Daily Ohio statesman. [volume] (Columbus, Ohio) 1855-1870, 1864-04-26

o'clock on Sunday night, at the house of
one Howard, over the river; nearly opposite
Town street. A man discovered in the
overt act of adultery was beaten to death
by the infuriated husband he had so grossly
wronged. Without having time to plead
for mercy OF extenuate his fault, he was
dispatched, unwarned, to meet his Maker.
The facts in the case are briefly as follows:
William Quinn, a temperate and indus
trious drayman, who supported his second
wife and three or four children by his daily
labor, has had reason to suspect the fidelity
of his wife, whose, intimacy with Michael
Cation was the subject OF scandalOus remarly,
On Sunday evening Quinn laid down 60
rest, and awakening from his sleep about
nine o'clock he missed his wife, and heard
her voice in conversation with Cation in the
next House--that of Howard. He heard
Cation directing Mrs. Howard to go buy
pint Of whisky, for which he gave her
quarter, and Mrs. Howard departed with
one Davis, who was also in the ROOM
Quinn soon after entered the room unseen,
and discovered the two on the floor togeth-
er in position which left no room for
doubt in the mind of the husband. He re-
turned to his own house, seized gun,
which was not loaded, returned to the
scene, and in frenzy struck Cation on the
head with the barrel several times, from
the effects of which blows he almost imme
diately died. The enraged husband then
struck his wife a terrific blow in the face
with the breach of the gun, which knocked
her senseless on to the floor from which she
had just arisen.
Quinn, supposing he had killed both the
seducer and his wife, rushed frantically
from the house, and soon after gave himself
up to the officers, who presently appeared
upon the scene Of the tragedy. The two
children of Quinn were about the house
at the time, and one of them, a boy about
twelve years of age, went with his father
into the room where the murder was COM
mitted, another child, little girl, conceal
ed loaded pistol, which her father endeav-
ored to find. Mrs. Howard and Mrs. Quinn
were both arrested and confined in the sta
tion house during the night, and the dead
body of the murdered man was left alone
in the room until an early hour yesterday
morning. Cation was man of forty years
of age, and has wife and three children
living on Long street. n
Yesterday morning Coroner Gaver held
an inquest upon the body, which resulted
in a verdict by the jury substantially in
accordance with the facts as above stated.
At ten o'clock the preliminary examina-
tion of the prisoner took place before Mayor
Thomas. Ex-Mayor English appeared as
counsel for the prisoner. Quinn is small,
smooth faced, good natured looking man,
who did not appear to regret the act he had
committed. His wife, who also appeared
in Court, is by no means prepossessing, es-
pecially as one half of her face was black
and fearfully swollen from the effect Of the
blow she had received. To add to the hor-
ror of the affair, she appeared to be enciente.
Mrs. Howard, the other female connected
with the tragedy, had fit while in Court,
and was in consequence incapable Of giving
any testimony, as her mind wandered and
her words were incoherent and unintelligi-
BILE. Her husband also appeared, but as he
had not been home for several days, and
knew nothing OF the affair, he was dis
missed.
Frank Cummings was sworn and the first
witness. He testified that he resided on the
west side of the river, near Quinn's and
Howard's house; had goneto bed about nine
o'clock Sunday night when heard great
fuss at Quinn's, and arose, dressed and went
down; / found Quinn with gun barrel in
one hand and the breach in the other; he
said Cation had got his wife drunk and was
prostituting her, and said he would kill
both. He then struck his wife with the gun
barrel and knocked her over. Cation was
lying on the floor senseless; he may have
muttered something to the effect of begging
Quinn not to strike him again. laid Mrs.
Quinn out and put pillow underher head.
Quinn appeared very delirious, and entirely
out of his head. This was in Howard's
house.
Cross erd,nined:-I live but a few steps
from Howard's house; Mrs. Quinn appear
ed to have been lying down near Cation;
when / came in she was sitting up against
the wall with her feet sticking out. Quinn
acted like crazy man; said he had caught
them in the act and would kill them both.
Dl. Rowc=sworu, and testified that he
heard the disturbance and went to the
house; saw Quinn with gun in hisAhand
standing over man lying on the floor, on
his side; saw Quinn strike him once and
kick him once; noticed that the wound was
on the back part of the head.
Mrs. Quinn sworn. Mr.. English object
ed to her competency. The Mayor stated
that he had been in the habit of taking the
evidence of wives in preliminary examin-
ations, and said unless the objection was
insisted upon he would hear what she had
to say. Mrs. Quinn said she passed the
door of Mrs. Howard, who asked her in;
she went In without knowing who was
there. Cation sent Mrs. Howard after whis-
ky, and Davis went home. Cation, then
caught me by the shoulder and pushed me
down; he was so drunk that he fell down
himself and couldn't get up. Quinn rush
ed in and struck him with the gun; I asked
him why he struck a drunken man, and be
told me to be still and struck me. Upon
the cross examination the, witness denied
thealleged intimacy with Cation. EslI69i
Officer Mcdowell testified that he was
called to the house by Cummings and found
Cation about dead. Quinn was not around
then and arrested the women. Quinn af-
forwards told me that he had killed Cation,
and was sorry he had not killed both; he
had noticed something wrong between them