Daily national Republican. (Washington City [D.C.]) 1870-1872, 1872-01-04
HOMICIDE TRIAL.


KaieIy Tried fov wife nIurder-scrt to the
PeaitsntiaTy for Thrrs Years.
II will be remembered that about two months
since woman named Bridget Kately died aHld
clrcumsta nces Of the EXTREMIST squalor and des
titution, In a shanty on Fourth street. between
l. and NJ. She was thlnly clothed and lay on
piece Of bedilck stretched OF the floor OF the
| vrctehed hnbltation. The attention OF the au.
thorIties having been directed TO tho case
Information was obtained that the paIllee Thos
and Bridget kaiely, who coeuplSu ses snahh,y
| had had frequent alterations, snu tha. no had
/ beaten her not kng previous 70 ner ueAth.
| Under these circumstances Dr.. HartiEan made
PoM .oTi,I eas ,In sbish nS,cstsJ mai her
/ death hal been caused by the effects Of blow.
| The husband was then taken In custody, aud
t,r ,tIni beiSrr chief Justice Cartier The trial
| occupied but two hours, and attracted little at.
tention. The Assistant District Attorney con
Quoted the prosecution Messis. webb and Bcr'
| Vess appeared for the defence,
The accused, = thin, slckly, low staturcd man,
was brought In aud plead not guilty.
m Ts fng,on ~, the iSst ,6it hl W. abiSS
were given 10 the deceased by the accused
caused her death.
| occurred, said that tho defence would show that
| although tho blows were given, yet the death
| had resulted not FROM them but from disease.
| The deceased had been afflicted TOT months with
was suiiiciont to account for all the the post
ten appearances that the autopsy disclosed.
John HAloran was called Knew the parties;
| they lived In constant turmoil, fighting and
abusing each other. lie TESTIFIED that the ac-
/ cused had given his wife blow on the nose that
| caused a Visible wound.
Mr. Harrington. understand that Incidence
admits the blow
| Mr. Bcrnesa assented.
DIR. HArtigan testified that he made an au.
| tOpsy some forty hours after death, and found
| that the brain o. the deceased was congested,
| the membranes were innamsd, and upon tracing
| the cause he found II to DO wound In the nose.
This wound was the cause Of death.
| Crosse xamInedi Did not think that anything
but the wound caused death. The ply slcal con.
dillon Of the deceased accellerated OF Increased
the effects VI the wound, but the wound was
necessarily a fatal one 10 one In her state Vi
| health.
10 the Court: wItnesr was led to believe the
wound In the nose the exciting cause Of death BY
tho post norton examination Of the brain. The
| Inflammation VI the arachnoid membrane anu
| pid mater led 10 u notice Of the engOrged cOndl:
ton OF the vessels above the nasal passages, and
this was traced 10 H. source, the wound In the
nOsc.
The prosecution closed here.
| TnE DEFENCE
| called the following Witnesses:
Rev Father ROocJfbrt. Witness Is the assist.
ant pastor uf st AlOySlus church was called to
the drccasvd On Monday before her death She
was then 10 an lBscnsible condition, and II being
impossible to converse with her, he performed
the Otiices usual on such occasions, offered some
| prayers for her AMI went away knew nothing Of
her habits OF health except FROM heresay.
| Dr. Magrudcr. Witness was called 10 the de.
| ceased q few days before hor death and found
| her In most destitute condition. She was In q
stupOr and dying; when witness called II was
| hyC o'clock, and the person who held the tallOw
/ dip, by which he made the examination, had
also to hold the door close, In Orlvr to keep the
| wind from blowing out the light. The door was
| some distance irUin where she lay, and In the
| dim light he did not notice q wound upon heI
nosej he thought she was dying 9fa low mals'
rial fever, the ditculty Of which had been accel.
Grated by tho excessive use VI alcohol.
| The defence closed.
Mr. Harrington said he would make no argu.
ment TO the Jury, but would ask the court 10 say
| TO the Jury that the defendant was responsible
for the effect his blows on one In her condition
Mr.. Bergcss asked the court to tell the jury u
| give the accused the benefit OF all doubts.
The Court said: Gentlemen Of the Jury, tho
parties seem TO be very humble persons, known
10 no body, 30 that but little personal eyidenoS
surrounds the case, and the jury IL lett 10 deter
mine the cause Of the death by the post morton
examination. need not say anything relative
to the evidence, but will say, u the defendant
knew the feeble condition Of the deceased the
liEhtness VI the violence can be no apology. Al
infant might DO killed by a slight blow, Will,
. very heavy blow might be required TO Kill
| gentleman Of the ring; while II might be
| greater crime to Kill a baby than To Kill
brulsrr, Take the case gentlemen and treat |
as you DO all Others under the solemnty Of you
oath, Ifyou have real doubts give tho prisone
doubts let the law have Its course In his conyic
ton.
The Jury were out about an hour anil Tcturne,
q verdict VI guilty.
After sOmo questions the court sent the &C
cuscI TO the peuitcntiary for three year..