The New York herald. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1840-1920, 1873-09-11
THE DEATH SCUFFLE
Miss Hamill Seen to Enter the Merrgans'
Apartments Tuesday Morning-A Struggle
and Dying Cries Heard in the After
noon-Her Body Found Alter the
M Fire Thursday Night with tho
Tsll-Tale Rope Around the
Neck - Medical Testi-
,f mony, No Suicide

Williamsburg. At seven O'Clock the prisoners
James and Sarah Merrtgan, were in the court hav-
ing been confined In the Raymond Street Jail.
Both were simply dressed like laboring people
OF the medium class in their working clothes, the
man In black alpaca coat and white shirt without
cravat or collar. Mrs.Merrigan wore a striped
calico dress and small plaid black and white shawl
Her baby OF eight mon tbs in her lap. prattlng
and Growing, while the mother nursed and coddled
1t as though In her own house. Through the exami-
nation the prisoners evinced very little apprehen
sion Of the terrible import It bore upon their guilt
OF the terrible crime which is alleged against them
While the first witness testified to the scuflie in
Merrigans room over her head, which was pro-
badly the death struggle Of Margaret Hamill.
James Merrigan was laughing and chatting with
his counsel as though the whole thing was good
joke. His wife seemed better to appre-
ciate the tendency OF the testimony, and
especially when Doctor Dreamer detailed
the results OF the post-mortem examination, and
gave his positive conviction that 1t was not case
OF suicide. her face gave tokens OF deep and anx-
iOus thought.
Through the examination, which continued till
almost twelve O'CLOCK, the court room was filled
with an attentive audience. The aged and re-
spectacle looking father and mother Of Mrs. Merri
gan sat within the railing, near their daughter.
Messrs Ready and Davis appeared as counsel.
THE TESTIMONY.
The first witness called was Mrs. Sarah Kip-I
lived last week At No 1919 Ninth street, In the rear
house, 1rst floor; Mrs. Merrigan, now here, lived
ON the upper moor; noticed on Tuesday forenoon
. very nice looking lady going up the stairs as
this now shown; looked at me through the window
and went up stairs and knocked should think
this was about ten O'Clock; never saw her 60 out;
about eight O'Clock Thursday evening was out at
the alleyway and Mr.. and Mrs. Merrlgan came out;
he satd 81 am going to the lodge; ~ she told me
fyUn 70 mn Ghn hn hQ III m IN q
hour; a few minutes later two boys came in; told
them Mrs. Merrigan would soon come, and directly
after she came, and they went up and were bring
ing trunks and other articles down the stairs; l
should think it was quarter OF nine when they
were through; before dark Mrs. Merrigan had moved
some things down. and when she locked up the
lower door she said to me, INF. Merrigan s going
to play the fute;, soon after l heard music up
went out and locked her door; soon after heard
something fall In her room above me that sounded
like Kerosene lamp; she was then near the alley
way toward the front; called to her that there
had something fallen In her room aud we should
be burned; she seemed to hesitate, but DID
very soon after the smoke was discovered coming
out OF the shutters in her roomi the alarm OF fire
and water; Mrs. Merrigan came In the area with
the landlady and gave her the key she was taking
an snS very unwilling Sfn a'0u for nor anybody to up
SAYING they w0Hd .,t Pc 5e wS
him he need not worry, for his wife had brought
them down stairs; after the fire was out he went
dead body up there; think Mrs. Merrigan had
gone before the discovery OF the body; wnen she
rooms also She SAID ner husband got $22 o week,
that they had seen better times and hoped to
again.
heard sound as Of some one crying up stairs, and
a slammng against doCr-a sound as OF dragging
the distressing crying lasted only short time, and
there seemed to be movements back and forth
to S'b be very sudden; afterwards, in the night,
we also heard sort of dying noise;
j thought 1t to be, the baby; lasted about
stand back, damn you;" ''it's mine, it's mine;''
Don't, don't;" these last words sounded like
woman's voice; at first 1t was quite strong and
afterwards appeared stined; Mrs. Merrigan was
not shere on Tuesday night or "Wednesday night
and came back in the morning; she went away
each OF these nights about dark and told me she
stayed at her mothers, for she was not well;
Tuesday and Wednesday; he did not appear to be
at work; Thursday afternoon saw him also; after
the scufhe on Tuesday heard TWO persons go out
OF their rooms and down the stars; heard no
BY Prisoners Counsel-Mrs Merrigan did not
tell me that her baby had fallen when l heard the
noise on tuesday; thought the words 'Stand
back-stand back, damn YOU" were spoken by q
Counsel-was there a person living over the
Merrigans who Is called the "crazy womanS'
A. There is somebody living over there.
II
the upsetting OF a chair, samming and regular
quarrel: cannot say that had seen Mrs. Merrl-
gan about the house on Tuesday.
MRS. Mathilda Knowles sworn-I live at 203
North street; have known Mrs. Merrigan since last
year; she came TO my house last week Wednesday
about ten O'Clock in the morning; she called
frequently; she told me she was lab0rng under
severe cold; asked for my daughter, who was out;
basket leather satche; said she could not afford
to buy present for her. that this satcnel had
hink me " n
it cost seven dollars" told her no,
''she will be delighted with it;'' she unlocked
daughter came she found the satche locked and
asked Mrs. Merrigan Tor the key; she said she
o gvg my daughter before she went
Week before; saw her on Friday going to the fire;
up !" and afterwards that, 'rney say there is dead
body in my room; ! can't believe it;' l said
said, YES poor Maggy Hsmmill was there,
under the influence OF drink, but thought
she was able to get out and did not think OF her,
only OF my things = just then an ofcer came, and
she told him Miss Aammill's name and her board
ing place in New York, and the names OF her
brothers; these keys look like those she had when
she unlocked the satchel.
BY prisoners counsel-Mrs Merrigan and her hus-
ociocs in the evening" tuesday week; she asked
to lend her my key, as she had forgotten hers,
to open her door; let her have It: u .. ~,
Ninth street; saw Mrs. Merrigan on Monday even
ing last week at my house Tor q short time:
Wednesday morning saw her on Grand street, be-
tween nine and ten O'Clock she showed me a reti-
cue, and told me IT was present from her sister
10 her; that she was going to New York to visit
her sister that day; about two O'Clock In the alter
noon she was at our house and gave me the key OF
the reticule, which she had left for me
with my mother In the morning; next
saw on the sidewalk at the time Of the IRE;
asked her II 1t was her house; she said "Yes;'
she said she was excited and wanted to look after
her things, n would take her baby; TOOK 1t, and
alter the fire she came In our house, and said there
was q woman burned in her house, that 1t was
Maggy Hamil; on Tuesday afternoon went to
told me she was not at home should think this
was about two O'Clock; visited Mrs. Merrigan
one evening in June; they burned kerosene.
Eva KIP sworn-I lived with nv mother at 100
Ninth street last week Mr.. Merrgan lived over our
room; Tuesday night after the house closed,