Worcester daily spy. [volume] (Worcester [Mass.]) 1850-1888, 1853-10-15
SUPREME JUDICIAL COURT.
Trial OF Manly Ransom.
sECONn NV

Friday October 14th.
Before Chief Justice Shaw aud Justices Thomas
and Merrick.
The exa nination Of witnesses for the Common
wealth was resumed
Christopher Wright, Of Northampton, testified
hat the prisoner came to work for him, last July,
under the name Of George Brown He saw him in
the Jail of Northampton, a:er hs arrest, and asked
il was true that he had murdered his wife He
replied, he supposed il lie made this comics
sion voluntarily; said he did not Intend to kill her;
but, that both being in liquor, they quarreIed, and
he had, without intent, hurt her.
Julia Ann Ransom, daughter Of the prisoner, SAID
she was called by her brother and sister, Charles
and Nancy, to and see her mother, the at
ternoon of the murder. She found her mother lying
bleeding IN the ward. She tried to her. but
could not. Her father came from the house where
her mother lay, She went 10 find her brother Hi.
ram; when she came back, her father was gone, and
her mother dead. Her mothers corpse was
allowed to lie all night, in order that the local
authorities night become cognzant Of the exact cir
cumstances Of the case.
Luther Hill, Of Spencer, saw the body Of Nancy
Ransom on the 18th Of July, 1851 1t was lying
near the gap Of the garden wall Witness went to
Northampton to find Ransom, but did moi Saw him
when he was brought to Spencer by Mr. Wright
Warned him to be careful what he said to him, or
any other person. The prisoner made no confession
to him.
Maria S. Adams, resides in Spencer, and knows
the Ransoms. Nancy was at her house on the day
she killed. She was in her usual heatl.. Ram
som called in the evening" and enqured il his wife
had been there, and il she was gone. On being
answered, yes, he said, 81 guess will go and zee
her." H started up, he said SO, aud left the
house. He conducted himself that day as he usu
ally did, when under the influence of liquor
Anse Wright. Deputy Sheriff Of Hampshire Co,
arrested the prisoner, and lodged him in Jail. He
Voluntarily confessed 10 the witness that he aud his
wife had been drinking hat they quarreled ,and that
alter she struck him twice, he struck her. The
witness asked il he struck her with kuile; he re
piled, he supposed he did; had told him
so; but he had personal recollection Of the fact
He stated that there were two children resent at
the time.
The testimony of this witness closed the case Tor
the Commonwealth.
Peter Bacon, Esq, opening the case,
the part of The defence, entered ntn an elaborate
discussion of the law erning murder; and par.
ticularly distinguished between the animus and cir.
cumstances constituting murder and mansaug hier.
After Mr. Bacon had finished, Francis WayIand
Jr., Esq, junior counsel for the defence, proposed,
in behalf Of the prisoner, TO plead guilty to the
charge OF mansIaushter
The Attorney General, consideration oc the
evidence Of the case, which rested solely on the tes.
iimony Of Charles Ransom, agreed to accede 10 the
proposition OF the counsel fir the defence The
pleaof GUILTY OF MANsLAUGHTER was received.
and the jury discharged from further consider.
alton Of the case.
The counsel for Ransom proceeded at half past IL
TO adduce evidence in mitigation Of sentence.
II appeared from the evidence Of several most res
pectable Witnesses, that Mrs Ransom was ugly, and
of bad character. She was much more quarrel
some in her disposition than Ransom and WAS much
stronger in proportian than her husband. She had
frequently boased of driving Ransom from the house
He always peaceable and industrious, and com.
manded the highest wages day Iaborer; was
reputed TO be quarrelsone when he was dunk, and
she was repuIed to I've always so. Sentence was
deferred 10 2 O'Clock P. M, and the Court ad.
journed.
Ia the afternoon, Ransom was again brought in,
and sentenced TO three years. confinement, at hard
labor, in the States Prison at Charlestown, three
days Of this period TO be solitary.