The New York herald. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1840-1920, 1854-11-01

The Fourth Ward Homicide.
Yesterday Coroner Hilton proceeded TO the New Yorl
Hospital and held inquest upon the body Of William
Tree, who was stabbed the night previous in sailor
boarding house at No. 1ol james street by William
Mathews, during fight that occurred between those
parties The deceased lived but few moments after lie
stabbed being pierced directly through the lower
region Of the heart the wound severing the pulmonary
artery between the first and second ribs The following
is the result of the
CoRoERR's INQUEST.
The principal witness brought the stand was Ed
ward Sinclair, who being duly sworn, deposed as fol-
lows-I board with Charles Carman. at No 101 James
street; arrived here from jacksonville Florida, the
18th of this month, and have boarded with Mr. Carman
since think the prisoner to Mr.. Carmans to
board Thursday last to my knowledge the
prisoner until Thursday last; do not know his name
know him only the Of Bill had not been intimate
with him at any time; think the deceased here
with the prisoners they have been intoxicated every day
since they here: they were both seamen and
heye arrived here in the ship together they seemed
good natured when sober but were quarrelsone when
relied with each other up to last evening last evening
about OK O'Clock was in the third story back room
stairs heard loud words in the street. opposite the
street door, the street hall door shut at the time
he N he
the prisoner scufiing together the sidewalk
they had hold Of each other but did not either Of
them stick the other the prisoner threw the deceased
down on his hands and knees, and he fell into the
gutter; while deceased in this position the pr-
put his foot on his hands and neck and tried to
push him down to the ground and while in the act Of
doing deceased cried out .Hold until get my coat
OFF, the prisoner then took his foot off the deceased who
got and took his coat off, both Of them then went
to the house angry words passing between them
while they were going in, and after they got into
front you go in from the hall door; when they
got in deceased seemed If he wanted to fight with the
prisoner Who up to this time did not disposed TO
fight with the deceased both of them then stayed in
the bar-room; the deceased was addressing him
self in loud words to the prisoner, saying some
position IN TWO minutes after aSevs ' ts
bar, the prisoner washed his hand I think it
his left one and caught the deceased by the cravat
under the chin upon doing this the deceased cried out
dont choke mel the deceased trying to strike the
prisoner at the time but he prevented by Mr. Car
er the p the eraa as
have stated he drew the head of deceased up to him.
If to whisper him. upon this the deceased struck the pri
three times with his right hand clenched he
struck him on the right side Of the face Mr. Carman
then and took hold of the deceased and set him
down in chair the prisoner was at this time standing
where he was when he first came into the bar room;
while they in this position deceased called the pr
liar but don't know what for; after this the
deceased got and went towards the prisoner If to
strike him. Mr. Carman went up to them and tried to
separate them; the deceased did not strike the
prisoner at this time, if he did did not him. while
Mr. Carman trying to separate them the prisoner
drew dirk or jackknife which he held in his right
hand this was the first of the knife; the knife
shown is the one at the time the prisoner drew
the knife think he standing about eighteen inches
from the deceased the prisoner had the knife raised in
his right hand think the prisoner had hold Of the de-
hand; when the deceased first the knife in the
hands Of the prisoner he turned to get away, but seem
but seemed unable to get away from the prisoner the
deceased finding he could not get away attempted to get
the knife from him. whereupon the prisoner struck
blow with the knife at deceased; this, the first
blow, wounded Mr.. Carman in his right hand,
who was trying to separate them at the time;
when Mr. Carman got stabbed he turned away from them
"
ing his hand the deceased and the prisoner then
took hold Of each oher the deceased seemed if he
was trying to get away from the prisoner and the pr
soner seemed as If he was holding to him; there
several Of the boarders standing around at this time;
the prisoner make two more stabs the deceased
with the knife which he held in his right hand before
Did the blows seem to take effect in the breast of
the deceaseds A. They did Question excepted TO by
prisoners consel The blows struck towards the
breast of the deceased am not certain that they took
effect; the blows struck with the right hand the
prisoner held the open knife by the handle and the
point Of the blade descended towards towards the
chest of deceased then went out for some police officers
policemen the deceased then lying the bar room
door, bleeding from wound in the left breast think
he insensble the prisoner sitting in the back
end of the bar room when the officers entered
Gross examined by counsel for the prisoner did not
ime saw him strike the rst blow with the knife: the
deceased seemed to be the most violent Of the two the
deceased struck the prisoner three times after entering
he bar ROOM the prisoner did not offer to strike back
the blows given by the deceased struck violently
with all his force the prisoner seemed to want to avoid
encounter with the deceased to this time the de-
eased a much larger than the prisoner and
much intoxicated and very abusive to the prisoner
The proprietor of the house where the ARRAY occurred
well several other witnesses produced to
Ioborate the testimony Of the first witness.
The medical testimony Of Dr. Derby, who made a post
norton examination went to show that when the de-
ceased admitted to the hospital he quite Dead
that examination of the body the region Of the heart
found to be severely lacerated, If by knife
other sharp instrument He gave it his opinion,
from the history OF the that the accused killed
by the injuries received with the knife shown him.
The jury then retired for elaboration, the evidence
being all closed and after few moments consultation
together rendered the following
VERDICT
eve find that the deceased came to his death by
stab from knife in the hands of William Mathews, on
October So 1854"
Upon the rendition Of the verdict the Coroner commit
ted the prisoner to the Tomb to await the action of the
grand inquest. The witnesses obliged to find bail
for their appearance. The deceased, William Tree
native Of England, and about Sc years of age.