The New York herald., 1873-12-17
TIE BYE NECK MYSTERY.
Trial Of Peter Terrell for the Murder Of Gilbert
Woman's Desperate Revenge-Par-
ticulars Of q Tragedy Enacted
Nearly Five Years Ago.

Justices OF Sessions, Peter Terrell was placed on
trial for the wilful murder OF Gilbert H. Robinson,
nearly nve years ago. Owing to the interest let
in the case an eager crowd OF spectators occupied
the court room long before the proceedings COM
menced.
The awful and mysterious crime with which Ter
rell stands charged was committed, as many read
ers OF the HERALD will recolect, on the night Of
April 20, 1859, at Rye Neck. a struggling hamlet,
separated only by bridge from the
village OF Mamaroneck, situated on the east
ery margin OF the county. overlooking Long
Island Sound. Deceased followed the occupation
OF matchmaker and eweller, his little store, at the
extreme end OF a row OF populous dwellings, con-
tanning more varied and valuable stock OF goods
than the wants OF the neighborhood would seem
to have warranted. He was unmarried and about
2s years old, sober Industrious, devoting untring
attention to his trade, the great object OF his life
being the accumulation OF money. During the
afternoon on which Robinson was last seen alive
he borrowed sums Of money from two or three OF
his immediate nelghbors, with which he intended
to take up some notes due in New York on the fol-
lowing day. On the evening Of the next day, how
ever, the accidental discovery Of his store door
being unlocked led to an investigation OF the
premises, which resulted in the finding Of tho
owner q corpse, having had
HIS SKULL BEATEN IN IL
as he lay partially undressed on bed in the rear
part of his shop where he In the habit OF Sleep
ing. The heavy double barrels OF shot gun, (de-
tached from the stock for the purpose OF being
cleaned) found lying near the murdered man, be.
smeared with blood to which quantity OF hair
tenaciously chung, at once silently though incon-
trovertibly proclaimed itself the instrument OF
death. Every indication warranted the belief that
the murderer had been an intimate friend OF his
victim. The shutters securely fastened on window
leaving the store, the watches and other costly
articles together with the money he had borrowed,
wing down OF deceased after only divestinr hirn.
self OF his coat and shoes in order that he might
be the more ready to take an early train for the
was to no unfriendly visitor
THE NATURALLY CAUTIOUS JEwELLER
tected the sum total Of his worldly goods and open
ing the door. The position Of the body. too, which
favored the theory that Robinson was engaged in
friendly discourse with his visitor while looking In
an opposite direction, when the latter. who STOOD
between his victim and the door, dealt the first
fatal blow with the gun barrels and afterward
followed it up by several Others in order to make
safe key was never found it is generally believed
that the murderer failed to unlock the combinap
III CoMPLRrELY BAFFLED IN hrs DESIGN
to plunder the safe OF the money and valuables it
contained. After protracted Investigation ~
Coroner Smith, which, owing to frequent adjourn.
ments. extended through q period OF several
weeks, the county authorities, aided by numerous
able to raise the veil Of mystery which concealed
the murderer, and verdict was ultimately
10 G as
time used to assist Robinson at gun cleaning and
other similar work, but who at the time OF the
murder was employed at White Plains, some eight
10 miles distant, became an object of suspicion
the detectives until the latter were said to have
been convinced that he was not the man they
wanted.
During the early part Of the present year, how:
against a woman named Richardson, living at
Mamaroneck, and with whom. according to his
own testimony, ne had been on terms Of more than
exposure OF their former liaison. the woman
speedily sought revenge by denouncing Terrell to
THE sELF-coNrEssED MURDERER
Of Gilbert b. Robinson anu by her subsequent ties.
network OF evidence as procured his prompt inSict.
ment by the Grand Jury last summer.
The accused Ssdb abS1 q old ave feet seven
rather prepossessing face, which should bespeak
mildness and doclty for its possessor. A connne-
parted to his compile xion that degree OF paor usu-
ally noticed on persons after pr0tracted incarcer-
case in benalf OF the people, Francis Larkin and T.
W. Gedney appearing for the defence. The follow
ing t11 are m. the smes and tss the jurors
Pleasant; Elias @ Lyon lie visboro; william wright.
oSd ossnns Joseph Bicsse SonDers
Moses F. Fowler, Greenburg; Augustus Turner.
penter e somers; H. % Worden BEDFORD; sI: Aexsn. Il
der Hamilton. North Castle.
TESTIMONY FOR THE PROSECUTION:
The first witness called by the prosecution was
Thomas Robinson, who testified as follows:-I am
the father OF the deceased, Gilbert II. Robinson he
habit OF sleeping in the store every night recol-
lect the evening OF April 26 1859; it was on Mon
on that evening; called on him for the purpose OF
having him pay bill OF 50 to party IN New York
for me, as he was intending to 60 there next day;
left the money and the bill with deceased; never
saw him again alive; the bill was not paid.
number OF other witnesses were examined in
regard to the manner in which the murder was
first discovered by three citizens. the appearance
and position OF deceased, the undisturbed state In
habits and disposition OF the murdered man.
Their testimony went directly to prove that tt
must have been an intimate friend who struck the
blow which sent his victim without an instant'e
cusivey that the object was pIunder, as the
MARKS OF A BLOODY HAND
"nmisiakaeiy III nacated light SOFT ies Sa'
was produced ana id Identified >, BY :. witnesses
n the "as murder and taken, with other eSects, to
the house OF deceased's father. THIS has
and is doubtless intended to form q part OF the
testimony against Terrell. The prosecution was
roborated the fact that the murder was not CAS-
covered until the evening OF April q, 1869. At
examination, one Of the wisnesshs produced .
So note marked in peculiar manner, which he
had traced, through several hands, to Its ultimate
possession by the principal witness against the
cused Another witness testified to having con.
versation with Terrell before the murder, in which
the latter complained Of deceased not paying him
as literally then as when he first worked for him.
The owner OF the premises In which deceased car
red on business, and who slept In the room imme-
diatey over his store, testified to not hearing the
slightest noise or disturbance underneath on the
evening OF the murder. F5sE
1t was apparent that the testimony ELECTED BY
the prosecution yesterday was only preliminary to
the Introduction or highly important testimony on
which the case for the peorle mainly depends The
trial will be resumed this morning RS ses
BUREAU OF CHARITIES.
The Committee OF Nine OF the Bureau OF Chari-
ties met yesterday at the Juvenile Asylum, In
Thirteenth street. Mr. Theodore Roosevelt In the