The evening telegraph. [volume] (Philadelphia [Pa.]) 1864-1918, 1870-04-08
THE GALLOWS.

derer Reynolds - nuuainE Rot Played Uut
Trial.
To-day the execution Of one of the most
desperate of characters, and most notorious of
ruf1ians takes place in the city of New York.
Jack Reynolds, otherwise known Sylvester
Breen, the murderer of William Townsend pays
the penalty of his crime by the sacrifice of his
life upon the gallows. The circumstances of
the crime were familiar to the public at the
time of its perpetration, but they are now pro-
badly partially forgotten We give below a
synopsis of the case 1t will be remembered
that it was this man who remarked on being
arrested that hanging was played out in New
York; thereby implying that he had no fear of
severe punishment, such rs has now overtaken
him.
The particulars of the murder show it to have
been most heartless and cold-blooded act The
murdered man, Townsend, was the keeper of
grocery store at No. 1872 Hudson street. The
prisoner entered the store of his victim, and
without any provocation whatever murdered
him. At the time the citizens of the neighbor-
hood were very much incensed against the per-
petrator of the act and many threats of sum-
mary vengeance were breathed against him. 1t
was with great difficulty that some of these were
prevented from being carried into execution.
Early on the evening of Saturday, the Goth OF
January Reynolds, in half-intoxicated condi
tion, entered the grocery of William Townsend,
in the basement of house on Hudson street
and said he would remain there that night.
Townsend said he would not, and after some
words passed between them, ordered Reynolds
to leave the place. He refused to 20, and Mr..
Townsend took him by the collar and forced
him to the door. On reaching it, Reynolds
struck Mr.. Townsend in the breast, and then
drew a long shoe-knife, which he had stolen
from a neighboring shop only few minutes
previously. He made thrust at Mr.. Townsend,
which the latter attempted to ward off, and
ceived cut on the left wrist that nearly
severed it. This was followed by another
blow, and this time the blade passed through the
lower ventcle of the heart. Mr.. Townsend
fell and the blood flowed in a stream from the
wound. The assault had been witnessed by q
little daughter of Townsend, who ran out and
gave the alarm. Two officers, who were in the
neighborhood, hurried to the place, and took
the assassin into custody after desperate
struggle on his part, and took him to the station
house, followed by excited crowd, who
loudly threatened to seize the prisoner and
hang him to the nearest lamp-post. The pri-
soner gave his age as twenty-five years, said he
was thief by occupation, and had no residence.
In the meantime police surgeon had been
summoned, but Townsend died very soon after
his arrival. The deceased was native of Bir-
mingham, England, aged 6fty-hve years. He
came to New York twenty-five years ago, and had
for q long time past done business at the above
locality. He is represented, though poor, to
have been quiet, iuoffensive man, and univer-
sally respected. He left q widow and siX chill
dren.
Reynolds was arrested on the night previous
to the murder by the police for being engaged
in a fight, but as no complainant appeared
against him at the Tombs on Saturday morning
he was discharged He is perfect type of the
burly rufiian and carries himself with an air O.
bravado. He admits having served out terms Of
Imprisonment in the Deer Island, Taunton (Mass. J
and Moyamensing Philadelphia) Prisons
Though for what crimes he refuses to say. He
is said to be physically well developed, though
little under the medium size of men. His heaC
is the full average size, but his forehead is low
though round aud full, resembling the forehead
of q child.
The trial began on the 21st of February, be
fore Judge Ingraham. The courtroom wa
packed with spectators, many of whom wer'
deeply preiudiced against the prisoner. TIL,
family of the murdered man, consisting of hi
wife, woman of very respectable appearance
babe at its mothers breast, and two little girls
aged respectively thirteen and eleven years, al
dressed in black, formed mournful little groul
by themselves inside of the bar.
The first witness called was Lydia Townsend
one of the little daughters of the murdered man
She answered every question promptly and dis
tincty. Her testimony was as follows:-I an
a daughter of Mr.. Townsend, the deceased;
am 13 years of age; on the evening of Januar
80 my father, nay sister, and myself were sittln
in our house; about o'clock the prisoner en-
tered the door, walked up to the stove and So
down; he said to my father, 'You know me;
your brother;" my father said, 'You are nc
my brother; please go OUT" the prisoner thel
turned towards the window and sat down again
father put his hand on the prisoners shoulder
and told him again that he must go out; the pri
soner then dragged father out to the doorstep
father told me TO go up stairs into the stree
when / came down he was lying on the be
dead. The girl then identified the prisoner
the man who had dragged her father to the doo
step.
The other daughter Harriet aged II, the
testified as follows:-I saw the prisoner drag IN
father out on the steps and stab him; some PEI
got the knife from the prisoners hant
fotb nd Of nn n hnno 1oft
wards lay down on the bed; ran up stairs int
the street, and about three minutes after can
down he died.
The testimony Of tbs officers who had arreste
him, of the bystanders, and of the shoemakt
from whom the knife had been stolen was the
heard. The shoemaker testified as follows
About O'Clock on the evening of the Goth tt
prisoner came into my shop and asked me
give him a job; asked him what kind of wol
he had been accustomed to; he said peg work;
SAID he had been in the country nine month
he went out, finally, bidding me good nigh
Mr. Arnold, one OF my workmen, missed she
knife soon after the prisoner went out.
Thomas Arnold, the workman, was tho
called, and identified his lost knife.
The widow of Townsend had been absent fro
home during the occurrence. She had start
for the bakers, was gone about ten minutes, al
when she returned found her husband murdere
When she left home he was playing with t
children.
The only witnesses examined for the defen
were several medical men, who testified to t
prisoners insanity. This they failed to pro
in marked manner. The prisoner himself W
District Attorney, but he was perfectly nc
al