Worcester daily spy. [volume] (Worcester [Mass.]) 1850-1888, 1854-02-13

TRIAL FOR MURDER.-The trial Of Mich
ael Jennings for the murder of Mrs. Esther Brad
ley of North Haven, on the oath Of July ast, has
just been concluded at New Haven. The cir.
cumstances Of the murder are briefly these: On
Sunday, July, 1853, about 10 O'Clock, A. M,
MIR. Bazillas Bradley with his two boys attended
church at their usual place of worship in North
Haven. They left Mrs. Bradley in charge Of the
house. Upon their return in the afternoon, about
8 O'Clock, they found her in pool of blood, ly
ing with her fact Toward the outside door. She
blood upon the walls and door, and upon a bu-
reau which contained some thirty dollars in mon
ely and other valuables. Mrs. Bradley was hor-
ribly mutilated by cuts or stabs upon her head
face, neck, arms, and chest. In all there were
some fifty slabs upon her person.
Suspicious were fastened upon person who
had been seen by several individuals approaching
the house in the forenoon, about 10 2 O'Clock,
and by others going in an opposite direction,
about O'Clock, r. NJ.
The witnesses were all unacquainted with the
person whom they saw passing, but from the de-
scrpuon which they gave, Mr. Bradley supposed
il might be the prisoner, who had worked for him
few weeks teiOre, and who probably knew
where he kept the money, and who had reason TO
suppose that the whole family would be gone 10
church at that time, as was the usual custom
when he lived in the family.
On Monday, young man named Samuel B.
Miner, of New Haven, saw person coming on
the railroad track who answered the description
of the supposed murderer so well that he procur-
ed bis arrest. A common knife, three inches in
lengh, and between twenty and thirty dollars in
money, were taken from his pockets His traV-
elling bag contained some wet garments.
The point Of the knife was missing, and the
knife and boots were taken to the post norlem
examination Drs. Knight and Jewett, who
made the post norton examination, searched nil
nutey the wounds which pierced the skull until
they provideGtially discovered The point of the
knife in fracture of the skull This point ex-
acty matched the broken blade which was broll
en- by an irregular fracture, leaving spur upon
one piece and a corresponding cavity upon The
other. Tia length of the knife curresponded
with the stab through the neck, and the width
with most Of the stabs in the breast.
The boots fitted tracks from the house through
a neghboring field, and the money correspondent,
ia denomination and character, with that found
upon individuals who swore thit Jennings cx-
changed with them Under this state of circum-
stances, the Jury, after an hour and halfs con-
suaton, returned verdict of guilty Of murder
in the first degree, the punishment Of which, by
statute, Is death. Jennings IS not yet eighteen,
and quite inotfensiye in his appearance, and was
attended during the whole rial by his father,
fine, benevolent, and highly respectable looking
Irishman, residing in Brooklyn, N. Y.
Mrs. Bradley was small, slender, delicate
woman, and the physician testified that the muir
derer probably held her by the hair of the head
with one hand, in the long struggle, during which
he inflicted the fifty wounds winch were found
upon her, with the other. Jennings betrayed but
little emotion on the trial, or when sentence of
death was passed upon him the next morning