The New York herald. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1840-1920, 1854-05-20
TRIAL AND CONVICTION OF ANDREW WILLIAMS
FOR THE
MURDER OF HIS WIFE BY POISON.
Court Of Oyer and Tcrminer.
Before Hon. Judge Roosevelt.


Court OF Oyer and Tcrminer.
Before Hon. Judge Roosevelt
SECOND DAY.
MAY 19.-The prisoner, Andrew williams again
placed at the bar and the examination Of Mary
Campbell was resumed. She said the bowl remained on
the outside of her trunk at the time of deceaseds DEATH
could not say what size the bowl was probably it
might have been cracked can't say IL there piece
out Of IT. 1t belonged to Rose Williams could not pick
it out from twenty thirty other bowls; it old
one; my mark not on 1t; there mark on the
spoon by which could identify it, had had the bowl
in my hand that day, washing it OUT poured out
bowl Of tea for her and two for myself sweetened it
out of the brown sugar; made some toast; set the
bowl her. and she broke the half slice in two and laid
in the tea she didn't break 1t any more before Mr.
Williams in she took two three swallows of it;
she kept it her stomach she did not vomit it up;
did not state before the Corouers jury that she vomed
IL up before Mr. Williams in, because that the
only day she kept thing her stomach; do not
port wine it proposed the port wine; he asked me
had she eaten anything and l said not, and
glass Of good port wine would be good for her. he told
to go and get it, and gave 2s and told to get
half pint; paid shilling for it; got 1t in black
bottle made the tea at half past Ave then half
past SIX the toast have been in the tea
an hour the spoon was in the bowl the side the
stove when went out; when came back the bread
mixed up in the bowl made that statement before the
Coroner.
Did you say anything at all before the Coroner with
reference 10 the bread being mixed2 A. l did; the
say for certain that said before the Coroner; there
much it might have escaped me; of course
woman can't be expected to have as good head as
man has. Uaughter)
O How many times did the prisoner come to see his
wife between Saturday and the time she died2 A. He
Sunday; he came twice Monday, aud then he
came on Weauesday-that four times the first time
he before DR.. Bishop came; the next time he
came sitter the Doctor was there; he did not stop
hon ha mn in Ia INIT elf
down at all the second time he Mon
day it was about eight o'clock nothing of
consequence said the first time he Mon
day night except that he had eithe money at the hall
Witness then recapuated her direct testimony on this
point 81 the evidence respecting the deceaseds anxiety
for water and the prisoner refusal to allow her 10 have
any.
Tire Bowl and spoon were here exhibited and the wit
sepaned TO the Court that when she went out the
spoon lying against the edge of the DO w. and her
return it standing upright in the centre Of the bowl
Coroner Wilhelm deIoscd that he held the inquest on
Rose Williams between 10 and IL O'Clock Friday
ifg, 9th May The body brought there the evening
before Lieut. Bingham delivered the bowl to me at the
station house. at about IL o'clock that day; the bowl
not clean; there whitish stuff all round
the bottom Of it inside can scribe it particularly;
said could not hold the inquest without physician
and took the bowl back to the Office and gave it to Dr.
Shl it was not out of my hands until delivered it to
him.
Cross examined did not see from what particular
place Lieut.. Bingham got the bowl; Dr. Uh not at
my Office when gotthere; he there within five mi
nutes after kept the bowl in my hand all the time;
sure it not lying the desk when he came in
To the District Attorney-The jar of sugar produced
was delivered to me OF the inqnes and has been in
Office since.
Mrs Campbell recalled-Ths is my jar of sugar; Mrs.
Lambert took it from my to the Coroners inquest
To Mr.. SpcDceri would be hard for to state that
that is my sugar, as II has been away from me.
Adane lambert deposed that she lived in the ncxt
she dead when went in; Mrs. Campbell called me;
took this jar of sugar out Of the box and gave to
person that came for it; saw Mrs. Williams vomiting
on Wednesday evening.
Cross-exanined--I was not in Mrs. Williams room on
Monday evening; saw her husband go in
Thomas s. Hart grocer-Occupied part of the house
where deceased lived Mrs. Campbell and Mrs.. Williams
very seldom purchased in my store they didn't
two and three o'clock, was called by Mrs. Campbell,
who said Mrs. Williams dying and she wished me to
go up and her. we mt into the store and lit candle
went up stairs; she in bed, and put LILY hand on
her forehead and she Dead but thought heard a
noise in her throat and went of for doctor called
three but did not succeed in getting one when came
back dead her hands knuckes crippled.
George Kellogg Jr Superintendent OF the out door
poor was called 20 prove that some complaint was made
against the prisoner in reference to his wife.
Mr. Spencer objected, the ground that the complaint
must have been in writing, and should be produced. The
james ianergan one Of tho Sixth ward police deposed
that he called by the Witness Hart and going c
Mrs Williams room he found her dead; got that bow
and spoon there from Mrs Campbell and gave to Mr.
| Bingham.
Mt Kellogg recalled.-A recognzance dated June 7th
1853 produced, and the witness said that the pr
made payments to him on this to the I'd of May
last.
prisoner mako any remark a. lie said he thought that
his wife would not be able to for the money, and
that he would for himself and fetch IL to her.
asked him why and he said she sick told him We
could not pay the money TO any one but herr he then
Cross.examined He generally paid month in ad-
he has paid low two dollars at nstament
the highest is ten dollars he was always pretty punctual
paid her two dollars n week sometimes when she
would not give ii to her.
The District Attorney objected If the object was to
wv hat n n IN ha
might aso show that the prisoner was therefore, the
more desirous Of getting rid of her.
Mr. SpeneerIt would ako show Mat II she of dis
spacd habits, she might be subject to delirum remens,
and probably in that state she might have destroyed her
| self. The question ruled out by the court.
Lorenzo Bingham, Lieutenant sixth ward police de-
posed TO receiving the bowl and spoon from officer aner
gan. and that the witness gave il TO the coroner the
bowl had the appearance OF having cruel in It,
The for the prosucuton here closed.
Counsel for the prisoner then proceeded TO open the
for the defence the theory of which that the
deceased from her incorporate habits probably destroyed
herself three weeks previous to her death she
had been rescued from the North river He then called
Henry Simpson, who gave the risoner good character
There were other witnesses to character but they
not called.
one night some weeks previous TO Rose Williams death,
witnesses husband who is ship keeper rescued her
(Rose Williams,) from the ct pier No. North
river Witness went to take her husbands supper to
him, board the chip Swordfsh; heard splash in the
water about the middle Of the pier and called her hus-
band
Joseph HILL husband OF last witness gave similar evi-
dence when he rescued Rose Williams from the water
she said she going to see her husband.
This all the testimony for the defence and coun
sci then proceeded to sum up.
Judge Roosevelt in charging the jury said;-Gentle-
men, this case-and is the most painful consideration
connected with it's either deliberate unmitigated
der, or 1t is nothing Unlike where human life L.
taken by yiolencc-in which there gradaons, such
Of manslaughter ranging downward from the first to
the fourth degree-unlke, say, those cases, this ad
mits Of degrees. IL is murder and murder alone,
II is nothing Either the deed done from dclibe
rate, precconceyed studied purpose not done
at ALL The deceased you will rccolect gentlemen, died
etween two and three o'clock Thursday the 9th of
May-this month That her death was the result
OF poison is not disputed 1t disputed, ii Is
Overwhelmingly proved and the only question is,
that poison administered by the deceased herself
taken by accident mistake, II administered by
the design Of other person. and So that per-
the prisoner at the barr II has been suggested that
the death Of the deceased the result OF suicide
that she had shown disposition TO destroy her
life. On that point will not dc<an YOU the evidence Is
before Surprising IL not the result OF her
act, what ground Is there to suppose that IL
the result Of mistake or accident, which some
times does occur even grown persons well