New Orleans daily crescent. [volume] ([New Orleans, La.]) 1851-1866, 1860-05-21

This unfortunate man, who, in ct Of drunken
fury, killed q woman in New York named Virginia
Stewart, several months ago, committed suicide
on the 18th instant, in his cell in the Tombs, by
swallowing poison. The following letters were
read before the Coroner's Jury:
MAGpo lS. LBS LETTER 70 LEWIS LELAND.
NEW I oRK CITY PRISON, April 4, lS60.--Le
Leland, Esq: Dear Sir-In addressing you now
for the last time, allow me TO thank you for the un
varying kindness and friendship you have ever
shown me since the sad affair that made me the in
mate OF prison. 1t Is useless to dwell upon the
past that we cannot recall, as bitterly as we may
repent it You may point to the future and say
that, with the warm and true friendship possess,
! may again breathe the pure and free air of
heaven. Ihat do not doubt. At least am con-
WINGED that those friends who have known me long
and well arc satisfied am not and never could be
a murderer. lis true my friends tell me human
life has been taken, and By my hand. And what
iie mas eeen takens The life Of one, unworthy
though she was of the love of man, yet loved her
better than did my hopes of heaven. He in whose
presence she has long since stood will Judge I'M
partially, and fear not to meet her at the throne
OfGod: Again, whilst thanking you for your kind
ness, allow me to request you to seal it by one last
act Of friendship. My request is that yoa will see
that am decently buried in private ground. None
Of my relatives or Southern friends being in the
city, thus caH on You. You will find enclosed an
order on Afr. Scott to cover any expense that you
may be at, would also request that you will not
allow my body to be exposed to the vulgar gaze
of the curious public but that as soon as tie Core
ner may have finished the inquest my body shall
be placed in private charge. If yon telegraph tn
Mr.. Granden he will come on. His address is
Trenton, New Jersey, E. II. Granden And now,
let me thank you and your brother, and while
thanking you, bid you long and last farewell.
RoBT. G. MACDONALD.
The following is the order referred to:
NEW YORK Cry Prison, April Al ls6O.-Joh,,
Scott Esq.-bIy Dear Sir: You will please be kind
enough to reimburse Lewis Leland, Esq, for what
ever moneys Imay owe him Or he expend on my
OS soas seaSr J Esq yours HaoDosALp
THE POST MoRTRM EXAMINATION.
DIS. Weltie, Beach and Gallagher, deposed that
they made post mortem examination of the body (;
all the internal organs were healthy except the
stomach, which appeared to have been subjected
to the influence OF poison; the contents Of the
stomach smeiled strongly of laudanum and
creosote, and the mucus membrane was removed
in patches by the action of the poisons the brain
was highly congested but not more so than is
usual in cases of poisoning by narcotics in the
opinion of the physicians, death was caused by
the administration of laudanum and creosote; half
an ounce Of laudanum would be sufficient to cause
death, especially If the stomach was empty at the
time Of its being administered.
The case was then given to the jury who, after
due elaboration, rendered the following
VERDICT
That deceased came to his death by the admins.
tration of creosote and a preparation OF opium,
taken for the purpose of self destructon. Further
the jury would recommend that the proper author.
tiles place wire netting, similar to that now in use
on the lower corridor, all the cell doors of the
city prison.
DISPOSITION OF THE BODY.
The body Of deceased was then placed in charge
of one Of deceased's friends, and removed to the
prison yard for the purpose Of embalment. DR..
Holmes, OF Williamsburg, was engaged to do the
embalming, and after several hours, the operation
completed to the satisfaction Of the friends OF
deceased. While engaged in injecting the embalm-
ing fluid, DR.. Holmes discovered that deceased had
an anuerism of the aorta, which bursted with the
simple pressure of the injection. This disease
would, sooner or later, have caused the death Of
Macdonald. The physician thought, from the ap-
pearance of the anuerism, that deceased would not
have lived more than six months or year. The
body was subsequently placed in handsome ma.
hogany coffin, bearing the following inscription:
ROBERT G.. MACDONALD,
+: DIED MAY II, 1860.
Aged 80 years.
and then forwarded to the residence of his friends
in Kentucky for burial.
ANoTAER INTERESTING LETTER.
The following is copy of an interesting letter
addressed to Mr.. Whitmore, the clerk of the City
Prison. by deceased, some weeks before he died:
Dear Sir: cannot take leave Of this life without
thanking you and your good family for your kind
ness to me-a stranger-while imprisoned in the
City Prison Of New York. / know that you will
condemn the act, but you others can dream Of
the heart-rending anguish and unutterable suffer-
ing have endured since have been immured in
this prison cell; and as If to heap burning Goals
upon consuming nature, the press of New York
has hurled at my devoted head every charge that
might be heaped upon double-dyed villain. Why,
sir, the premeditated murder of three innocent
men that occurred but IA short time since did not
create one-tenth part of the feeling and indgna-
ton against the perpetrator of the triple and most
horrible crime, as was excited against me by the
press Of New York, and kept alive by false state
ments such as appeared in the Tribune to-day.
Give my compliments to your wife and children.
Thank them for their kindness during my imprison-
ment
Give my kindest regards to Mr.. Sutton, and tell
him thank him for his universal politeness and
kindness to me. In fact, must say that all con-
nected with the City Prison, from the Warden down
to the night Waterman have endeavored to make
my Imprisonment as light as possible consistent
with the rules and regulations of the prison and
to each and all of them tender my most heartfelt
thanks. | wish you would see that my body is not
exposed to the view of the curious and the vulgar.
have written to Mr.. Leland to take charge of
my body. Give my love to Walter, and tell him to
wear the pin gave him in remembrance of me.
Good bye. ROBERT G. MACDONALD.