The daily Minnesota pioneer. [volume] (St. Paul, Minn.) 1854-1855, 1854-11-07

der Oh Wfs Emu mfSs 01Ckn0m Inc
Verdict aud Sentence Statements Of the !
: Prisoner-Scene I'm Court. az /
At the opening of the Court in the after
noon, the counsel for the prisoner addressed the
Jury. He commenced by speaking of the en-
ba.assing position in which he was placed, and
of the widespread feeling which existed in the
community against the accused. He then pro-
ceeded to 'narratc the particulars and circum-
stances Of the alleged murder, calling the spe-
cial attention of the jury to the fact that no
ill-feeling existed between Bceban and Wick
ham, and that he had always, when speaking
OF the deceased expressed the most favorable
opinion of him. As there was no cause why
he should seek his death, he commended, there
fore, that he had not committed the fearful
crime of which he stood accused. He had. it
was true, gone to the house that night, but
who could tell that Mr.. Wickham was not
killed in conflict with HIN, and: if so, was it
murder The counsel enGeavor"d to strength
en- this position by reference to The fact that
Beehan bad, q day or Two before, made an en-
gagemeot 10 work in a brick-yard near Green
port, and that he bad, also, Oh the evening of
ne ni9ht on which the murder was committed,
supp'I at Conner $, n GreenpO:t, where he
leit bis snk. His object in going TO Mr..
Wickham's, was to see The gil, Ellen Holland,
who was the only person against whom he had
any cause for malice, if he really had such a
feeling against any one. The counsel then pro-
cceded to define the provisions of the law in
relation 10 manslaughter, ant concluded by
saying That he was content to have The killing
of Mr.. Wickham placed under that head:
The Attorney General (Mr|osden Hoffman,
summed up for the prosecution. He dwelt
<ho horr,hlo NJ oopop,apoinn
with the time when the prisoner left the en-
ing through the whole particulars of the terri
BILE tragedy-his murdcrous assault on the ne
gro boy Stephen. anG his subsequent attack on
Mr.. and Mrs. Wickham; their brutal mutila.
ton the escape of tae girls Ellen Rowland
and Catharine Dowd, end the flight of Beehan
his visit to the house of John Thompson, and
the expression he made there that if he was
not allowed to 60 he would scatter his( Thomp-
son's) brains as he did the others the pursuit
of the fugitive by the people, and his capture
in the swamp, with his throat cut; his avow-
al of the crime to Ellen, and his accusing her
of being the cause of it and last Of all, his
subsequent confession to DIR. Ca peNter in Ov-
erton's barn.
At the conclusion of Mr.. Hoffman's remarks
the Judge delivered his charge alter which
the Jury retired 10 deliberate, and the Court
took a recess.
TIE VERDICT.
About twenty minutes elapsed before the
Jury rendered their verdict. The court room
was denscly crowded, and a large number of
ladies were present The prisoner did not seem
to be in the least depressed, but looked more
like q spectator than man who was TO hear
tine announcement OF his fate. AS the foreman
was called upon by the clerk to render the YER
dict of the jury, silence like shat of the grave
pcrvaded the court room but no change in
the expression of his face tod the feelings with
which he heard the fearful word Guilty.
pronounced.
The Judge sad that he would sentence the
which time the court was adjourned. Eecaan
was then conducted back to his cell by The Off
GERS. AS he was leaving the room, some enc
in the crowd said, well: Nick, wouldn't you
rather it was finished at once ?''
"Yes sir he replied, with an air of the
most callous indifference.
EoURru DAY.
RvERHEAD, Oct. &c, 1854.
The Court assembled at o'clock this morl-
ing, the room being as crowded as on the day
before. The prisoner came in with apparently
the most cheerful exp. essiOa. He smiled on
the spectators, and showed, or assumed an u'
ter carclcssncss as o the fate which awaits him.
The clerk, after reading the statement OF the
verdict to the prisoner, asked him the usual
question Had he any thing to- say why sem
tence of death should not be pronounced upon
him.
We'll" he replied /" all have to say is,
that amt guilty of the crime that has been
Charged upon me. l know those who did il,
but never ven:cd it, and now l Won't turn
traitor against any man. never will let any
one have ii 10 say ate: i die, that l was a
tailor. didn't 10 it it was John Scott and
James McCrawdon - they are the only ones
that committed it, and know it. They gave
dollar apiece that d:y to cross the Sound
down near GreenpOrt. '-. '-a. .s '.~f.a. .,
"Have you anything further to say?" said
Judge Strong. ..-,.. ..- IT,, .,.~
That is all got to say any further about
it" he replied 81 was in the knowledge of
the murder, and never wanted to prevent it."
The Judge recapitulated the circumstances
attending the murder, and then pronounced the
following sentence :----E ..-... .a.E
That you, Nicholas Beehan, on Friday,
the 18th day of December next, between the
hours of II at noon and in the afternoon. be
hanged by the neck till you are dead. And
may the Lord have mercy on your soul
"Thank yoa. SIR said the prisoner, with an
affeciation of politeness, /" and l will leave you
my hair for wig" ~ e.
The manner in which he received the SEN
tence sent thrill OF horror through The court.
He continued to mutter something, but we
could not hear what he said. His statement in
to be utterly untrue, as no such men are known
to any one in the 'neighborhood of the house
where the murder was committed. He CON-
menced by saying that he would not tell who
committed the crime, and concluded by falsify-
ing his own words. Throughout the whole