The mountain sentinel. [volume] (Ebensburg, Pa.) 1844-1853, 1853-03-24
From the Philadelphia Leyer
ma Southwark Tragedy---Complete Develops.
ments--.Ierrible Scene.

.carceiv parallel in the annals of crime. Ar
thur Spring, accused of the murder of Hannah
Shaw and Ellen Lynch, was brought before AL
derman Isari, AMI the exIrfiuitlOn proceeded
9th under direction of Attorney General Reed.
Joseph Doran, Esq appeared for the accused.
md Aaron Thompson, Esq, for the younger
goring who il was known the father would at
tempt to cIimjnate. rs being the actual murter-
,er in connection with youth named Finney.
Arthur Spring, the accused, is about forty
Eve wears of age, native of Ireland, having
come from the stme parish in the county Kerry,
with the unfortunate women who tell victims TO
his lust for gold. He is stout built. the traces
lof had passions and dissolute life making him
onnear older than he reaIlyis. He sat unmoved
during the examination of the witnesses his
eountenance at times wearing smile.
After the examination of various witnesses.
including Mr.. Mcguire and family, keeping the
tavern at which Spring and his son were board
inq and n clerk mt the clothing store IN VI trket
street. where the son purchased some shirts for
his father with of the stolen gold pieces, the
son was placed on the stand as q witness III the
case
This youth, whose name is also Arthur Spring,
Is fair compexioned intelligent looking lad, OF
about seventeen and the feeling he exhibited
under the peculiar circumstances i'll which he
was placed. commended him to the sympathy of
nll who witnessed the trying scene. lie took
the oath In an impressive manner, and replied
10 all the questions of the Attorney General with
q
was deeply affected when pressed by questions
bearing upon the guilt of his father, an at one
time had to be led to the open air Ia keep him
from fainting. The statement he made was in
substance as follows:
The father and son had been living for about
four weeks at the house of Patrick Mcguire, in
Market street. On Tuesday night last, the faith
er took the son to Carrolfs house, the former
carrying with him piece of lead pipe, from Ma
guire's-the son accompanying him, as he says,
in order TO prevent him from committing vio
ience, having some suspicion that he intended
10 rob, if he got n chance.
On arriving at Carroils the boy was intrOdu-
ced to the females and Mrs. Shaw took him te
her lap, telling him that she had nursed him
when a little boy and kissing him several times.
While there the fight occull ed and John W.
Carroll gave the elder Spring blow i'll the eye.
which is still discolored. The son says his faith
or attempted to strike Carroll with the lead pipe
but that it fell from his hand, and the sou pick
ed it up and secreted it about his person. They
then left the house and returned home, the faith
cr telling him tkere too many there to get
the money. The next day his father went again
TO the house to get his own hat, which he left
behind him. and afterwards he told his son that
Carroll and his wife were both going TO party
the next night, and there would be nobody in
the house but Mrs. Shaw and Mrs Lvnch. His
father had learned the previous night that Mr..
Lynch had teen discharged from the Navy Yard
and received his pay. On Thursday evening
young Spring his father in their room about
eight o'clock, when he went to tell him he was
going out erraud for Mrs. Mcguire His
father then had his coat off, and he thought he
going to bed. The went on the errand,
AMI afterwards met certain comrades in Nor
gan's court, Thirteen street, one of W: ON was
6 boy younger than himself, named Quinn.
After returning home at about quarter of
eleven o'clock, he opened the back door, on
hearing rappng, aud saw his father with his
shoes in his hand. He came in, and gave his
son n number of twenty and ten dollar gold pie
ces, telling him TO put them away. lie then
told his that he had murdered those two wO-
men, anu had taken the money from Mrs. Lymch's
trunk.
In answer to his sons inquiries, the father
told him that he was let in by Mrs. Shaw who
opened the back door for him: that II man and
a girl were in the house, but he kept quiet until
they had gone. He then talked and drank with
Mrs. Shaw, and at last he got her go up stairs
and see if her sister was asleep. She came down
again and told him that she was, and soon after
he commenced his murderous assault upon her.
Before she entirely dead, Mrs, Lynch was
aroused by the struggles of her sister, and came
down stairs in her night clothes. lie attacked
her, and had a most violent struggle before he
succeeded in ouivting her. She crept behind or
beneath the settee, i'll the back room, and seem
ing TO be dead, he went up stairs IN hls stocking
feet but hearing noise, he came down again.
and found that she had revived He again at
Ihcktu her with the Olrk, anu nHlShSu htG, bN
rs he said. twisting her neck He then went uP
stairs. aud broke the dirk in forcing open the
lock of the trunk He then set fire to the house
stating that he burned the ends OF his fingers III
kindling it. When his suggested that the
knife would lead to his detection, he said he had
thrown away the dirk i'll George street. The
dirk formerly belonged to his son. to whom it was
given by youth at the time he living in
Washington, and was taken from him by his
father about two weeks since. He had borrow
ed it before but returned il. The boy identified
the sheath of the dirk, and also the piece oil
lead pipe.
After going to their room, the son brought wa
ter, aud the father washed out the stains OF
blood from his shirt. The returned the gold
to his father; but the next morning he sent
with ten dollar gold piece 10 purchase shirts
large size for his father, Que for himself, and n
pair of stockings and out of the change. 50 was
paid to Mrs. Mcguire for their board, which was
the only money paid upOu that account
On the cross examination, Judge Doran, after
putting Searching questions to test the correct
ness of his previous testimony, without prndu /
cling the slightest varience, asked the witness in
the most solemn manner whether he had not
himself committed the murders, assisted by
QUINN his associate. y most emphatic denial
was returned, and ether questions followed III the
same spirit prompted by the iather. but moth I
ing WAS gained for the prisoner. The witness
asseverated his innocence in the most solemn
and impressive manner. The last question ask
ed was whether he not promised, if he testi- /
ned for the prosecution, that he should be !iber
ated he denied this, and said the statement was
made Voluntarily but he burst into tears ms he |