The daily exchange. [volume] (Baltimore, Md.) 1858-1861, 1860-05-29
From the Boston Traveller
THE WENMDIrTI np H..


a man named Geo c. Hersey, resident of South
Weymouth, on startling charges of criminality and
murder. If all be true that is said against him. he
is one of the viest monsters on earth; but in the
present excited state of public feeling rumors and
reports and heresay statements of all kinds should
be taken with many grains of allowance. There
are, no doubt, many exaggerated rumors alloat,
but from those best authenticated there is fearful
evidence tending to show that no less than three
persons have come to their untimely death at the
hands of the accused The first is Hersey's wife,
whose maiden name Hannah kimball They
were married on January 10, 1857, his wife then
belng about eighteen years old. She died sudden
ly, February following, after premature conine-
ment, with connecting circumstances that occasion
many suspicious The second victim was Miss Mary
Iirrell, who died on the ID of January last very
suddenly The third is sister of the latter Miss
Betsey Frances Tirrell, who died on the I'd of Nav
last, under circumstances that rendered it certain
in the mind of the attending physicians that her
death had been occasiOned by the administration of
poisonous drugs. The two latter bodies have been
exhumed and autOpsies held by experienced physi-
clans, who found strychnine in the bowels Of the
first named and corrosive subimate in that of the
last and also evidences that both of the deceased
had been deceived and ruined.
The Weymouth correspondent of the New Ork
Herald gives the following account of how Hersey
lngratated himself in the home Of the Tirre fami-
ly. After the death of his wife Hersey became in
Innate with Mr.. Wilson Tirrells family, and be-
gan paying bis addresses to Miss Mary Tirrel. The
part of the country. The father is an extensive
dealer in Soe-leather, in Pearl street, Boston; his
brother, MnOt TerTill Esq, uncle to the deceased
girls. is President of the Union Bank of Weymouth
and Braintree; and son of the former, Mr.. Wilson
llrrell. Jr., is estimable Young gentleman re
siding in South Weymouth, but doing business in
Boston, An elder sister of these victims, formerly
Miss Susan Tirrell Is now wife OF the brother of
the accused, a respectable gentleman named j ohm
Bainbridge Hersev. Nothing in the slightest de-
gree occurred to indicate improper intimacy be-
tween Hersey and Miss Mary Tirrell, and after her
death, so thorough did they rely upon the honor
and integrity of Hersey that her family cordially
invited him to make their house his home. They
treated him in every respect like son, and to all
appearances he reciprOcated the atfectOnate re-
gard. 1t would seem almost incredible that Her.
sey should have wifuy hastened the death of Miss
Mary Iirrell, to whom, as may say, he was en-
gagged to be married. for the match was considered
a truly eligible one, the lady possessing per-
sonal charms, amability and accomplishments, to-
gether with promising pecuniary prospects. 1t is
Is only accounted for on the ground that he at
tempted to make way with the fruits of their illicit
intercourse, and thus carried both mother and child
to the grave. The warm feelings of friendship ex-
isting between the Tirrell family and Hersey exist
ed up to the time of the death of Miss Besey Fran
ces Tirrell. As we have already stated this was
attended with such undOubed symptoms of poison
ing that DR.. Appleton Howe, family physician of
the Tirrells, desired that post mortem examina-
ton of the remains be had. Hersey strenuously
resisted this, intimating that it was barbarOus to
W mahPle the corpse OF so sweet an angel. His
opposition was, however, overcome, he expressing
a determination to be present during the operation.
Assisted by Dr. VIM. G. b. Fiteld, Of Weymouth,
the operation performed, and the stomach, with
intestines sent to DR.. Hayes in Boston, for anay-
Zation.
So great was the excitement among the people
on ascertaining the suspicious circumstances at
tending the sudden death of Miss Tirrel that
cOrener's jury was summoned on Saturday, the 5th
inst, at seven o'clock in the evening. At this in
vestgatOn testimony given by Wilson Tirrel,
father of the deceased; Almira B. Tirre, step
mother; Geo. G. Hersey, the accused, (before
rest); Louisa Maria Tirrell, sister Of the deceased
DR.. Appleton Howe, DR.. VIM. C. c. B. Fifeld, and
Dr. A. A. Hayes, chemist. The testimony of the
parents, and that Of Louisa Maria, were confined
principally to the character OF the symptoms at
tending the illness of the deceased The latter,
however, mentioned the important circumstance
that some preserves had been given to her sister;
and it was afterward ascertained that Hersey had
something to do with administering them In those
preserves strychnine was detected and it was also
found that some particles in the adhered to
the spoon containing the preserves, and which had
been thrown away behind a freboard. The jury
adjourned from the 5th to the 2lst inst, in order to
enable DR.. Hayes to complete his analysis. DR.. H.
reported the presence of Strychnine. DR.. Howe, in
his testimony, reported having made eXamina-
tion after death, when he found the uterus enarg-
ed. also found fotus and OVEN, together with the
afterbirth. Mrs. Trrell testified that no man but
Hersey kept company with her daughter for four
months previous to her death The jury returned
a verdict, that said b. Francis Tirreil's death was
caused by certain poison called strychnine, and
that the same administered to her by some
person or persons unknown.
The jury in the case of Mary have not yet
turned a verdict. At the present writing lersey
is in Dedham Jail, awaiting the result of the CO.
roner's inquests, and the decision of the Grand
Jury.
LIFE INSURANCE CONVENTIONAL number of Life
Insurance companies have been holding two
DAYS convention in New York. Contributions of
their experience were presented from a large num-
Der of companies embracing statistics of life of be-
tween forty and fifty thousand individuals, in vari-
GUS parts Of this country. From these returns the
convention resolved to form tables of mortality for
the Unit, States, similar to the tables which
have been constructed from observations in Eu-
rope. 1t is believed that in the number of lives
the proposed American table of mortality will ex-
ceed the celebrated English table, made up some
years ago from like data procured from experience
in Great Britain. The work Of constructing this
table was referred by the convention to the follow
ing committee: Sheppard Eomans, Thomas w.
Russell, John Estlie, Joseph p. Bradley, George
w. Phillips, and William A. Brewster, Jr. On the
question of the rate of interest, the committee
ported in favor of four per cent. the safest for
the next hundred years, in the business Of life insu-
rance and annuities. The report was unanimously
adopted. The fluids now held in trust by the life
insurance companies in this country amount to
81 2,O0O9 900; the sums insured are about Sl60000-
600; and the number of lives near 100000. Over
S2,OOO,OOO are paid out every year, by the falling
in of claims, mostly to widows and orphans. And
vet, as was remarked by Mr.. Barnes and others,
Life insurance in this country is only in its in
fancv! Mr.. rightpresented paper exhibiting
the mortuary experience OF fourteen companies,
which had reported to the State for the past year.
This experience equal to about so 900 years of
life; and it proved that life in this country at ages
between 81 and 55 not subject to as high n rate
of mortality similar returns proved it to be in
Great Britain and Germany.
LIABILITY OF MASSACHUSETTS BANKS IN REGARD TO
CoUNTERFETr MoNEY.-The following enactment,
comprising sections 81 and GO of chapter 81 of the
Revised Statutes, goes into effect on the first of
June next:
SECTION Gl.-A bank which receives in pay
ment, or upon deposit, or for redemption from any
other bank, or from any person, counterfeit
uncurrent and worthless bank BILL or bank bill
which has been altered from its original denomna-
ton, or paper not bank bill but made in the
similtude thereof, or paper purpOrting to be the
bill of bank which never existed, shall write or
stamp upon all such counterfeit bills the word
"counterfeit, upon all such altered bills the word
altered and upon all such other bills and papers
the word ''worthless;" adding thereto the name of
the bank and initials of the officer by which the
writing or stamp is made.
SEC. 62.-Any bank negecting refusing to
write upon or stamp any bill or bills, as prescribed
in the preceding section, shall forfeit and pay the
bill or bills allowed to pass without being writ
ten upon stamped. And if bank or bank ofIi-
GER by mistake inadvertence, and not fraudu-
lently, so writes upon or stamps bank bill which
is not counterfeit, or altered, or worthless bill,
such bank shall be liable to paw to the holder its
value, demand.
1t is believed that the enforcement of this law
will very largely decrease the circulation of coun-
felt bank notes.
From the National JntelFgencer.I
THE JAPANESE PRESENTs.-The Emperor of Japan
has, as he thinks, presented a number of valuable
articles the produce of his Empire, to the Presi-
dent of the United States. He has, however, ac-
tually given them to the United States since, un-
der our Constitution, all such articles are taken