New Orleans daily crescent. [volume] ([New Orleans, La.]) 1851-1866, 1860-02-24
3Ota! anteIIiqerlte.

lIIE WEATHER yesterday was beautiful, ocularly,
nasally and pedally but towards evening it be-
trayed an attack of frigidity, and at night was GU
taneously chilly and disagrecable. Though the
nocturnal empyream was as dark and bright and
clear as the face Of an offended Amazon, and each
particular star as bright a dagger's point, the
Arctic flavor OF the atmosphere was such as to
render us mortals callous to celestial beauty and
to drive all to the precincts of genial potations and
the luxurious allnrements of glowing tire-places
and the blanketed beds at home. Total: the
weather was beautiful, but chilly at night.
TRIAL OF WIN II. @. KING FOR MANsLAuGnTER.-
Wm. Il. G. King was yesterday put upon his trial
in the First District Court for manslaughter On
Sunday, the Sd of July last, at the monthly meet
ing Of the Typographical Union at Louisiana
Hose House, corner of Perdido and Carondelet
streets, King had rencounter with Arthur McGil,
which resulted in King giving McGill a stab, from
which he died, about month afterwards at Charity
Hospital. King was (and s) foreman of the Gres-
cent printing department, and McGll had been
working with him as his assistant foreman.
The prosecution yesterday was conducted by
Attorney General Semmes and District Attorney
Bradford, and the defence by VIM. FL. Hunt, Esq.
The courtroom was filed with printers during the
was present. l
We do not deem it necessary to give the testi-
mony in full. We condense it, giving the sub
stance of each Witness testimony. Witnesses for
the State were introduced as follows:
Dr. Hart City Physician: Examined McGill's
body at Charity Hospital on the Sth of August
Death had resulted from punctured wound in the
back penetrating the spinal column, between the
sixth and seventh yertebrae, and seYering two
thirds Of the spinal marrow.
Dir. Smyth, Assistant House Surgeon at Charity
Hospitals. Assisted in attending to McGill at the
hospital. The fatal wound was in the back, going
inward and downward. When brought to the
hospital, deceased was paralysed in his lower
limbs He died of exhaustion, resulting from the
wound The knife could not have reached the
spinal cord by straight blow; it must have been
necessary for the blade to bend in order to reach
the cord.
Typographical Union in the hall of Louisiana
Hose House on Sunday, the Sd Of July. There
was discussion relative to something in the
Crescent office. McGill took no part in the discus
sion; he had been on spree for several days, and
was very much intoxicated that morning. After
the matter under discussion had been disposed Of
King asked leave Of the President to retire; and
leave being given, he left. McGill went out imme-
diatey after King, and witness went out after Nc
Gill; On reaching the gallery outside witness heard
loud words saw King and McGill at the foot of the
stairs, face to face. Saw King draw knife. make
cut at McGill, and then run through the hose
house, McGl pursuing him. Running down stairs
witness lost sight of them for time as he entered
the back door hose carriage intercepted his view,
but on getting round the carriage saw the two
together inside the house, near the front door
carondelet street Think they had .I,, hold Of each
with his knife and stab him in the back.
He Immediately fell, the knife sticking in his back,
and King still holding to the knife. Witness went
up and took King by the wrist; he then let go the
Ac All Law Ann
resting on his elbow, witness took hold of the
knife and pulled it out. 1t was neither very hard
nor very easy to pull out. Witness expected that
King and McGill would have some words, for in
the morning McGiil told witness he intended to
have an understanding with King
Did not think they would have any serious
difficulty. Did not go out after them because he
expected difficulty; went out because 1t was late
in the day and after his dinner hour. Witness took
no part in the discussion, because he was an hon
orary member and not entitled to take part in the
proceedings. Did not see McGill make any demon
stration toward King in the yard did not hear
what they said; there was an alarm OF fire at the
time and much noise around the building.
Others followed witness down stairs did not see
any one on the stairs as he went down. Saw no
weapon in McGill's hands. King did not resist
when witness took him by the wrist; he let go and
ran down Perdido street. As McGill lay on the
floor, he exclaimed that he regretted dying by the
hands Of such son OF q b--h. A small pocket
knife which looked as if it had been used for cut
his closed hand, was afterward handed to witness,
with the information that McGill had dropped it
whilst pursuing King through the hose house. This
knife witness produced before the Recorder. 1.-THE
knife was inquired for, but the Recorder had not
sent it down.
This witness was cross-auestioned at great length
by counsel for defense, judge and jurors as to the
precise attitude and manner of King and McGill
when he first saw them at the foot of the stairs
and when he next saw them in the hose house
near the front door, and as to other matters CON
nected with the case.
He stated that the discussion in the Union was
about an issue between King, as foreman of the
Crescent office, aud some OF the men working un-
der him. about '' fat matter,n which he explained
TO the jnry as type already set up and used, and
| laid aside without distributing, and then used
again, the printer drawing the copy for Il getting
pay for ii the same as il he had set it up again.