The New York herald. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1840-1920, 1869-07-30
Crime.
A BRUTAL, UNPROVOKED MURDER
RECKLESS CONDUCT OF THE CONVICT,
SCENES ar %zH aA1xows.

9ohn Gairnn was executed IN the jail at this place
Ut noon to-day for the murder OF Uriel Prickett
Hhe I2tn OF June 1868.
THE MURDERED MAN.
A more deliberate and cold blooded murder than
that OF Urie Prickett by John Griffin does not
appear In the criminal annals OF ohio There was
mo provocaton, no angry words spoken, incen-
tive for gain the deed was done out Of pure malig-
nifty and under circumstances the least cal
eulated 10 produce such diretul result.
Urie Prickett was Q saddler by trade, q
wrestler by profession, a ruflian by nature and
Dully by habit, but he was at peace with his muir
derer, and in his intercourse with him manifested
tolerance and amiabhty unusual TO his life and at
variance with his habits. That peculiar concession
or manner and bearing that desperate characters
make TO each other and the half sort Of grudg
1ng friendship that common interest In crime
produces were observable between the pair.
They drank together, played cards, visited
lewd women IN company. and, In short "ran" to-
gether as friends for many day. They had their
disputes over tri1es, but never came to blows. In
woru no evidence OF bad blood appears in all that
sranspired between them.
Prickert was q large hairy muscular, powerful
man, hardly IN his prime. but with no con-
sttutonal faint, and therefore In the full en-
soyment OF perfect physical manhood. His
tsews and muscles were firm as stearine
ham one OF the most difficult men to handle ~ either
In out Of the He stood fully six feet In his
socks and was built-thats the wOrd-in proper.
a0n. Hs glance struck ike beam OF the sum- and
was terror In the ring. He never lost match but
enc, and that cost him his life. His friends
always bet high on him, and he was true
90 them az scoundrels of his class may be.
sH'@Ttss'eas THE MURDERER.
sohn Grimm was born in Ireland, but came to this
xuhn N
swo years old, large for his age at all stages Of
growth, weighed about $50 pounds and stood nve
sect ten IN his socks Although powerful In build
ana appearance, Grimm could not compare with
Prickett. He lacked the hrmness OF tissue
characteristic OF his victim. OF purely
Nmphatic temperament, he was beard.
less ana pathologicaily drOpsical. When he
walkeo his cheeks shook like an agitated Reatlnous
mass, and no amount OF physical exercise OF mental
excitement could conjure The slightest tnge OF red
into their pallid surface. His head was small and
bullet shaped covered with dark, dead hair that
siseted " with oil HIS face was Us e4p prsa
slonless and cold; mouth small, but
ha Rno Hs
eyes OF an uncertain dark blush lint appeared ordi.
nariy dull put when the man was moved with pas
SION anger for instance, they glared ike the fiery
In manner Griffin was always overbearng, and
In his friendship treacherous and suspicious.
general cussedness OF manner made him feared
by the citizens OF Hamilton, where he
q the city because of his the ayasSy
IN settling little AFFAIRS for them which their mus
ding, obedieni, wicked and savage as bulldog. II
. "knOckd0wnn was needed In a case John would
ne sna spS s1 SOsn
In jail for the murder OF Prckett, Grif-
@ ve and his is
In cunning and beating mis- fellow prisoners to such
an extent that his ailer was obliged TO deny HIM the
M w I'm a m In rail
room. He swore ike pirate at the merest tribe,
and showed no gratitude whatever for the Kindness
0nement
On Saturday, June IL, 1865 Urie Prickett an Tim
Waller were matched to wreste for 500 side, and
IN company with little crowd OF roughs, among
SacSers, ,'' repaired 70 Inc commons east Of
Hamilton. This same Hamilton enjoys no
ss the Of IN se
State; but 1t is cursed with distiIleries and
MhisEey drinkers the IDLE and dlssoute sons OF men
sale Of whiskey end the fungi that such Influences
produce. The dey was fine, abracing air and bright
high eee Betting ran high. and Prckett's
friends as usual bet Ave to one on him.
toned spirit, and there was devlllsh twinkle
I'm his eyes that his friends didn't like. The contest
position, and with the advantage Of the sun at his
back was thrown almost the nrst "hold" The bet
WAS ma he soa could IL not s Ss ns, The
ARE party returned to Hamilton. Pricsetts
disappointment, and some OF them cursed
him outright Prickett retorted that ne could throw
any man IN Butler county for $1,000. II was then
and they were dsgusted Upon returning to the city
Prickett, Grfln, q banjo player named Kelly ana
kept by a fellow named Bob Galloway, where
t1ey spent most OF the afternoon wrang-
n I'll aaa he n an% @
70 nothing unusual or even remarkable by other
.egngers aoSnt the cellar, Kelly played the banjo
AS usual, but was remarked as having less to say
than the Others. At length midnight arrived
and Galloway shut up his place. the restless crowd
remained. Prlckett sat In chair tipped
against the wall; Kelly strummed away on his
banjo; Grifin moved nneasiy about, occasionally
uttering terrific that made Key's flesh creep;
for he knew John well and concluded that a storm
was brewing. Quick and unerring as the pounce OF
panther, Grimm spraug from the centre of the
moor upon prckett and struck HIM fearful
GUS bump against The wall. Kelly made for the
door and Just as ne gained Il saw Grimm holding
Immediately behind but a little above the
ear; q slight Nash and very feeble crack
gSiS ps snS Ss e 3 aser Sses
against the wall, stil seated in The arm chair.
Nelly gained , she street frightened nsf 70 death
she entrance 70 the cellar and partly looking back
fhe -, II thought hadn't given MIN enough
40 go back and finish him. PricKett was
mtto Oub vi VIC chahi puyoCiah was sent LOT
and an examination OF the head showed o hole
less than an ordinary buckshot would make, tn the
spot Indicated above He died In Two hours.
a pOstmOrtem Dexsmination developed the fact that
she skull was penetrated by the little leaden pellet
which also traversed the brain diagonay. smashing
ihe pulpy tissue into ruin and lodged In tbs frontal
region, oyer the eye.
ARREST. TRIAL AND CONVICTION.
John Griffin was arrested for the murder, on the
the evidence produced before the Coronef's Jury
which returned verdict that "Urie Prickett came 20
mis- death from pistol ball discharged by the hands
OF John Grinn.n The trial took place In Hamilton,
NJ the February term OF the Court OF Com
mon Pleas, and resulted In the development OF
ahc foregoing facts the conviction OF Griffin and bis
sentence TO be hung on Thursday, the 9th OF June
Hast. In the meantime y concentrated EFFORT was
made by the whiskeyites Of Hamilton 70 procure Q
new tria. John threatened In case he was hung