New-York daily tribune., 1865-12-19
THE WALKER IEOuICIDE.
Close Of the TriaI-Verdict, mansiaughfer
in the First Degree.


Policeman Walker was continued yesterday at the
Conrt of Sessions before Recorder Hoffman. The IN
terest and importance connected with the case made
the number of persons who present as spectators
very large. Ward the prisoner, was in the Court
room seated beside his counsel Charles ;. Spencer,
ESQ., and attended by his aunt. lie appeared perfectly
composed during the trial and me most Of tne l,,e
was occupied in looking at the ceilng-ga1ng ON IL
with lis vacant and CLASSY stare az entiey uheoh
scous indifferent 10 his position Inc evidence aheh
was very brief and Of secondary importance Inc snn
ming up and the Recorders chaIge were more tban
three hours in duration.
THE EVIDENCE
The counsel for the defense, at the opening OF the
Court offered in evidence the loter OF the IWenty
ninth Precinct Police in which the arrest oi WARD on
the morning Of the murder was recorded NO deiense
being made by the Disiriet-AitorneN the record was
Margaret Criy Of the prisoner the first yn,s.
examined for the defense She tetd % Hs'lns Hiu a. VIZ
his arrest she went station oase aud asked t. see
Ward her requeit resed aGd the officers "a charge de-
cufIed however by looking through the window.
Coroner Collin sworn: lie he'd the inquest on the
bodv ofh. deceased present at the De was deu
tined by several persons the woman who had been Ia ""
grocery store on the sh Of the muTdsr Ward was WIh
and BE- thought be bad counse at the inquest ~ hsdh
recollection having sat snyiane 70 nm Ds.oio ,le Ii s,
pieces Of the ball were here eIh1ied end idenied oy Wit
ness as having taken e the bead Of the decet'd IAy
very much fened apparently non colte' WIN 'N'
SKULL. This concluded the test'moIy
IRE DEFESsE.
Tie counsel for the prisoner then srmmed up hls
case He said t1at. according 10 the oVaehcr lh'fs
could be verdict Of murder IN Tho iI.i or second zee
tGsrt & Sssf"s Cradle y Htpfnu fnu e sse vas c6p
Gated and there was nothing to show any motive or
intent in he prisoners committing tie murder and he
circumstantial evidence was obscure and unsaiisiac
torv giving no proof that he hal done IL. Instead Of
poting TO the prisoner the murderer 1t was strongly
directed elsewhere. The counsel then argued that no
uToof had been shown that the prisoner carried pto
on the night Of the murder the day previous OT the
week before ana that there had only been proof that
pistol in his possession In April i've months Iieced
ng the deed which proved nothing ans the prisoners
connection with the deed and entirely irrelevant
TO the He then advanced earthquakes that
the prisoner guilty and sustained his theories
IN an able and argument which went TO prove that
four persons certain of harminc the police
nan according 10 the evidence taken thnu was the de
cc sed His comrade officer Rourke might have eoci.
denay shot him they were endeaorng 10 arrest the
persons the carpenter shop and adnofHe moral conr
. age 10 own It. II miChthe the unknown woman Ia tie
shop fred the pistol also either CoAner or another per.
eon might have done itherc proof that either
OF them had not Neither was II proved how many per
sons the carpenter shop there might have been
dozen there might have been Fifty any one OF whom
z cosld have fred tho shot Therefore there was no
e uotye proof that his client had committed the murder
lie could not be committed OF that crime IN rs fret ic
It TIE PROSECUTION.
The task Of summing up for the prosecution was dis
u charged by the District Attorney. no said II was
grave mistake for juTymen such 10 give up their IN
. dvidual right Of belief The sO!emnity Of ueir dnly
cid not take away their right OF thinking as Individuals
persons. They were 70 cODhDe Themselves 10 the evi
denee base their opinions that and give their ev
Gelee accWcihs'!. Al the stFpoaIl.vLs, NHl.t ~
opposition had assumed, were in conformity with The
evidence thea they 10 believe mucE OF them as
they should think proper but 1t would be bis under
taking TO show that there e evidence ~ warrant iOT
these hypotheses. lie then cited the opinion II an
eminent English ursi TO conform with bis siatemenithaI
more innocent persons were convicted from direct evi
dence Than from circUmstaDta The counsel then too
up the hypothesis advanced by the opposition, and
briefly dissected them. He said none o. the evidence
would warrant them ard he took suoh parts Of the ieb
tmOny might be claimed 10 be usinaDc Tor the sup
positions and altar they were read, he argued that
that which claimed was not proved by II. but
the contrary il the most injurious 20 Ward IL was
certain from the testimony that the prisoner one Of
the party who created the disturbance, and it was
almost equally clear that he fred the shot, The
Of The argru n for the prosecution was very iorcioe
and well sustained
/, at The conclusion Of the surning up Officer Robin.
sol. previous witness was recalled and by permission
of the Court deposed tba; he took away the pistol car
ried by the prisoner on about the time in
his possession i'll april last, and .handed 1t 10 Judge
Dodge.
pistol was taken away and what be was doing at the
tme; but this questioning was objected TO- and
tie objection sustained by the Court.
THE CHARGE AID VERDICT
! Recorder Hoffman then reviewed the evidence say.
ing which part OF il most entitled 10 belief and
which not ard then the jury and explained
70 them the several degrees of murder fixed by law
ana what cases under those degrees. after which
lie placed the the hands Of the jury, saying
In conclusion, My duty ends here, with This case
and the disposition OF al criminal cases except
unfinished business for all future time"
The JETy then retired, and after an Absence OF over
hour returned with verdict Of manslaughtor in The
first degree During the rendering Of the verdict the
prisoner manifested emotion and showed the same
Indifference that mas characterized him all through the
trial The conviction OF manseughtor IN the lrst de
gree makes the lowest period Of Imprisonment which
the convicted party snfer seven years and can be
extended from that time to imprisonment for life. Ward
will probably receive bis sentence on Friday next.