The Washington union. [volume] (City of Washington [D.C.]) 1857-1859, 1859-04-02
SENTENCE or STEPHENS, THE WIFE
POISONER.

lettering to this case which has for several weeks
past claimed large share OF public attention, not only
IN New York bat throughout the country, from the re
specabty of the accused and his apparent settled dc
termination 10 commit the terrible crime, the New York
Evening Post Of the 3lst ut says;
"The time sixed for the sentence Of stephens for Tie
murder OF his wife by poison IL O'Clock to-day but
long before that hour every seat in the court was
hed and the 20 policemen detailed specially for the
occasion busy IN preserving order In Che dsppont
ed crowd thronging the doOrways and hall There was
also an immense crowd at the Tobs and Centre street
lined from the Tombs TO the court ropm 10y persons
anxious 20 obtain passing glimpse OF the prisoner
The prisoner brought in by Sheriff Kelly at half
past eleven clock aud conducted 10 his accustomed
seat Ills sister, Mrs. Hanna, seated by his side
Stephens face downcast expression, but he
nodded and smiled 10 his acquaintance In court Some
twenty thirty ladies had seats assigned them within
the bar
1.-THE court opened at IL clock. Judges Davies,
Clerke, and IngTaham occupied the bench with Judge
Roosevelt :"
The motions for arrest of Judgment and for trial
of which previous notice had been given, were made
separately but denied by this court The motion
for the arrest Of judgment mainly based upon the
ground that the jury had been tempered with that for
new trial upon the ground that the verdict given
against the weight evidence We continue to copy
from the report in the New York Evening Post
The district attorney then moved for judgment.
Mr. Vandcrvoort asked the prisoner what he had to
say why judgment should not be pronounced against
him.
stephens arose and in a faltering tone of voice re-
Piled that he supposed matter what he would say it
would not have any effect the Judges the bench
but that he afraid to trust to Him who knows
and reads the hearts OF men. ar.s Ed
The Judge then proceeded to pass sentence follows
James Stephens, you have been indicted for the crime
of murder the highest crime known to the law you
have had laborious careful and impartial trial Your
Defence In all its aspects has been listened to with
exnped patience and forbearance The greatest pains
and expense have been taken and incurred develope
the truth fsty of the charge against you Even the
dead body OF the victim, twelve months after its in
ternent has been raised from the grave and made to
speak Its language, although to the multitude, in an
unknown tongue, rendered clear and ineligible by
the aid of most skilful nterpreter-one whom your
counsel justly denomnated the chemist well of
the prisoner OF the people, Its speech thus inter
preted death by poison" 1t could AN
swer further. Who administered the fatal drug
question to be solved only by the orderly testimony
livng witnesses. That testimony showed motive
the part of any other person. 1t showed that yo mind
had conceived marked indifference ii not dislike to
your wife, and unlawful passion not preference
ly for another and younger objecta passion which Ia
its headong led you blndy to believe that the
only barrier to its consummation the existence
your wife. Under its influence, two successive occa
sons shortly before your wife illness you purchased the
deadly mineral whose traces by tha magnng power OF
science made distinctly visible afterwards in her
disinterred remains You mingled the poison secre w.
but administered it openly in the dsg uise form Of dnk
medicine, or food, 10 the unslspectng victim You
did the act repeatedly would seem, and with ample
intervals of days and weeks for reflection and
penance Such perseyering cruelty towards one whom
you bound to CHERISH and who, il your witnesses
to be believed, had offended you is scarcely
conceivable. But the picture does not stop here you
accepted her dying embrace listened TO her dying prayer
and before the touch Of the one the tones of the other
had ceased to vbrae you renewed your unholy pursuit
of the surviving niece and when bafied even now by
the Intervention of successful and worthy
rival you sought by anonymous givngs ont to poison
the character OF the living niece as you had area "
poisoned the body of the dead aunt
The thus presented, ii true you must admit, is
of objectionable enormity A jury, selected almost
by yourself most patient, upright, and intelligent jury,
have found ii true and each member for himself separ
atey and solemny Intercepted, has 10 tones Of sad
sincerity, declared the o be his verdict Nor is
this allin rendering their verdict of guilty of murder
the jury have, by implication, almost necessarily de-
clared you guilty OF another crime-which need not
dwell upon, it is not directly in issue second
only to that for which you have been indicted. You
cannot therefore, hope for any communication of punish
ment Terrible as the doom may bemore terrible, ii
possible to your innocent child than to her guilty par
ent--the law admits of alternative. You must die
'He that sheddeth mans blood by shall his blood
be shed The sentence of the court therefore, is 1t
is the sentence which the law pronounces-- that you
James Stephens be taken hence to the prison from which
you came and that there the 10th day of May next
between the hours of O clock in the forenoon and
o'clock in the afternoon you lie hanged by the neck
until you dead. And may the God of mercy after
your intervening agones are over, extend to your de-
parted spirit that forgiveness which human tribunals have
no power to grant,
Stephens eceived The sentence calmly, and mmediatc
y sat down and commenced to talk In excited
with Mr. Cushing who then stated that the prisoner
desired to Fay something further.
The Judge sad the prisoner had had his opportunity.
Mr.. Vandervoort, the clerk then read the death
rant the prisoner removed by the sheriff and the
court adjourned sine die