New Orleans daily crescent. [volume] ([New Orleans, La.]) 1851-1866, 1853-03-31
The Trial Of Spring, for the Murder Of
Honora Shaw and Ellen Lunch


The testimony ELECTED on the 22d inst. in the
! case of Arthur Spring, then on trial in Phila-
delphia on the charge Of being the murderer a
Honora Shaw and Ellen Lynch, oecupies con-
siderable space in the papers Of that city.
Among the witnesses examined was Mrs. Ann
Harrington, who had been acquainted with the
prisoner for nineteen years. 1t appears that, in
November last, Spring came to her house at a
quarter past ten o'clock one night, after she and
her husband and children had retired Mrs H.
thus testifes to her interview with him after she
heard him knock at the door:
| told him it was late and we were oil in bed !;
he told me to come down and let him in, as it
was no matter; / told him my husband was go-
ing down stairs when he came in, sat at one
end OF the table and he at the other; asked
him what he wanted with me he said give me
time, az ! want to ask question or two; he
| asked me If my daughter was in bed and asleep;
said she was in bed, but not asleep she is
twenty one years old; he asked me if my hus-
band was in bed and asleep, and SO Of my son !:
answered him as before, that they were in bed
but not asleep; that my youngest son had gone
| to his masters, but that / expected him back !;
he again asked me if l was sure they were all
asleep; l said no, what makes you disbeleve
me; 1 said why don't you tell me what you want
with me he said he wanted to borrow S5 to sue
Mr.. Ragan; he said he had lent Mr. Ragan some
money, which he had put into the store, and
Ragan wanted to cheat him He said it was
about $3.50, and now he wanted the S5 to sue
him. l went up stairs and told my husband
Spring wanted to borrow S5: said to him i
think you had better not refuse him he told me
to carry it down; gave him the money, and he
went home; | saw him once since; he made
very small visit to my house; he came to see the
whole family; he has not paid the S5.
i Patrick McGuire, the keeper of the tavern
where Spring and his son boarded from four to
six weeks previous to and at the time of the
murder, testified that they occupied back room
upstairs with man named Quinn, who left the
house on Wednesday night, the night previous
to the murder. Mr.. Mcclure further testified
as follows:
Before the Thursday night of the murder they
had paid no board; on Wednesday morning
asked him (Spring) what he intended to do; he
said he intended to go to work and take cellar
in Girod Row, of Mr.. Mooney, at the tailor's
store above; he said he would have been at work
only he had black eye; saw the black eye
first on Wednesday did not see it on Tuesday.
He said he would pay when he got work he
asked me to make his bill out; said it would
be no use until he got some money; he did no,
offer or show any money he had some drink.
that day, for which her paid me in silver; he sale
on Wednesday that he must have been drunl
last night, as he got black eye by striking i
; against the bed-post Springs hour of going L
=
bed at an early hour whilst he was there Oh
Thursday evening Spring and son went in t.
supper between and 8; saw Spring coins
up stairs Immediately after supper; did MOI
see him again that night, but saw him next
morning; saw young Arthur after supper OF
Thursday night between 10 and II /; wanted t,
send him of an errand, and could not find him
he had gone with some books for my daughter
J at the time | saw him he was in the bar-room
sitting by the stove, either asleep or pretendint
to be asleep; he remained there until shut up
As it was after II, | said to Mr. Hickman, " /
is time to shut up;" the boy asked if / was wait
ing for his father; ] said, Yes;" he replied
You need not wait for him, as he has been i
bed since supper-time." / shut up few minute
= afterwards; the boy then went to bed
saw both Spring and son in the bar-roo,
e and at breakfast; ION Friday morning after Ii
l. murder,l the elder Spring paid me some none
o on Friday morning; he gave me a 81 note on tn
Il Mechanics Bank of Burlington, for three or fou
drinks he had then and day or two before
about an hour afterwards he gave me a 81 gol
lpiece for two drinks, and gave him his change
was not there when he was arrested; | ha
several pieces of lead pipe about my cellar am
house; had missed them and had blamed th,
boys for taking them and selling them; "a piec,
shown) had several pieces like that, but cam
say that is one; rented the cellar to the bake,
the 10th of last month, when we cleared out the
CclliiT IL tHis Is u piece OF came out oil
, trough l had for water on Friday mornin.
! Spring asked me to take the cellar for him;
was going out with another person to town
when he asked me to stop and see whethe
. Mooney would take $50 for it /; l told him h
had better go himself, he said having a blacl
. eye he was ashamed to go.
i Cross ss-examined-SpriDg and Troutman, tn
a baker, wanted to buy me out for $400 the
' had partly done So Spring told me that
woman down town was going to give him $500
Spring had made an arrangement with m
: landlord; the reason why broke it off was be
cause they could not raise the money; Sprin
said they had tried to raise the money on Trout
mans paper Mrs. Troutman said she would no
f let her husband 60 in partnership with an,
body.
Sometimes Spring tended bar for me; say
Spring have money before the Friday he PAL,
q me; it was two 81 so gold pieces, gold dollar
a dollar note and some slver Spring assiste,
me in making fires; the boy made himself yer,
useful SO did his father; don't recollect 0
Spring burning his finger; he gave no reasol
for going to bed SO early on Thursday night
the boy said he went to bed on account of hi
| eye, as he did not wish to be seen in the bar
G room; Spring generally went out with his boy
e and used to return about II o'clock hayesee
y the boy with drab coat on !; he had one kin
of gray; never saw the boy with money. ID
rectly after the boy got his supper he went tn
a errand for my daughter; the boy used to pla
with some boys down by Market and 18th street.
J. | told his father it was bad for u boy to be on
/ at night; he used to come in about 10 o'clock
!. did not observe young Springs clothes to be we
on Friday morning; Spring was ut breakfast ol
7 Friday morning, but ate very little he did no
remain long at the table; he was in the bar
room until he was arrested think the boy wa
there too at breakfast time, and was away
short time afterwards; don't know whethe
: Spring slept in my house that night, it was m
e opinion at the time that he did they could no
get in in front unknown to me or the baker, ex
= cept by climbing up the back porch.
e Re-examined-Spring mentioned the same q
d the lady who was going to lend him $500; tn
name was something like Harrington he sal
that he had had $500 from her before, when h
was in business he could get any thing iron
her he wanted, he said.
Mrs. Mcclure also testified to Spring and hi
son being at supper on Thursday night, and
breakfast on Friday morning, and also that OIL
Friday morning young Spring paid her 81
gold piece before breakfast, He put it into he
e hand without saying what it was for, and sh
did not tell her husband it had been paid to her
ri Miss Mary A. McGuire testified that Arthu
. was sent on an errand by her, to take som
books to house in Locust street, and that h
told her the next morning he had delivered ther
, as directed. She also testified Sc that youn
| Woo ad tuo ~, tlx,oo O.