Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1865-07-08
LOCAL NEWS.
CRIMINAL COURT.
Trial of Miss Mary Harris for the Murder
of l.. RurroxehS

Shortly after the C9urt opened yesterday
Miss Harris entered the Court room, accom-
panied by, the Misses neye,in, of Chicago and
aiss Aooey, OF New York, and took her seat
/ ley, Esq. She was dressed in black silk and
| kept her face veiled. The counsel announc.
ing themselves ready for trial, the last
| Juror, Mr.. A. II. Young, was sworn, the iury
| was called, and the indictment read
District Attorney Darlington opened for the
prosecution. After few preliminary remarks,
| ne SAID that some of the jurors had been called
| to perform their duty in cases which had
shocked the community, but had never tried q
| ease like this before. The sympathies of men
| We're always excited i'll behalf of woman i'm
| distress, but while it was an act of heroism 10
| sacrifice ones life for a woman in distress it
| would be folly and criminal to allow crime to
| go unpunished because the guilty party was a
woman.
| Mr.. c. proceeded TO reete the prin ciples oflaw
! by which the case is TO be tried. While stand
ing up to try this case he would plead the cause
| OF woman, who is most deeply Interested in
the maintenance Of the law. After enumera-
| ing the general divisions ofhomicde, he stated
| the circumstances of this case, as he expected
| 10 snow by the evidence, and concluded by ap-
peallng to the jury to decide this case accord
ing to the law, and to leave the extension of
mercy to be found at the proper source.
| The court took recess for a few minutes
Upon reassembling, Mr.. Bradley, sr, proceed.
| ed 10 open his case for the defence He would
| not appeal to the jury in behalf of woman, but
II his client was anything like the woman the
District Attorney had represented, he would
say condemn her, she deserves no mercy. Mr..
Bradley reviewed the history of his client from
| infancy TO the present time; her first meeting,
| when a little girl, with Burroughs; their mu-
| tual attachment. growing stronger, until their
marriage engagement: the obstacles which pre-
| vented their marriage; the letter inviting her
| TO Washington, and promising to get her EN- :
! ployment in the Treasury; the letter proposing q
| to meet her at an assignation house, and the
subsequent conduct of Burroughs to another
| lady. Mr.. Bradley did not believe that Bur.
roughs thought he could seduce Mary Harris;
on the contrary he knew he could not Her
virtue was impregnable. The aim of ali these
contingency. After hearing of Burroughs
marriage, Mary Harris became sick The cause
should be made known. No breath of idle
scandal shall touch her skirts
Mr Bradley proposed TO prove that the true
character OF Burroughs, AS it was ascertained
by Miss Deylin and the accused i'm Chicago had
q serious effect on the mind and body of the
prisoner He said, during the intense cold
winter the accused would get out OF bed and
sleep on the hoor: with no covering but her
night clothes. At one time Miss Devlin felt
her gliding from the bed, and saw her clothe
herself. As shesHas about to leave the room
Miss Deylln asked her where she was going,
and MISS Harris replied: tsOh! am going on
the lake shore."l At another time she took one
OF MISS Devln's fine piece quilts, and was pro-
ceeding to tear it mp, and with difficulty was
persuaded out of the idea. And again, she
gathered the preserves together, and poured
them on beautiful carpet of Miss Deylins.
The counsel continued, saying he bad visited
IL
her perfectly sane and at other times she was
not. Sometimes the pupil OF her eye was so
mnch & dliated ted as to conceal nearly the entire
would range from 11O to 100.
After briefly reciting the duties of the Jury
MI D. left the case with them, expressing a
nope that they. would discharge their duty
without prejudice or partiality.
j. c. Riley sworn.-Testified that about
O'Clock p. m, January 30th, he was summoned
to the Treasury Department. Found man
~ how Soid p,,rr
Found wound to the left of the spine, about
two inches from it and between the fourth and
fifth rib, caused by a bullet, could not say how
long the body had been dead, it was cold Wit
ness testified before the Coroners jury that the
wound was sufficient to cause death. Judged
that the man died from internal hemor-
rhage. ~ -..s ~ F
Thomas Voodrurd. Coroner, sworn.-Was
called upon to hold an inquest over the body
Of A. ]. Burroughs, on the Both of January, at
the Treasury. Found a wound about two
inches from the spine, near the fifth rib. Tried
TO trace the course of the ball.
Alfred Er.rett, sworn.-Is q clerk in Treasury
Department.; was there on Both January last,
and occupied a desk next to Mr.. Burroughs.
Witness and Burroughs left the office at ten
minutes past four O'Clock p. m: Burroughs by
one door. witness by another The room is in
the north wing, west front, and the second
room from the center hall. After leaving the
room, witness overlook Burroughs as he
reached the center hall, and was Just passing
the door when the first shot was fired. Wit
ness was on the right of the clock that stands
in the hall. Witness thinks that Burroughs,
ONE gentleman, and himself only, We're in the
hall. When the pistol was fired Burroughs
started forward, held up his hand. and said
&c ON 9ho The The ps1sSn stepped out at9 the middle
and fired again. The distance between Bur-
ronghs and the prisoner was four rooms; don't
know the width of the rooms. Having seen
burroughs fall, the woman Immediately
examined the wall in the line of the
shGs 5ss first se shot was fired fired
saw the arm extended; the aim was at
Burroughs head. When the first shot was
fired saw the woman pass directly in front Of
him, [witneks) and draw np. to fire the second
shot. She wore drab cloth cloak, a hat be-
meath nubia, and blue veil over that. After
she fired the shot she walked coolly and de-
MCCULLOUGH and took him down where Bur-
'roughs was lying. Miss Harris was required
TO remove her veil, and witness was asked if
he could identify her as the woman. He could
mot identify her positively. Witness at the
time Of the shooting saw her face; it was per-
fectly colorlessi remembers that her hair was
in curls, believes all around her head, certainly
over her face. Did not hear her say word
Next saw Burroughs lying on the mat at the
front door; he lived about fifteen minutes, and
died % or 27 minutes after o'clock. st'-
Charles a. Sengstdck, sworn.-Is q watchman
IN the Treasury departments; arrested the pris-
oner ON the day of the shooting on the front
steps, and was in the act Of stepping off on the
portico on 18th street. Witness was little ex-
cited. He put his hand on the prisoner and
told her she must return with him. She walked
into the hall front door, and asked to be put in
a room. Went with her to the watch-reom
door, and finding itlocked told a oolored hoy
to get the key; had not seen the prisoners face
at that time. The body of Burroughs was
being brought down. The colored man got the
wrong key. The lady said ''For Gods sake get
me into the room" Burroughs was then lying
about twenty feet from her Witness sent for
Captain Handy, of the watch, who is also
magistrate. a., ,..-.. -. -. --s--- .
Cross.examined by Mr. Bradley:-Saw pris-
oner's face in the room. She appeared very
excited, throwing herself about; her face was
rather flushed. Mr.. Mccullough was then in
the room. g TTTT
Hm. Shelley sworn.-Was doorkeeper of the
main entrance of the Treasury Department in
January last. Saw a person answering to the
description of Miss Harris at quarter past
three O'Clock. She asked witness If she could
come in. He replied that it was against orders.
She said she wanted to see gentleman and
lady friends, Witness said it was against or
/ ders, but let her in and gave her chair. She