The Ottawa free trader. [volume] (Ottawa, Ill.) 1843-1916, 1867-06-15

Tho Cor1e1l NEUTRALITY-SUSPICIOUS. OF the
Murdercss and Theory Of the Murder.

residing in that town. On the night the crime
| was committed the doctor away attending on
| professional call, and the only inmates of the
house were his wife, an infant child, and hired
girl, named Bridget Dergan. During the night
the girl went to neighbor's house and informed
| them that Mrs. Coriell had been murdered and
the house set on fire, she barely escaping with
| the child. The fire was easily extinguished and
the body of the murdered woman found lying on
the floor. The girl Dcrgan was at once arrested,
charged with the murder, and her trial is now
taking place.
correspondent of the Newark, Nj, Courier,
who has had several interviews with the accused
gives the following description of the murderess
and a theory of the murder, as gathered from her
own lips
"The prisoner is about the medium height and
rather stout; her features are of very peculiar
combination; her forehead is scarce two inches in
height, and overlooks pair of eyes that are new
er half open; her cheeks, with the upper, front
and anterior portions of the neck are exceedingly
SWOLLEN beginning little below the circle of the
eyes, where the tip of her nose and sides of her
| cheeks are of the same protrusion, and gradually
tapering down until they reach natural size at
| the lower part of her neck. She is twenty-five
years of age has been in this country over two
years formerly resided in Brooklyn and Bulls
Ferry was in DIR. Coriells family but four
months and three days. and was to leave there
for New York the day following that upon which
| the murder committed.
| SIN the Court room she has been the most col
lected of all present, and has manifested little
concern at the voluminous dispositions taken
against her, and has appeared in the strongest
light of nescience AT her cell she is quite con-
vivial and laxative, excepting when interroga-
tories are put to her, when she covers her mouth
with handkerchief, and murmurs, don't know
bo ,vhi Wis bor Of han
CELL you folks are having great times in the 9TH
er room there | replied do you think SOP
She replied oh yes, yes yes, and then INDUCED
in quite hearty laugh"
"The probable theory of that nights dark deed
is: Bridget knew by the doctors absence at the
hour of retiring, he would not return before
morning, and as she was expecting to leave his
family the following day, repaired to the upper
bedroom for the purpose of replenishing her own
wardrobe from that of Mrs. Coriell In attemp-
ting to pull out the drawers of the bureau, she
accidentally pulled it over so that one of tbs front
legs broke Off and the body OF the bureau top
pied until it rested upon the corner of the drawer
The noise aroused Mrs. Coriel, who mad prspar-
ed for retiring, but was then reclining upon a
lounge in the sitting room and she threw about
her the old dress which was found upon her
mangled body proceeded to the foot of the stairs
and charged Bridget with an attempted robbery
whereupon Bridget, becoming indignant rushed
down stairs, and direct to the pantry, where she
seized the butcher knife, returned, and began
that fearful alteration which it is impossible to
imagine without an involuntary shudder Pur-
sued by the Infatuated domestic Mrs. Coriell
flew from room to room, leaving the impress
her mutilated fingers and the marks from her
bloody clothing upon the DOORS window-sills and
every object with which she came in contact
until she finally sought shelter in the privacy of
her bedroom. Here the most desperate encoun-
ter must have ensued, in which twentysix fright
full gashes were inflicted upon her person. All
the belongings of the bedroom We're spattered
with her warm blood feathers from the pillows,
holsters and bed-tick which exhibited the clean,
sharp cuts of the knife We're scattered to the far
ther crevice of the ROOM and lay in profusion up
on the floor matted with the venous and arterial
blood OF the innocent victim. In resisting the |
descending knife, Mrs. Coriell caught it in her |
hand, when Bridget drew it violently away, by |
which action the little finger of the poor woman |
was literally severed, the the thumb almost dis |
membered, and several grooves cut through the
lacerated flesh to the bone
"This regard Us the most sickening in all that |
devilish drama Weakened by the amount of
arterial hemorrhage, Mrs. c. was then unable to |
call for assistance the guilty feeling of the MUIR
deress predominating all emotions of pity, |
urges her on. She sezes small chair, and be- |
labors her helpless, expiring victim, and when |
that insensibility ensues, coolly gathers up few
of the bloodiest articles of clothing, thruss them
in secret corners of the house. returns to the bed
room, throws the lighted lamp upon the feather
bed, takes the little baby, runs in her stocking
feet, and with large spot of blood upon her |
white skirt, to the nearest neighbors, and calmly
informs them that two men called at ~ o'clock |
in the evening for the doctor, and being told that
he was at Piscataway, said they would go after
him; that they returned at 10la o'clock: Mrs. |
e. let them in at the door and Immediately |
shouted, Bridget run for the doctor !" that she |
then took Mary, the baby, and run out, and thinks
there must be robbers over at the doctors, and |
that they may kill Mrs. Coriell"
"This story she related to every one she encoun-
tered, and careful to call upon the more init
mate of their neighbors, and gull them with the
two men harangue.
"Witness deposed that the defendant had said
whom she was running through the gate, she
heard Mrs Coriell say, in choking voice. if
you'll come back and save my life l will give
you anything The neighbors heard the pound
ing of the chair, and Mrs. C.s spasmodic ejacula-
tions, and could distinctly hear her cry oh!
my poor baby keep away from me- and save
my life for my poor baby"
Think of the kindly ministration of the Doc
tor and his wife toward her in sickness; of the |
acknowledged good treatment she had always re-
ceived at their hands; of the encounter in the |
sitting room, the chase around the room, through
the hall and in the bedroom; of the supplication
for mercy at every descent of the knife that OPEN
ed another cash in her quivering flesh of the
consummate villiany in firing the house after the
slaughter; then turn to the prisoner as see her
at the bar OF justice, cool and unconcerned, and
in her cell even frivolous, and then tell me- is
not this sad, heart-rending affair the very en-
bodiment of mystery"
THE accused has been convicted of murder in
the first dewree Tln triul lnstnd olornn dn.s