Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1867-08-10
THE EXECUTION OF JERRY OsBRIEy
FOR THE MURDER OF HIS


In new York, yesterday morning, Jeremiah
o'Brien, convicted of the murder OF his mis-
tress In that city in June, 1865, was hanged az
me Tombs. he was OF Irish parentage, as MIS-
name denotes, and was born In New York, aud
u armed the trade OF machinist. OF unsteady
habits, ne soon became an hahitus of the vile
dens o. the Eighth Ward, and was known 10
lis denlzeDs and 10 he police as a h0y of wild
passions ana pad promise. Some time II 1865
he made the acquaintance OF Julia McI4ough-
lin, better known then and since as Kate
smith, his victim. Kate and he lived together
nntl be left her to go TO Canada as a Fenian
RAIDER. During his absence the unhappv Girl
who. il appeared, was faithful TO him until
deserted, continued 10 live at the house of
prostitution where he visited her, but AZ tae
ms stress of Jesse Allen, still better known than
even OBrien was rs dangerous roway
O'Brien returned from Canada early in Juns
disappointed, like those he accompanied, by
the failure of the expedition. He found thai
his mistress had deserted him. and he gave
way TO drunkenness ant to jealousy He
swore openly that he would either have her
life or that of his rival, Allen.
On the mig ht Of Saturday, the 10Th of June
he met the girl and beat her, for which act he
was arrested. brought before a Justice OF the
Peace and required to give bail to appear for
trial on the 2lst, which bail. unluckiiv he oh.
tanned. sun further maddened by this expo
sure and threat OF punishmeI he deliberately
prepared TO do the foul work for which he suf-
tered. On the afternoon Of The onth the day
preceding that set down for his trial for assault
and battery. he sent a note to Kate, TO which
she returned reply. Shortly after the receipt
U nSAmODRar.
named Newman, and unseen by its owner, took
away the huge fishknife he iound lying there
This was about five o'clock in the afternoon
Shortly after this, he reached the house of
Amanda Cutler, the procuress, at No. [ - Prince
street, and at once proceeded to he room Of his
intended victim. What first passed between
them is unknown-doubtlsss wild recrimiua-
ton on the one hand and appeals for mercy
on the other.
Alarmed at his appearance on entering, and
dreading hispurpose, two women of the house
g nd a hlr ho ofuyA
ST. Ciair-rushed up stairs and liz to the room
They found O'Brien and Kate, both upon their
knees.he holding in his hand the terrible wea-
pom De has just stolen, With haggard face wild
with the expression of deadly purpose; she
with one hand upon her bosom. the other upop
his shoulder, and her face upraised beseech-
ingly. She cried out, pleading for her life.
sFor the love you have for me, jeremiah and
for your dear mothers sake, give me that
knife. Oh. do not kill me: 1 am not prepared
10 oie.' He was deaf TO her heartrending cry,
he was unmoved by her pitabIe appeal The
women cried. run, Kate, run for YOUR life :,
She rose and fed: she reached the landing
about to descend tie stairs; the Jealous fend
was behind her, his hot breath was upon nsr
neck, and ere she had made one descending
step the murdsrer's knife was in her heart
She died without a word.
IEsatisfle with the dread result of his sin.
gle blow, the murderer turned the weapon
upon himself and endeavored to cut his throat
innicting some fearful gashes upon his head
and face He was found insensible by the or
OF his dead mistress.
He was tried and convictea, and all efforts
to obtain new trial or stay the sentence were
Intellectual. The n. Y. Commercial 4dpsrtise-
OF yesterday gives the following account OF the
execution:
At twenty minutes past eight the Sheriff,
with some twenty deputies, arrived, dressed,
as is customary, In deep black. with batons OF
office and shields draped. They entered the
prison and proceeded to the cell Of the con-
demned, where the painful prelimiR iR aries sa
often before QpGcYihpd
In the meantime the police, under Capt Jour.
dan, OF the 9th precinct, formed IN line, leav-
ing an open space between the assembled citi-
zens and the scaffold in front, and affordiae
full opportunity TO the gentlemen of the press,
seated to one side Of the structure, to hear and
see distinctly. The people on the housetops
nao. oy TINS time, increased considerably in
mum bers. but, as precautions had been taken
TO shut out with canvas screen the view OF
the scafold itself in any direction from ont
slde, the curious were content to remain that
they might see the prisoner pass from the
prison door and across the yard, ont twenty
steps at most. The rain began to fail, ana
fell heavily for few minutes Isaacs, the
Deputy Sheriff, moved about, the subject OF
some comment. Officials talked about this and
other like experiences of theirs, and were
complimentary In speaking Of the improve
ments noticeable In the construction OF the
scaFolG.
The jurors enter and pass to the rear of the
scaffoid where they are seated, prepared, when
The dread work is done, to ri We their verdict as
the law commands. Several Protestant cler-
gymen are present, among them the kind,
gentle. faced chaplain of the prison. The ut
most silence prevails; even the reporters have
ceased to interchange their bits of news tits
nine o'clock All heads are uncovered The
prison door opens and the solemn procession
advances. Sheriff Kelly walks before O'Brieu.
evidently much impressed The Condemned
is supported on either side by q priest His
arms are pinioned: he holds in one hand q
crucif1x, over which he bends az he walks
and prays. From his other hand hangs the
string OF beads known by Catholics as the
"rosary." His face Is flushed, and there is not
the slightest evidence of terror in II, but rather
deep in prayer.
The procession reaches the scaffold and all
kneel-O'Brien imm medatelv beneath the rope
and to his left, Father Duranu uet: TO his right
the other priest, and immediately before him,
Sheriff Kelly and the Deputies. Here, at hts
own request. the prayers for the dying and
the Liiany are said. 10 which he makes the re-
spenses in low. tremulous tones, full of the
feryor Of earnest devotion. The services con-
tinue. 1t is twenty minutes past nine, and he
still prays. now standing, supported by the
priests. for by this time he gives evidence of
exhaustion, from restrained emotion. He is
frequently helped to water, and grows weaker
A chair is brought by The thoughtful Sheriff,
in which " Brien rests for a few minutes
longer. concludes the responses to the service,
which has ended. Ali kneel again, and a
brief prayer is said.
The condemned. assisted to his feet, stands
beneath the rope he bids farewell to the sher-
iff Isaacs comes in front, and adjusts the rope
and puts on the cap. Ali is ready. O'Brisn
is heard to utter with great ferver, Lord
have mercy upon me; Jesus OF Nazarath have
mercy upon me. God bless Sheriff Kelly; God
be merciful TO all sinners. Oh, my Father,
offer my life to Thee for the one took it is nv
best gift!'' He kisses the cruciax passion
ately. breathes an unuttered prayer, looks up
ward a last glance. The cap is drawn over
his face, the sheriff drops the fatal signal the
rope is cut. and the work is done. The mur-
derer hangs Dy his neck, which is broken
The body aScended one minute after the rope
was adjusted. When it fell on the rebound
there were some cow ulsive motions Of legs
and arms, but in a minute these had ceased
For six minutes there were iremulous move
ments of the fingers. Then all metien ended
At forty-oDe minutes past nine the body was
lowered, the pulse felt by the attending phvsi-
oians. and the bosom barred. The heart was
STILL He was dead, dead, dead, and the Lord
have mercy on his soul.
BLACKBRRRY.-ln families where there are
lal Il 4 &A