The New York herald. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1840-1920, 1854-04-07
Trial OF Archibald Murphy for tho Murder
OF James II. Field.
COUNT OF OYER AND TERMINRR.

COURT OF oYER AND TEkhlNkh
Before Hon. Judge Roosevelt
Archibald Murphy the prisoner at the bar charged
with Tie murder Of deceased in January last by the in
Fiction OF wounds from knife.
The prisoner is Of about thirty years OF age Of
a very low degree of intelligence,
The District Attorney, in opening the case said-it
your Honor pease-Ths case, gentlemen of the jury;
explained the part OF the defence il an undou0teu
case OF murder so that your inquiry the viii be
limited the question how the prisoner at the oar
is is not accountable for the act when "" eley DC
proved TO have been committed by HIM ihe elr' ui
these on the evening of the 23d OF January
last the prisoner, who is seaman ~ PIoel ls'
who WAS also seaman came together into the bar
OF Mr. Harris lGls Hamilton street They took seat
at the time on bench the stove, and appeared to
he perfecy sober far the deceased was concerned
Who wa native Of Dorchester Mass, and about eigh
teen years of age he would seem 10 have been per
fectly temperate young man. In that room at the
time two other men-one young lad BY the
OF Towie and another person who was at the time
asleep chest settee. The two took seat along
side Of young Towe-Towe being the left OF the pT
soner and Field, the deceased, the right of the pr
No conversation whatever passed; words
uttered and far as advised, they to have
beon perfect strangers to each other After sitting for
about ten minutes in this position the prisoner suddenly
drew out dirk knife and stabbed Field through the
left breast and the instrument penetrated the left wall
OF the heart and strange as II may seem, after wound
of that description Field sprang up, crying Murder
stabbed, and behind the bar The prisoner pur
sued him, and made three thrusts at him Field kicked
stairs The young man fled into the street: BY these
wounds, thus inflicted, young Field fingered from the
23d to the 18th Of January which day he died and on
the post motem examination it ascertaned that the
wound had penetrated through Of the lungs and the
left wall of the heart and the cause, of course Of
his death. These facts shall show before You The
burden rests with the prisoner TO explain this under
stand that the defence viii be that he at the time la
boring under the effects of mania po'y commonly
called delirium tremens If he the time the
law holds him accountable il he insane the law does
hold him accountable. That however belongs more
.IN IN tha DIFF That may no IN
show this state of mind certainly ardently wish. II,
however they fail the Law must take its Human
life must not be lightly shed. viii read the examina.
ton of the house surgeon of the New York Hospital
brief deposition of DR.. Agnew then read lie
testihes that the deceased was admitted the 23i of
January with stab in the lett side and died the
Goth. en- post norton examination the wound
ceraihed to have passed through the lung into the left
wall of the heart about quarter Of an inch These in
juries caused his death.
Christopher Towle sworn %. How old you
A. About eighteen years; ! was born at Belfast;
follow the for business. Q. Where did you
board in the month of January lastg A. At l61s
Hamilton street. Q. With whom did you board' A.
With VIM. Harris O. 10 you know the prisoner at the
barr A. knew him about two days before the stabbing
affair . Where did you meet him A. In the boarding
house of Mr. Harris. q Did he board there? A. Yes. @
Did you knew the deceased, Field? A. him the
day before he got stabbed him then in the bar
of Mr. Harris; nobody, except the prisoner,
with him. they were playing cards saw no difficulty be
tween them the next time saw deceased on the night
he stabbed was in the bar sitting chair
when he was stabbed it the 23d of January, at
O'Clock in the evenings and two other boys in the
room was the sofa asleep, and the other
the side of me Field and Murphy in together they
appeared to to be sober; coming in, Field
sat down chair and Murphy standing up;
the prisoner stood between me and deceased Field told
him ''sit down the distance was only the width of
chair between Field and me; of the boys went out
before they in and the other boy still asleep
the sofa; words followed among of about
ten minutes; then the prisoner take knife from
his left jacket pocket and stab Field Field then went to
the door and cried murder the prisoner after him.
Field then turned and ran behind the counter and
followed by the prisoner he made three stabs the de-
ceased kicked him twice under the chin the deceased
jumped over the counter and up stairs that is all
saw the fellow who was asleep walked up, and up
stairs too; ran out doors could not any police
man IN an hour went back and found the deceased
stairs bed the prisoner gone the deceased said
that the prisoner had for what he had done
Field said he weak, and gave him glass of brandy
took him home to his boarding house; and boy
assisted me- this was on Tuesday, the following Sat
around his hand all bloody it was about seven or eight
O'Clock in the evening; when ] him ran out into
Catherine street and he ran after me- at that time he
had on an overcoat and cap drawn his eyes;
the first occasion he had pair of pants too large for
him, with patch on the seat.
Cross examned-l took particular notice of the
prisoner until he stabbed the man. the deceased told me-
teiore he died that nothing had passed between him
prisoner looked wild and crazed.
Q-When he followed you, did he appear to want to
injure your Al don't know; wouldn't like to trust
him when they came in before they appeared friendly;
the evening of the murder, he said nothing all be-
fore after the stabbng; can't tell about the express
sion of his face at that time
The Court-What did the deceased say at that timer
Ale only cried MURDER he said nothing to indi-
cate that they had quarrellod.
The District Attorney account of the deceased
from the deposition of his brother law. lie says de-
ceased about eighteen years of age and, far
he knew, he was temperate man. and his disposition
was very good
Witness to the Court-when l said no words passed
during the ten minutes before the stabbing when all
sat side by side, angry words; they did have
some converse ion, but in friendly way.
The District Attorney said he would send after Harris
an absent witness but, in the meantime would rest his
VIM. Gates called for the defence being duly sworn
deposed that he had known the prisoner at the bar and
had known him for two years and half have evil
dences of insanity in him; have him coming of
his liberty when he had been drinking hard, and jump
overheard; vessel was lying at anchor this time.
when he jumped overheard, he did not appear to be
drunk he Jumped overheard once at Norfolk also that
the day time think he had been drinking at the
time; he subject to Fl ts il understood board
that he had been lunatic; never heard much nco-
hcrent talking from the prisoners when took the pri
beard, at Valparaiso, he jumped overheard it
about daybreak he went duty as he came
of the doctors list at the time he board he
very Violent we were abouta mile from shore at Valpa
raise: il would not be very common thing for to
jump overheard to get ashore at such time
George w. Bennett sworn-I have known the prisoner
about fifteen months; have seen insane acts on his
part he put in irons for six days at Valparaiso he
jumped overheard there he said he tired of life and
that every body going to kill him; he the
sick list about week then the doctor considered him in
ga ne: passage from Rio 10 St. Thomas he would
walk the deck saying that he had lived long enough and
that he wanted TO kill HIMSELF asked him what was
the matter with him, and he repeated that he tired
OF life in the month OF January when arrived here
he jumped overboard IL was on Sunday morning. he
walked the deck and acted rather strangely and then
jumped OIL he picked up by some people in a boat
Alexander Dunlap sworn-I know the prisoner at the
bar; first met him the North Carolina was at
with him anything out of the way in him,
except that he would talk strangely night heard
him talking to himself and looking very wild at Rio; he
left to ashore and stayed there for three days.
shore at the time with others; went and took
drink with him; he refused to go back with us because
he said We were in plot to carry him back to the ship
IL on board the ship Nefa was master Of arms.
Cross examined-Thc prisoners station that of
vheelman; nothing occurred in the harbor Of Rio,
cepting his going ashore without liberty and absent
four days; then put him in irons when he brought
on board he almost sober: he used to call for
often sometimes he called for water and sometimes for
something to eat he jumped overheard being released
a by the name of Kim prevented him; this
lefore Fields came board; Fields very fine
young man in Rio the prisoner was again put in iron
FOR getting drunk.
The counsel for the defence summed up in q few
words but interrupted by the OF Harris the