New-York daily tribune. [volume] (New-York [N.Y.]) 1842-1866, 1861-01-14
BROOKL YN ITEMS.

Saturday evening by a man named James Martin, re-
siding in Bergen street, third house cast OF Powers
street. the victim being his own child, On infant, one
and half years of age The circumstances attending
the dreadful deed obtained from different sources, are
~ follows Martin Is an Engishrnan, and his wife u
native Of ireland. They have been married about
twelve years, and bad four children the eldest ten
years Of age. He 10 bookbinder by trade, and has
worked in the establishment Of E. A. Lambert
g. CO., s;s,ioners, &C., William street, New
York, for the past twenty years. On satur-
day he was at work "a usu- After leaving the shop
he took several drinks Of liquor before going home
When be entered the house he became irritable and
Misunderstanding occurred between bimsef and wife.
Tley ouarreled for sore time when che threatened to
have him arrested, and went ont for the pur-
pose of calling in policeman. 1t was only
fent Oh her part, however; her object was 10
frighten him 20 as 10 restore peace. After stay
ing for some time she returned ard abe entered tho
door he came rushing out In state Of wild excitement.
She cosed the door and wen; into the bedroom, when
the horrd spectacle Of her murdered child presented it.
self TO her view. II was lying on the bed with its
throat cut from ear ear the bed was saturated with
blood large pool Of blood was on the oor near the
bedroom door, and there were drops and marks
of blood from the bed 70 the outer door.
Meanwhile, Martin went 70 the City Hall. and kept
pacing up and down the passage in the basement for
some time. 1t was then ~ O'Clock. Officer Casler,
who was on night duty in the office of the Inspector OF
Police came ont, and, observing him for q moment,
asked what the matter wss and as he vas well
des-ed, gentlemanly looking man, requested him 10
cone into the Office and make hs business kno VA.
Martin stated thG. he wanted policeman that he Lad
killed lis child and wanted to give hiuscN up 10 The
law. The officer remarked, Il guess you have not
done anything 10 bad ne that whereupon Martin re-
Piled, " Oh, ye. have; and God knows that loved
tLat child" o, the same time drawing his right hand
from his pocket and exhibiting razor, with which he
enid be committed tbs deed. The and hs hands,
the officer then noticed, were rneared all over With
blood The officer asked bis reascnr for committing 80
alrocious crime 10 which he replied, tina! he
Jealous Of his wife, that they had quarrel in corse-
qnence and that, somehow or other, he did not know
how, be had cr his clilds throat. Here he evirced
great mental suffering and requested the officer, for
Gods sake, 10 lock him up. Tie officer complied With
his request, and confined him in Que Of the calls.
After the prisoner hes been properly secured, the
officer went 10 Martins housc. IL Is three-story
brick dwelling, occupied by two families that of Mar
rs living on the frs floor. There il also house ON
The rear of the lot, both Of which owned by the
miserable mnn. The apartments sro finely furnished
and everything new, neat, and clean. The orteers
ba, ing been admitted by the bah door by Mrs. Marn
could nothing unusual in either room. or in the man
ner of the lady, STE appeared composed and acted as
If nothing unusual had occurred. He asked what the
difficulty was, which she replied thai there WAS no
difficulty He then Intercepted her about the child,
- II a 49,
jur,d il. She showed sigma Of alarm learning this
fact in arsweriot the direct question whether Mr. Mar
tin had his chids throat rhe answered that be had
not " only made him believe 80" she continued, g
onb wanted TO have him ttink he had" The officer
insisted seeing the child, and, without further oero
oney went into The bedroom, which ia the of
the front parlor where be Jaw the face Of chubby.
beautiful infant, bat there marks Of blood,
and neither any marks OF blood 'sibe about the
bed or in The room He uncovered the body and found
lying in pool Of blood, it, throat gashed from ear
to Ear. Mira. Martin was present at the time, and,
seeng the officer determined told him than the child
was dead--of which fact he had the most undoub,ed
evds nee before him. 90 examining the apartment,
the officer observed that the oornear the bedroom door
bad recently be, scrubbed and there other evil
dences that blood had been wiped ~ in dsrout places
and that the bed bad been rearanged since the coms'
sion Of ibe blood, deed.
Tie 2, or woman seemed TO sympsthize greatly with
her husband. She denied having had quarrel. She
sid lie was subject 10 fits of insanity; he had az times
teen afflicted in that way for years. One year ago he
became bud that il necessary to get him ont OF
tie way, and co. by the sdvce Of his brother he
sent 10 England. He remained away until two months
ago, when be returned in apparently zane state of
n ind. He resumed lis work and was " all right
until Saturday evening" when his actops convinced her
Il at TIE old maady bad returned. He was not drink
ing man WAS good husband, and she hoped no harm
would be done him, she could not get soag whou,
his aid. The officer then retired
At the inquest yesterday was shown that the IN
happy man was subject TO frequent hts Of insanity,
caued by fall down stairs, by which he injured his
bead At such times be would threaten TO Kill tho
children and behave violently In his sane moments
lie requested his wife to call officer ut such times
and when he assaied her without cause, calling her
vile rapes, on Saturday night, she vent for officer
rs be had previously advised. Officer easier testified:
had conversation with the prisoner thi. aorius ~ told
ha, b. bad quar- wi n. wife a. night snd thu. ga
h ss he S IN S' fs
o his and be- said that BE- did know ka him IL his hssd
no Re etied that Il had he said be wos perfectly ,h.
ring aud that bis mind all right ne ~. son"r whe1
him Ia the thought at frat that no had bsea drinking
concluded be had not be good deal excited
The Jury after short deiberst on, rendered the
following verdict:
That the ssd Alice Frances Martin TO her death By
inflicted throat with Ia the tsnds
81 Jan Nsrb tho night Of The l2h Of January 1851"
Drrn'y Coroner Hamilton Kent and Officer Caser
brought tie prisoner to the Coroners Office where the
,sual questions propounded TO him. He sad biz
,anle was James Martin; 80 years Of age; born in
London, England; booabinder by trade and preferred
% cay nothing 10 the charge agains, him. |