New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1870-02-23
THE ASSASSIN CONVICTED.
SECOND DAY OF THE REYNOLDS MURDER
TRIAL.

TRICT- ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS OF THE JUDGE
THE VERDICT, MURDER IN THE FIRST DE-
GREE.
The trial of Jack Reynolds the murderer
Of VIM. Townsend. resumed yesterday mornlne'
The Court ROOM previous day OF the trial. was
packed with motley OF humanity, although inc
interest manifested In the seemed to have aDa'eu
somewhat The prisoner was brought IN IN chargo VI
deputy sheriff. and throughout the trial he seemed
entirely Indifferent TO what was going on arounu
him. The first witness called the defense was Dr
VIM Nees Physician to the City Prison, VINO tesuneu
on cross examination that he examined the prisoner
few moments after he came into the prison, and nc
the conclusion that he was perfectly sane. no
had visited him since. and at none OF the 'iSs au ITO
appear to be labong under deusion witness staten 10
Mr. Howe general thing the absence OF deus,on
is evidence of sanity absence Of denson Is gener
ally sign the man is sane Il Is very rare ling
delnson existing the time that persons XIII a inc
time that person Kills another there Is gen tho En-
deusion bat this delusiOn might snDslde htcr INC M
ing The first attack Of epilepsy can exist wnout u h
of the brain, and after that subsidies hee "oud D0
\ no evidence OF ita existence.
DR. Reuben Vance was then called and testified that
ne, he %ad eIamned the prisoner; he snoud think that
a mau Of both weak ana unouIlSa.eu inWS,oty
TO by Dr Hammond; diseases of the brain might
exist and not be dscoveIable but the VAST Mimi U
whether exist which produce great deluso
,,npuIsy We insanity was where "A acted in inn
pusiye that is, when he mas no cOhttOi over MS
| ~
what he was fgoing TO do. though ho VIII
immediately afterward remember al about ~; eere,
the head, may produce insanity syery possible
and vastly Improbable that III the even OF ,o d,
eases those found on examination Cerebral lra
evidence of its having existed The depression OF one
side Of the skull Is not OF Itself cause oil insanity ho
had made an examination Of the prisoner With the oph
thamoscope and found that the circulation appeared 10
be normal with no dIscOyerable slg OF cerebral eh1e
ment since this brought TO his notice he had
given special attention to two ePlleptlcs uDuer us
charge. There were certain symptoms IN tnose ctsS
which persisted for ten days after an attack bnt DO de
mite time could be stated as TO how long they wohiu
can't Jeremiah Petty was then recalled and testified
that visited accused In his cell and 70 an herroga
u"i know lie said that he did not know any thing about
the murder asked hln Re went ia nneio , 10 s' A.
feet 10 inches In hight, aud weighed from 2oo 10 10
pounds. . A.. .,, ,
inquired il any juror wished 10 ask questions oi him.
az OF satisfying their minds III regard 10 MS
gated by Charles Jones' the twelfth juror ON the lSt
O. In Which place did you go first, into grocery
store or the shoemaker shopi A. don't know
q. What brought You into the grocery stOrei a.
don't know ANYTHING about that; don't know whether
% A. WIN What t Tn A. I don't know.
O Where did you sleep the night beforef A. don't
know where did sleep the night before ,,,-
q Where the night before thati A. Outside believe;
O. On the morning of the murder had you had your
brcakfastf A. | am not exactly sure; know | had
Q When you entered the grocery store where dd you
go rsti A. don't know as was ever in the grocery
@ You remember going into tho shOemakers shopi A.
q. You don't remember gong in therei A. No. Sir.
q Don't you remember having asked the shoemaker
for knifei A. don't remember only what he told me
here Points to Capt. Petty at his sidel
@ Did you take knife from the shoemakers store
the Jurors crosse aminaon of the prisoner wac
Quoted skfuly and several good attempts 10 discover
whether ne playing false were made but " itlout
success Reynolds, II he was playing part certainly
understood his business, Tor ne was perfectly hohco
INITIAL. .. 49,
This closed the evidence and Mr. William r. Howe ad
dressed the jury behalf OF the prisoner, making
powerful appeal in favor of the position which he had
yored throughout the trial to sustain wiz the plea
Of Insanity He contended that the prisoner at the time
of the lamena6le occurrence was aoGring under den
brother fact which an unmlsakable evidence OF
alteration of mind. While aborng under this delnsion
he stabbed the man whom he believed TO be his brother,
a fact which was in itself tantanount 10 insanity:
This resisting against insnrmouIia6,e power ana
conveyed 10 the station'house showed insanity.
thief make public IL the fact OF his being thief
what he not showed undsgnlsed symptoms OF insai
ity say he sober at the time he committed the act
and when he went into the store he sand you are my
brother Was that delusioni What purpose could he
have in telling stranger man 90 years OF age. tall
stout, cOrpulent man, unlike himself IN any feature IN
like in every shape, that he miserable. dirty I'll
thy half savage. half idot-lookng wretch. was his
broheri Poor Townsend tells him 10 leave and then,
without speaking word, the prisoner draws KNIFE ana
plunges 1t INTO his heart H8%, %hat mouSe could
lug murder. Tie killing Of human being Is not muir
der is killing, without an eyll mind without blood
thirsty intent aud in the absence of motive did that in
tent here The counsel then appealed 10 the sym
uahies of the Jury asking them II they would condemn
poor friendess Oucast individual To the gaiOwstree,
when numbers Of powerful dissatisfaction OF influence,
men OF means of friends OF greater resources,
and who nave history tells Us, committed murders ten
thousand times more fearful than this-iave not
been brought trial within 20 days of the commission OF
their No. they are fed and panpered, with lux
urious touches fine apartments, aud able counsel
Mr. Howe then cited from standard medical works
number of cases OF temporary insanity without any pre-
cred III short ume-a lew hours AT HOst-Ahu showing
that existence Of homcdal mania was not always
capable OF detection previous TO the act ana all the
attendant circumstances Of this homicide pointed TO
District Attorney Garvn them summed up for the
prosecution. lie remarked, in opening, that he mad,
during his of practice found that twelve sensible
behalf of the prisoner Ihey c3nslder ms eondlu"n
himself TO answer for himself In this old and
unofending citizen has been brutally slan You must
remember that the victim sat In his room, you aud
st nm our own house under vine and hg tree
and no man right TO invade his premises Judge
GarvIn then briefly recounted the circumstances OF inc
tragedy and then seized hold OF the main argument OF
tho defense-thc plea Of insanity. which was
the only point upon which the whole question
Of the guilt or innocence OF the prisoner was
gwen single fact to the former history OF the
prisoner Jack ReyDoldsas to where he has been what
he been doing what has been the course VI MS NE
foundation has been derived from the evidence Oh the
part OF the prosecution or the part OF the prisoner nor
| when rested rested with single doubt as re-
CARDS his condition, and the Court viii charge you that
idence to the contrary. That Is tho rule OF
| law All men sane until there Ia some
evidence 10 the contrary. Now they cay there Is no
motive for what he did. Motive! Why, the very
he 0Iowe) read to-day from personal incon
yelence II may he from sudden milf; IL DC from
laying your hand mans shoulder this depraved con-
don OF tho human mind may lead him 10 turn around
and stab you. What did this man In there fort He
did n't say. lyon are my brother The evidence Is.
| am your brother" How often 10 Ia a goes into
place and says am your brother" Did this man talk
| like insane mani Did ho act like an irresponsible
| mani He down into this basement about five
steps and walked right through into the hack sits
| do on "A chair. SAYS. 1