The New York herald., 1870-12-09
COuRT Of usAsaAL sssslaNs.
Chnrgc OF Wife Murder.

4
| me Peopie rs. george Nelsop.- The prisoner was
indicted for the murder Of his wife On t.e 5tlh day
| of jane last. at tner humble place OF abolo In
Greenwich street. The scene or the unhappy ragedy
From te opening of the prosecuting oliieer and the
testimony afterwards elected IL appeared that lnc
prisoner ana his wi!e.vIctm were addicted to i'll
temperance thar tbey did not live happily together
\ and that they used opproorous epithets to each
otner on the evening preceding the occurrence
whica consigned one 10 al untInley grave and the
/ other 10 a ielon's dock.
THE CHILD WITNESS.
| When the prosecuting o1cer placed his main wit
ness upon the stand-Marsaret Nelson, daugaer OF
tle prisoner, bright little rosy checked girl, who,
although she said she was thirteen years old, ap-
pearcd to be younger-and the spectators who
crowded the court room learned VINO sle was, every
eye was fastened upon her, and the artless story
winch she tod listened to with intense interest.
,ne answered the questions put 10 ner b. the Dis.
trict Attorney promptly anu nteiligenty. and she
was mol Gro ros-exanu,e1 py the COUNSEL Ter the
defence she stated her parents Kept peanut
stand; she mother at the stand on the 2ain
June quite wcll III the IN ring she Game home aud
ouua iier mother on the bed; she could not speak,
ami a very mucl brlisei ANA beat n she raa out
into the street. sad she would have der fatner
basement; Mrs orosoy nsed at che back; witaess
was not at holne t,at night, Int was sayin4 with
lazy and dd not KNOW "ho iad III USED II mother;
her iather Waj not drank when sc Saw hin next
inor.ng, AZ half-past SIX, put went out ana walked
dowa DesbrDa5eS street.
hannah CROSBY was the next witness for the peO-
pie i.id testllea as 10 pr5oucr aud his VIE coming
home u on The night OF the 29ln; the prisoner Was
drunk aud the woman wa calling hiin names: never
heard any noise or violence except zone howl" and
sne SAID "See what ne Is dong 10 me-" they tnen
Went into the room and locked the door.
tnaf . Aiche testified that he had Aa0wn the pri-
soner aBout two months nj the tilne of the occ,-
renee aad nved on the drst floor; prisoner lived Ia
the Basement on Tie night OF the I'll June at about
nali-past ten | heard The woman use Opproor oas
itncts % the man. he heard nothing mJie during
onicef stev ans testified to Inaking the arrest Of The
/ Prisoner N lioooAen, on the m,rnng Of the ist oi
! Jaiy. lie SAW tie woman ave at ihe beileyua Hos
rltt on the loilowlng dag, and perceived that she
! was "A coAyulslons.
sci move that tile court Should instrucl the jury 20
scout The PRISONER on the ground tnat lie people
Assistant District Attorney Fellows oaerei 10 read
the ts,tla9ny o. Dr McBlrny, whs was
\ Europe, showing the canse in his opinion OF TIE
death o the deteased but the defence lieIposei an
GblecCon TO lis adlnissiolitV.
Juu.e Bel.oid declined 10 grant the motion OF
counsel aud sid that ttere Sas sufficient evidence
already IN TO warrant putting lle accusei upol ms
deIence. - !;
William Turner testified he mad known the pri-
soier eighteen ears, aud knew hiin 10 be quiet
man. Here the associate COUNSEL Tor The delerce
wa proceeding 10 question the witness 10 lie
hapils Of tne Moman, winch was obJeced " by tns
Assistant District Attorney, a1o sustained by Junge
Bedford. 1ns witness further proceeded 10 sate
that the deceased wolian was OF very drunken
| haolts.
| James Mooney, OF the New York police, testified
! to prisoner beng quiet man; went " the house
! the neat morning.; deceased could not 50 AK she
| h.d no bruises OIL ner
CharYes ii. Buckalew snd Isaac Van zanaC test.
fed to the good character oi Nelson Tor peace and
Ca,na.ine Johnson, who knew Nelson and his
| sober habits or the prisoner, and To The grossly
incorporate nabJs Of the deceased; on the ening
before Tie alleged Killing she heald her cali the pr
soAer dIunSen son or ab-n, and that wne SIZE
the Wtnessi WAS Trying 70 pdcty her goine through
tue street, she threatened 70 aA hln, ana iurtAer,
thai size s,rdcH nm on the mead with broom handle,
| whhe ne endeayorea TO ward oil The bows with
| Ait.c cane.
| tbe g0Jd character OF The prisoner.
/ THE PAlSONLRiS STATEMENT.
I George Nelson, the prisoner, placed upon the
tt4sd anu cNahiHed by counsel who, before
d. klug nm questions, told Nelson to SLOW his
hands 10 Tie court aud jaly he did so, and 1t was
seen tnt he had 10 myers on eItner OF his hands.
| lle defendant sad-i had b3en blinking some on
the nsht !. o. me 2gLa q june my wie lad been
| drinking through the forenoon, winch was com
noh occurrences sne was making considerable
noise, and was trylng 70 Keep her qtlet; commit
iei no assault nor nuleted any violence upon Aer
that night nor did N the followlng moinlag up
the lune lelt her; saw my Wiie dead At Ine hoso
tai IN the coiin, an let some money W IN man 10
bury her; she naa some marks on her face; have
been ~ tile naNy served under Admiral Porter
, during the war, ami was honorably dscharg Ell.
HIS fingers wee y oAen aud had 10 be ampuated TO
save lii, life.
Cross-eXamined by Mr.. Felows-I only lived IN
| Greenwich street Two months before the
! renee, and formerly lived M Watts tree; nave been
TO sen Bfteen years OF my lie In Juue last kept a
peanut stand ald my Wlle an app.e sand, about
Two blocks lrOin my honse, on TIE 30th OF June
was dncogiased, because my wlie refused TO ac-
Father Mathew Tempe. ance society, in Iarick
street; / met friend ncm California. named
Dewey, ana commenced 10 drink, ana was SO mud
0led yhat dop't knuw now got over TO hoGel In
Hoboken, where onleer stevens arrested me.
In answer 10 Mr.. Howe, Nelson said h 8 wife was
frequently intoxicated, ana that lie mad taken bot
Ties out Of her pocket aud out OF tne mouse.
prisoner kept his stand, and always saw MIN act
quietly and peaceably. Tns officer saw tIe de-