeded
with yesterday.
The Judge said be had understood that the evi
dence for the United States was closed.
MIR. Bradley remarked that he would have been
glad If this fact had been announced on WeGnes
day, 30 that the counsel for the defence mig have
made an arrangement for the attendance of wit
nesses.
MIR. Radcliffe then proceeded to open for the de-
fence, and in the course of his remarks he replied
to the council for the United States defining what
constitutes murder, and reading the law applica
bic TO the case pending. He contendcd that there
was no existence of express malice, as charged in
the indictment. The theory of the Government
was and must be that stryohnine was purchased
by the prisoner the thirteenth of September
and that the death of Emeline Johnson was caused
by ii on the fifteenth of that month at night and
the jury were called upon, by the prosecution to
deduce from these parts of evidence the guilt OF
the accused He is charged with having occa-
stoned the death of Emeline Johnson "feopiously,
wilfully, and with malice aforethought," by ad-
mInistering the poison TO her whom be loved even
to madness. Call it not love, but madness. Do
not let that sacred term he decorated Look
at the letters from him to her, breathing no.
thing but spirit of anxious, inexplicable pas
sion, to the exclusion of the tender obligations
to one whom he swore at the altar to Oh erish and
protect; and even the obligations which he owed
to tender mother. His counsel did not intend to
excuse or palate the case In its moral aspect; but
they purposed to show TO the jury that, however
enormous the moral indiscretions of the prisoner
with this they had nothing to do. The naked
ffnn "a. h.
ment- The jury had to say whether the charge
was made out beyond reasonable doubt. There
was an absence in the letters Of motive to ia Ike
her lille. In addition to the affectiouate express
sons IN these the counsel for the defence proposed
TO prove that he furnished house for her. and
always showed the utmost kindness towards her.
in sickness and in health; that when she disre-
gardsd her own safety, he employed whatever in
huence he possessed TO control her. When she
undertook to injure her p.rson by taking medi-
clnes, or polsons, he found dssuadinp her
The defence would offer witness who acted as
kind OF agent in carrying letters to the deceased
to show that she told this of her grievances
and said that she would have destroyed her life
long ago but for her socitude for Sasscer and his
family, marking that she did not wish him to
bear the blame of her death. There would, Mr.
Radcliffe remarked, be confusion as to the time the
conversation took places but that she declared her
| purpose to take her life there is no doubt Thew
would prove, by another witness, that a few DAYS
| before her death she said she was miserable and
hce5. She had to leave for fear that her mother
who was not on good terms with her, would turn
| her away. Did not this suggest that in a fit of
! desperation, she might have killed herself? In
conclusion, the learned gentleman spoke of the
kindness OF the prisoner, and his good character
/ apart from Circumstance in this transaction and
alluded 10 the fact that when he was suspected of
| the murder, he early in the morning called at the
! house OF Justice Goddard, declaring his readiness
to meet the charge and making no effort to escape.
The feelings of the man have already been lace
rated, and every blow struck would fall alike
! upon the tender wife who still cngs to him in
adversely and upon his solicitous mother. God
grant that this severe trial may teach not only him.
| but others, valuable lesson.
Witnesses were now called for the defence.
John Davis, police officer, who lived opposite
to Sasscer testified that be did not know that the
next door neighbor of the latter had troublesome
dog, but he did know that there was a large mum.
Der OF troublesome dogs in the neighborhood, about
/ which there was general complaint. He (the wit
| ness) himself bought twelve and half cents worth
oil strychnlne from Mr.. Sylvester and killed dogs
with it, Sasscer had valuable and remarkable
| hunting dog. After the inquest, on Friday night,
| the defendant showed him paper with now
der in 1t, which looked like the powder which he
! (the wltness) had bought for strychnine. He sa W
the prisoner before the warrant was issued at
| raj places.
Sarah Gates testified that in the summer or fall
OF 1851 the deceased told her she had a very
/ kind friend, which che afterwards learned wa
Sasscer. When she met her again, she 1.-THE de-
ceased) seemed to be in a great deal of trouble
She burst DOT a crying, and said Sasscer was her
friend; also, that the wife of the prisoner knew
all about IT., and annoyed them yery much. She
was afraid that Sasscer would desert her. and said
that she intended to take some pills that evening
I The witness persuaded her not to do So The de-
ceased said that if Sasscer did not come that even
| ing she should certainly take them He did not
come that evening, and she took one pill He
came the next, however, when he told her that if
she pad taken the other pills il would have dis
| Tessea MN very much, and that it would have
| been murder The medicine was intended to pro-
| duce ABORTION. He made up with her, saying that
| be would never desert her. The deceased while
| living IN the First Ward, was confined and said
II she was in that condition again she would Ia Ike
| remedies for certain purpose. Emeline johnson
/ mad much hrmness, and was handsome woman.
/ Sasscer seemed to be a yielding man, devoted TO
/ her, and under her control The child was still
porn, and Sasscer paid the expenses of the funeral
The witness further testified, among other THINGS
that Sasscer declared the child TO be his and thai
/ ne would suffer every limb TO be severed from his
/ body before be would forsake her.
/ On the cross-eIaminaton, the witness said that
the deceased, four or i've weeks before her death,
remarked that she was going 10 sell out intending
to go to Boston, where she had an opportunity to
| join the stage.
Susan Weeden testified that two or three even
ings before the death of Emeline Johnson she "a W
| the deceased with Sasscer. They had been taking
. walk, and stepped in to her house. The prise.
ner and the deceased were very friendly at the
/ Time Inc deceased said she was living unhappily
at her mothers, and was anxious to get a house
during the cross-examnation, she said that she
| became acquainted with the deceased in the sum-
mer of 1851, and knew her intimately for six or
! eight months. She never knew of Emeiue John
son having strychnine in her possession.
Richard J. Ryon testified that he went to school
| with the prisoner, and that his character, when a
| youth, was mild and docile, and he was easily
| managed. When they separated, after lea vim 2
| school, Sasscer went TO Baltimore. He lad seen
| him here frequently since that time The prisoner
was not vicious, and about thirty five years of age
Edward Hall, under oath, said he had been ac-
| qualnted with the prisoner for twelve years. He
had character for huma nifty and was not vicious.
Jonah ID. Hoover testified that be had known
Sasscer Tor about ten years, amiabe, peace
able, quiet, clever gentleman, and was violent on
only one subject; namely, politics-on which both
| he and the prisoner differed.
Inc evldenceIhaving been closed, the court in
sructed the jury asi follows: If the jury believe
! that the defendant gave poison to the deceased
with the intent TO destroy life he is guilty of MUIR
DER, though he was absent when il was taken II
theJuTy believe that poison given by the prs-
oner TO The deceased, and given to procure abor
ton, and she took it in his absence with that in
tent he IS an accessory before the fact and ought
10 De acquitted on this indictment As the priu-
clpal Is dead be cannot be convicted as an acces-
sorry, because at common lsw N acceSsorv Gamma.