, 1866-04-24
THE CITY.
THE HOPPS MURDER.

The PrlAoner-tst. Marriage aud Wed.
ded Ltfr-JcaIounY aud lis Con-
eequence~-Thc Murder
Prescription oil the
Accsisct-
There Is prohsby SUBJECT 10 which mankind
ba. devoted more attention and effort than the
ucsps for ,hc prevention, detection and puulshmcnt
cl c,1ue- For thousands OF ycars, ever since the
organization OF human society. man has racked bis
tralps on this criminal question. and often In his
ztsout ctost- 10 a1Esr 1t the truth. has pespctra-
Cd. ed mash tha1 M 7. to mcrc advanced intelligence,
The ORDEAL Of battle, countless accs a.o ,yas ihc
repnlaE MODE o! determining The Justice OF c,u-e
Or The truth o1 an accusation. Much ne1n.r ons
o"n Gay t! "as confined 10 the kuishtly cirrlcs,
and thfrr h. even yet some whosc Mi iakcn polous
Of honoF indicate the duel the best cour1 In which
!" determine me 'sanin:s of tlc tu-.ce scale. Iu
ct!efenee 20 this tnltir we're written tho llbc$:
Ana Sn he Inn nsked. 1nnneh l.rked ur 10 steel,
Nhe Sc conscsencc with lntus1ice 4 roIr rurted"
Consequently. o:ncr moafT OF tr1al c4me into
Lishton: a. te osac1l oi dr,. uherr the suppo. ed
offender or would aaEe 10 prove hie innocence Of eut
PICK up enc IN his naked hand aud. carrv II = ~.
Ism distance: and Tic ordeal OF blood whcr. fhe
,na Mss MADE made 10 ogsh TIC Of the
;etilns Tue criminal. In c.ch casc, the eui1css
ts,ns p'eenmtd to escape harmless. a. ia ihe
III able to defend himself from The weanrn nf thc
ifosccn1ar. 30 In the ordeal Of fire, he y Uuid. sc
eols,ns n; IT,, t. pepaIsr @ belief esere unharned from
Woo: It VAS firmly held That If The murd .rer
Touched thc 1sody Of mis- victim, The b1ood would
fan non ON ne Eap'ne wounds "tth renewed vigor
hs Wouid Iet1alu nndistufbed py contact with ihe
Innocent. 'A|
=. civilization advanced and the cloud. Of supsr.
H:.nte lit = ordeals Of aarb1ric ages rssscd aWny
auit fnaliy rc arrTed al thar iln'st and fs,reei
~, ~ q e5 su,m'h t,a by ju-vhcrc Twelve cood
ant testimony, listen 70 the arguments On either
SIDE and. fe:uc the judge OF the Inv and Tie eyf
cette caln's aid disps-sionatels deliberate upon
verdict. f
But even IN Ibis dag. when the means for the de-
lcrt'.p Of cs1ulr are nearly ur1ccs. The modes Tor
s-rsu,rlccu ways Of convic:in. CRIMINAL raT ~
tTe hHnctet Year, .co, 'hur are ALSO twecty arc.
a.ts fos him 70 cteape hy, when then there not
7nv Ih!s tsct II apparent from te diecfpapcy
ro" cx's:ine bcinee1 the nnmper OF crimfual odtn-
ee:-~sy rnurtlcss. for examnle-commi,fed.a and The
cs II viii he found lie no, due 10 the ..,,ticu3E il
trtec,irc The pespetrator Of the deed Of blood but
from zone aia: in the proev:. Of either proving
tfat the prisoner h3s committed jl<lablG bDrsl-
eide aud acquitfiu him. OF else suhstanilasius the
chat:e OF murder and aSastiine him thu laws most
,Hi ',s nsnl,hnsn; H. Sn,esgo this fsst hs b:en
murdtEs rEpttrated within the past teye year,
ur:ritc 1he most :sslduous efforts o. our able
eeu, ard few more sentenced TO Term Of im-
p1isunlti' IN the FenitentfaTy- In one case tho
jnE. varded prisoner eight years smpri i:onment
ccmmu1td il 10 eishicen ao.ths. .@ @c@''|' N''''
4 II gle point. Illustrative oi The s1owucss with
which ,le mills of,he 'naie1ai ::ods grind. Il =ecn
in The case Of William Hopps. rllose sccord tzia1
Tor INC murde. Of Ils wife. commenced Yesterday
II i sS's zig. IN ihe sapenor vonEt Room, sx'osc
sI1E1uoE torlsT or tmcAGo.
Hops has now bee IN ,a,l for nearly four years
he has once been convicted OF murder III ahr first
degree BY jury OF his pteis. hat this verdict a,e-
lC overhroan 10y The Supten: Court O! this state.
he was demanded for sccund trta..
man stands indicted are doubtless forgotten oy
many OF our 1eatcrs, and new 10 others. We viii
briefly reesr'tulatc IL =, ana sl.o gye short h,t;
10 bis deed Of b1sed ....--
Eocr yrare btsind The bars OF z prison will eE-
feet difference Of appearance in any tnan. thouEi,
with Nilliam Hops tne change has not been 70
sEest = IT. m'sht have ecen an.,iips'ed. H. !s ap.
height. and 4 somewhat Uu. .c1llar. 1huurh not
heasiIy built form iii: features arc sharp. sharper
crra,ion, and his <onewha' heavy fo.ehcad II older
and more casewo1n; his eyrt arc grey, anu by
the motions ey1ncc restlcssncts Or agitation, not
corrubolated BY the determination fuJicatct BY ihe
sEnsll Clearly defined lines Of the mouth. The h1lr
four ycase ago dark brown, gives eilsery 1adica.
is not 10 erect and arn, a. thc laT when he siopJ
sAnniaas AND xAnurEp LIFE.
In The gear 1&9 William tlop1. was united in the
honds OF natEtmony 10 Marfla-a young Scotch
woman Of quiet and industrious habits and mos,
e'y ana nn mt, rs"n
til and then removed to Nhc-li1g in this couuty.
where they settled upnn tho land. C,mmencsu. In
small iesirnns, IN sle course If f' ,in,e amsssed @
considerable wealth. and becane the owner Of q
fine taEui Of three hundred acres, We'll stocked nnt
not cxcclled In The county. Upon ihts he ercc;et
handsome brick farm houe.- which hc fitted VI
and tnrnf: h"t IN most superior manner.
girls and s,x boy, three Of whom dird-wcse born
While year by year the father increased In wra!ts
loTtng 10 hrr department TO him, and mp-t cxcrl
lent in the exercise OF domestic economy In III
by all who knew her, lrr children savc. every evi
d.nce Of hetrE comforts 10 their pa1:n1+ when ID
shades ot IRE 'cll gron 'hcm; while ,hcfathes him
-clf-thGu.h taciurD ami re>eTTcu Alan- appearc
70 poste-- the est en- and enjoy The conudcuc. Q
the community Of which he Was prominent menl
Unfortunately ios The happiness Of 1he family
The husband AID father, enmc leu year, before III
aholr nnaeeoun'shc feeling oi sso.,.s in reis,so
to her who had shared hi> tolls and la6ors for ore
with olhrr men although he WAS totally Unable /,
eutstanl1nie hak alleged suspicious hy eince fac.
or diree1 them acainst any man whom he eou'
eepcc and integrity paid no at1cAtiou 10 these III
generous and wllu accnsas.ons, and ihs matte
droPptd d Tor time. though III the courec OF a sea
or two Hops ara1n ch.te7 her With his vague &C
ensnl1on= Of 1nddehty. and this time aecompanie
MS un1ust LANGUAGE Win Blow.
Mfs. Hopps- almost heaEt bfukcn. and III iear
her husband nrutal, ,. ei' the:r home in Wilct.
ins ato Wcut TO hrf tfother tu Paw aE. where h
scna1nso ior aboot ihrce month. but finally n
iHrned HTof' the expressed cnntrti!on Of lser hu
bano. aud his pfoN1sc to DO better ana act NOR
SeneTou-9 IN ihe fufnse-
=. THIS promise Tie rrlsoEcr REGARDED but eho,
tlHst. Vhen &c a=ash CHARGED her Tl'h untAlthtu
1ts ahn 1ftEi tht until INC Cay Of tue murder
frtquentlr accused q, d tl!-trec!cd her, on ulol
Than one cccasion compellsn: hrE, t;3+:e1 wa b
EE"rouuded Jealousy. 10 lcl,e hcf home and see
refuge with hes reint7cf.
TIE ACKpEN-
About daE IN The evening Of Monday, March /
1sis, Hopps having been drTirg The afternoon (
tone t1taness TO Tue mill IN T. iurnln: pas -td in
ihf garden WHERE llls vile wa eb:aSed, and will
DEL the slightest pfoyocatlun commenced ahusir
her and finally ftrnck her. She made no reply
hls hfntnls:7ientn nf<. md to nvotd q coutfnuan
of mis- I'll c:nduct lett the ratdcn and passed IL
the housr- Hcrps followcd hvs, and. az .nu- i
Nont. Expressed fcc,eIs Tor What he had done b
s!,t. tellnE that his regret. were about ms u
ktan' Isl a. The breath which gave them exnrt. so
told him thai she Gsd rot al.h 10 lietcn to him
Al this, suflnmtf With thr madness Of demo
the husband -ps.n. nj the unllappy woman. 4
drawing l1r:e knife. with hlair foas 1uchrs
fen.sh, from ni pocket. hrAud1thei II Il ur1erOtl.
in the a,r. Ills daughter Mary. sho vas in
Ioom- appyreiaitp: at an instant The fearful
tcntons o her tathrr atte,np:cd 10 save hcr mon
from his Jury. hut In vain, K.Hchtn. t,@ doom
Nle, the tnfuriat.l man plunged he Cn,ifurT
kul1e into her afN.ot.cu. ami thrctr hrr ~
nruuuu. Wvi.eI1nE IN her lie blood