Worcester daily spy. [volume] (Worcester [Mass.]) 1850-1888, 1857-05-20
IN DUDLEY, Nobsmber 5, 1850.

For the GOreTHNeat-P. EMORY ALDRIcH, Dis
trict Attorney, and JOHN H. CLIFFORD, At
For the Deteaee-wM S. DAVIS, ESQ.,, and
CHARLES DEvENs, JR, Esq.
TUESDAY, May 10, 1857.
The Court room was crowded with spectators
at the time of assembling-ten o'clock A. NJ.
The prisoner looked somewhat pale after his con-
hnement, and seemed to take considerable inter-
| est in the proceedings.
The following persons empannelled as
jurors w. E. Allen, Worcester; Shepard F.
Anterior, Fitchburg; Jonathan Bowker Tenn
pleton; Jonas Colbun, Leominster Joel Davis
Worcester Bradford G. Edison, North Brook.
field; Benz. Estabrook, Athol Geo w. Esta
brook, Grafton; Joshua Fairbanks, Douglas !;
James 2. Fay, Hardwick Nahum W. Fay, Ber-
lin.
Benjamin Estabrook was appointed foreman
The clerk then proceeded to read the indict-
ment.
District Attorney Aldrich then stated the
grounds upon which the government rested for
conviction. He gave the prisoners former his
tory, saying that he was born in Galway County,
Ireland, that he emigrated to this country, and
briefly stated the various places at which the pri-
soner had been employed, down to the time when
the murder committed, at which time prison.
er was at work on the farm of Mr. May, in Wood
stock, Conn.,. that certain night prisoner
left the house of Mr.. May, saving that he was
going TO Dudley. Here the District Attorney
exhibited to the court and jurors plan of the
ted. and also that of Mr.. May the prisoner ems
| ployer. On the morning of the sixth of Novem-
| Der, as Naughton did not come to his work at MI.
| Learned's, in Dudley, Mr.. Learned went down to
his house, and found Naughton and his wife lying
j dead upon the floor Upon examination, it was
4 found that they had been murdered and the axe
/ (Which was here exhibited was found beside the
| murdered persons. Mr. Aldrch here gave a de-
scripton of the appearance of the bodies, and the
| furniture in the room. He stated that the gov
| he 70 n HOY hat fhe nh
| was found there belonged to Mr.. May, for whom
| the prisoner worked The axe was missed on
| Wednesday, and found in the house on Thursday,
| and that no one but Glynn had access to the axe.
| That on the morning after the murder, he was
| seen on the highway going from Dudley towards
| Mays house,-that when asked where he had
| been, said that he had been to Barnes's tavern
| but the government would show that he had not
been to that place that night Mr.. May went
| away the next day, and heard of the murder. The
| next morning, at the breakfast table, he asked
| Glynn if he knew Peter Naughton. He replied
| YES and Peter is dead" Now, the government
| would show most conclusivey that no one had
| spoken to Glynn about it until that time.
| These are the mort important points stated BY
| the District Attorney. He then proceeded to call
| the witnesses.
William Learned called and sworn-Live in
| Dudley, am farmer; know Peter Naughton, he
| worked for me seven months, had wife and child
| be lived abour quarter of mile from me, the
| house stood perhaps four rods from the road; was
| at his house on the morning of the sixth of No
vember he worked for me the day before he was
well, and returned home about six o'clock in the
evening. l went down to his house about nine
O'Clock, because l thought he was sck--knocked
at the doer, no one answering it, opened it and
looked in the bodies did not go in hut
went away, snd met Mr.. Bowman, whom I told
that there had been foul work at PETERS and
that we had better go to Mr.. Davis. l made no
examination when l went back, but noticed tracks
of blood on the two steps leading to the door
| had seenNaughton before he came to work for me;
he was always at his work in the morning. with
one exception was quite apeaceable man.
Cross Eran1jaed-There were two steps had
blood on them that was all / saw out of doors.
Peter was good workman, short, thick man,
and quite strong; had little difficulty with an
other Of my workmen on account of some rivalry
| in work, don't know much about it the blood
marks appeared to be in the shape of shoe
could not tell whether the blood dry or not
it looked bright; am certain | did not step into,
the house; beginning at my house, and going
eastward half mile there are five or six houses
on the road. Knew Mrs. Naughton was a
| good sized woman, strong and smart; found a
| bank book on the Sunday morning after the
murder, about rod from the northeast corner of
the house it was some wet as it had rained
gave it to my son saw tracks in the road coming
from the west; noticed them particularly, as the
ground was soft could not tell whether the
tracks came up to the house or not, saw none
where the book laid; should think there were
nails in the boot or shoe that made the track.
This was about IL o'clock on Sunday morning;
think twas cloudy morning.
W. II. Learned sworn-Live in Dudley, am a
flour and grain dealer; my store is in Webster
but lived with my father; in going home passed
Naughton's house; knew Naughtons wife; on
the morning of the murder went to Naughton's
house, about O'clock; saw spots of blood on
the steps, and also on the threshold; had the
appearance of having been made with feet; heard
the cry of a child as | got to the door, which l
opened and entere6 Mr.. Davis, Foster, and
| Bowman were with me; found the child in bed
the bodies were laying on the floor in their night
| clothes, with the cradle thrown across them,
| Naughton was lying on his back, with his arm
thrown over her; she was partly Oh her side,
their heads were towards the South; there was
washstand near the door thrown down, and an axe
off the handle, which at the left of the door
witness here identified the axe); did not disturb
anything in the room at the time saw chest
open IN the bedroom and papers Strewn about it.
The bed had the appearance of having been occu.
pied. Saw bed on the floor in another room
having the appearance of having been occupied.
Saw no blood in either bedroom. Saw no blood
about the house at the time, except on the floor.
Subsequently, | saw some spatters on the front
door, and on the wall near the door. Saw Peter
the Tuesday before. Do not know the age of the
child.
Cross Eranained.--In reference to the position
OF the bodies, witness explained by the plan of
the house, and did not notice any trunk in the
persons went in until the jury came. On Sunday
morning after the murder, Mr.. Davis nv father
and myself, went down to the house of Naughton
Father was in advance, and l saw him have a
book in his hand Saw footsteps in the road in
front Of the house. Should say that they indi-
Gated that the person travelling fast. The
handbook might have been five rods from the
road, and rather back from the house. In regard
10 the tracks, should think there had been a
patch on the boots that made them the right
foot had the marks of the nails measured
several of the tracks, and they were Of different
lengths, owing to the foot slipping.
The Court here adjourned it'll o'clock.
AFTERNOON SESSION.
EbeeeSer DGUts, SUOr1-Reside in Dudley am
farmer; live about eighty rods Southeast of
Naughton's; was at his house about nine O'Clock
on the morning of the 9th went with Bowman,
at the request of William Learned; did not go in
then; noticed marks of blood on the steps, the
impression was not distinct, could trace the
marks no farther than the threshold; did not 90
in the house. but went to notify the people in the
other direction /; the bodies were lying with their
feet towards the door he lay with his left arm
partly across his breast near the door was a
washstand tumbled over the axe lay little to
the right of the centre of the door, with blood and
hair upoon it saw this in the kitchen passed
into the bedroom; bed had the appearance of
having been occupied; chest stood there open ;
a till in the chest was broken on the lid were
finger marks Of blood; the first time went in l
did not put my hand upon anything saw no
blood IN the bedroom but on the till OF the chest
4 found upon bosom OF shirt in the chest a
mark OF blood saw no other Witness here
identified the axe helve and nail which the deceas
ed held in his fingers when found. In the other