The New York herald. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1840-1920, 1854-05-13

Kings County Court of Oyer and Terminer.
Before Judges Rockwell and Moore and Justices Stilwe
and Stryker.
SENTENCE OF OsULLIvAN, CONVICTED OF THE MUIR
DER OF HIS WIFE
The prisoner, John OSullivan who tried an in
dictment charging him with murder, for killing his wife,
by beating and kicking her and convicted of
ter IN the rst degree was brought before the court
erday Tor sentence On being asked why sentence should
lot be upon him, he said that he had recoec
lion OF what occurred the OF the assault upon
tis wife, as testified to by of the Witnesses but
that he certainly had not the least intention Of taking
her life His Honor dwelt upon the enormity of the
crime of which he was convicted and informed the
prisoner that the nature OF the case made It his painful
duty 70 pass severe punishment. He advised him TO
observe proper department in the prison to which he
would be consigned, as even there he might obtain
good character. That was now his only hope. He was
then sentenced TO confinement in the State prison at Sing
Sing for the term of twenty years.
The prisoner eynced surprise at the sentence and
marked, rather jocularly You might we'll sentence
me for e and then thinking Of his young and helpless
children, who, he said had father mother,
uncle aunt relation OF kind in the world,
he begged The Court to allow him the privilege Of seeing
them more This granted, and the Sheriff
ordered by the Court to admit the children TO his cell in
the jail
The prisoner is thirty nine years of age was born
the county of Clare Ireland, and soldier by pro-
fession having served in the British and American
mies-in the Latter under Col Payne, in the war with
Mexico.
TRIAL AND AcouITTAL ON THE CHARGE OF ARSON.
After the sentence of the above named prisoner, the
trial of Boro Wolfe, Frank and Nathan Rozenthal in
dcted charges of in the first second and third
the premises No. 1853 Fulton street. opposite the City
Hall, a clock and jewelry store On the morning OF
the gath of May 1858 the place found to be fire.
and from the fact that of the defendants
carry off carpet bag filled with articles taken
from their store the evening previous with bher cir
cumstances suspicion fell upon them. The building
of frame, those contiguous and nearly the whole
block was destroyed, involving immense loss Of pro-
perty. On examination before the police magistrate the
defendants committed to await the action Of the
Grand Jury, and that body indicted Thorn above
stated Arson in the first degree being capital offence
they could NOT be admitted to bail and consigned to
jail where they remained for the space of year with
out being able to obtain trial The trial being at length
brought the first indictment not pressed by the
District Attorney and they tried the two lesser
indictments From the bulk Of the evidence elected it
appeared that the ire originated not in the premises
cupied by defendants but in adjoining building and
they he defendant) escaped by the back door of their
store, and came into the street almost in nude state
The buildings being all of frame old and dilapidated, the
fire spread from house TO the other very rapidly
to render it almost impossible for any who did not
the fire when it first broke to tell where il org
mated. There was no proof whatever to cast hardly
more than suspicion the defen and the Court
in charging the jury, ruled the indictment in the
third degree and submitted the in the second The
jury retired, and in short time returned with
diet of mot guilty. The defendants, who are Young
overoyed the rendition Of the verdict, and
departed from the Court with lighter hearts than when
they entered it.