New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1870-02-22
AN ASSASSIN ON TRIAL.
REYNOLDS ARRAIGNED FOR KILLING TOWN


Less than a month ago, HudsOn-st. was the
scene OF bloody ARRAY which resulted In the death OF
respected and unoGending man. Early on Saturday
evening the 29thof January, desperate named John
REYNOLDS entered the grocery OF William townsend IN
the basement Of No I92 Hudsons telling the latter that
he should remain there that night. Townsend SAID he
would not and ordered Reynolds TO leave the place.
lie refused and Townsend forced him TO the door On
reaching it, Reynolds attempted 10 strike Townsend, who
warned the blow, and received in so donga cut on the
left This followed by another blow and TINS
time the blade passed through the venree Of Townsends
heart. causing his death in few minutes. TOWNSEND
was a native of birmingham England, and was 50 years
Of age this city Is ago, and had oeeh
engaged In small business for many years at the place
wherein be was killed. He left widow and six children
The murderer was arrested Immediately after the act
was committed, and taken TO the sation-bouse' io"
whence afera couple Of days he was remover " 'Ho
r.mbs. where lie has since lain.
Yesterday tine case came up before Judge lngraham III
Pant H. Of the supreme Court, Circuit DsrlctA''or'
ncy Garvin appeared the prosecution ana MI howe
for the prisoner go
A. early as q o'clock the courtroom was filed with
cuuous individuals aud the DOORS when had NOT yeV
been unlocked scarcely approachaoIe on account Oh
G great mass OF crowdng men, eager 20 eaten glimpse
OF the now notorious criminal and to listen TO the eV
dcnce.
last the doors were opened and rush for seats was
rIafc-a rush which involved actual danger TO limb
Iu. Ic-Jud when the door was at last closed not an
.c foot OF space was uuoccupied. During the trial
t.c seats broken down, causing much confusion
40 16out io5 o'clock prisoner brought in by the
s'. a. Reynolds is man OF the ordinary stature ana
extremely uupepoSSeSSng IN features ne mas NIUE VI
1 education and appears solid and indifferent to the
..t- which present seems 10 await him. during ms
u.,lrc from the jail 10 the Court House he complained
'' the handouts hurt his wrists, but apart from that
c other remark Upon his arrival III court od tme
U>...I prcpmnaries OF lppannehng Jury were COM
4.. hrst Juror called was Geo. " Terry, who was &C
r,rr.d by both sides. Three set aside. The
i..i,h was taken and on until the panel was com
a AZ "A f. J..
,r MS follows: George " Terry Augustus C. Foster
.4m sdcl A. J. Ivers Il. L. DE Camp, \; j. Reeves
Pick Conway, John Tinson, John L. Aldrlch, a. NJ
r.iia. e.. ". Lowry. and Charles Jones'
t Do. aud again the doors were Jammed and Jared Dy
90 ceaueous Of lawyers reporters and spectators
TIE TRIAL
Upou the rcasscmbling Of the Court Judge Garyin
hr, y addressed she jury. He said 1t matered not how
uu., courts may do how much the prosecuting officer
i., do now often witnesses might be summoned into
town the end Jury OF u men. Unless the pubic
nave their aid II IS utterly Impossible 10 adninS,er
stood charged committed under circumstances OF
-l t Tse E M'Y neig6boTic cities It seems
Co be spreading al over the country, 50
That ~ tds time crime seems almost TO be an
%, l,unc. 4 man hardy walk upon our
s.rct, u safety. lie hardly 40 TO bed IN his farm
house 10 tv country, cannot 20 10 ms nome ater uarh III
tir cty. without being assaulted In TINS ease ne con
sct was murdered on ms own premises, Wnou I PROV
e. ION on his part directly or indirectly by TINS poor
Inc rrImc. and concluded: wow. gentlemen, if show
No INNS state Of facts and you satisfied il Is true
, -
' A. r,n.tpd daughter of the murdered man was
t n,t witness called prosecution. she testified
she 10 years old on the i2h OF December tst
had brothers and sisters; my fathers name was VIM
TovLsoud he kept grocery store at No lg2 Hudson-s
O. How many steps did you go down enter the stOrel
a Five. ..- ., ..o
time. with my sister Harriet and father.
q Did the prisoner there before that day.
q. Did lie come there that dayi 4. Yes Sir, about
4 Went down into the BASEMENT A. Yes, Sir; he
opened the door and came IN without rapplng.
O. Where was your father when he came in a. Sit
ting iu the back room by the table
there where my father was, and down a chair.
q What saidl A He SAID; " You know me am
your brother; want TO stay mere al ngnt faoner
said You are not my brother ana You can't stay mere
] nave many here nOw-mOre thai have room for;
O What occurred tReni A. He went ont Of the store
and down on The step father told him was no use
sitting there he put his hand on his shoulder. ana SAID.
Come good fellow, OF sitting down. please 10
olt" Then lie dragged father out on the steps
q What theni A. didn't see anything else after
That . father sent me up stairs.
@ who else was present when al this occurredi A.
a. HON soon did You come down stairs aealnl A. In
f minutes, and my father was dead on the bed IN the
q Did YOU observe where he was injuredl A. On the
left breast the blood; then went up stars before
be Land down and came down again ~ about Is minutes
O. At the time he dragged your father TO the steps did
ANY man come therei A Yes SIR 10 take TINS man
O. describe what you saw. A. Some men came 10 see
father don't reco!ect whether they took the prisoner
a
house he sa down on bench and then left aud went
q Have yOu the prisoner since that time
q. DO You sec him here nowf A. Yes. Sir.
cross er0bJiJsed 6y Mr. HOtre-Q Did this remain
with your father alter he down the stepsl \
Yc> SIR; that was after he had stabbed hun.
u. lie didn't let Of your fatheri A. No. Sir he
he'd INN some little while and then some men in
Harriet townsend sister Of the last witness, aged II
year, next called and sworn. She detailed the
coming their house Of the prisoner and the
satiau that ensued between him and the deceased sub
.ialt.sIy related by the last witness She saw the
prisoner stab her father and drag hun out on the step
her fathers hand, and took the prisoner away; the de
went hack lay down on the bed; she up stairs,
and when -he returned her father was dead
The witness briefly cross-examined, but no new
TloIuas Hudson, shoemaker, who resides at No l38
Iud-Jnst next called-He testified that Reynolds
Whom he Idenuhed-came into his snOp about o'clock
on the Z9th Of January. q. What did he say A He
a-ked me II could give hun OD t0Id MN NO. as we
bouc. beside and asked him what KIND OF work lie
"a ls.c accustomed to he said begged work on
about nine months al work III the country
H. fIyfs VIM Mace from Townsend'sf A. The next
place from IL tie side Of the @ When
next! \. On sunday about O'Clock, al
Inc rolee station q. Did you miss thing from your
and missed ms knife. Witness here described the knife,
and idrrt5fed the one shown him a. the missed
q Id tie prisoner talk quietly youi A Yes, Sir; he
SAID tldcc OF his nativity was scotland; / noticed
uotu. PECULIAR IN his language but lie appeared to DE
little hit scared about the face; when he out
turned The key. thinking be might run back again.
rLnu9s mold was then called TO testify in regard 10
1c theft ~ the knife. he depOscd that the 18th OF
v moments absence and missed his shoe knife lie
id-gtIh-d tAe knife shown 10y the DIsrct-Attorney as
Income bee had thus lost
.r.o.... ! E,I~ler. sworu-Resded on the 29th Of
L., a.. .r No I-p iudsoi~t; heard that
I. .a wen. t4U>> tire street 10 ascertain the cause
-.. 1..r--bO cl tac prisoner, VINO soon after freed
5.... ...f the d,cras-'i; held the prisoner
Illness then threw the prisoner who
d. .rf