The New York herald. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1840-1920, 1873-06-07
Trial, Conviction, Sentence and
Death of a Fiend.
A Partial Catalogue Of Wright's Crimes-Me-
moirs Of an Assassin-A Highwayman's Hos
pitality-"I Just Knocked the I'D Ped
Ter on the Head and Showed Him into
the Closet''-The Last Scene-"I
Amt Willing to Co. but I've
Got To Be Hanged"

years OF age his career In crime has been event.
full one. He was known a desperate character.
He confessed to having committed numerous rob-
berries. This Is the fourth execution in the District
OF Columbia within the past six months. Wright
was six feet In height and weighed 800 pounds He
was convicted In the Criminal Court OF this district
on the 5th of April last of the murder of Samuel
Rogerski, pedler and native OF Poland, who had
been but a short time in this country.
THE STORY OF THE MURDER.
The history OF the case Is as follows :--0n the
night Of December % last small girl, acconipa-
MED by young man, in crossing over some vacant
ground in the square bounded by d and ana
Ninth and Tenth Streets South Washington,
noticed what they thought then was n drunken
man lying on the ground. Fearing, as the weather
was intensely cold, that the man would freeze to
death, they gave an alarm to the police, who found
that the body was lifeless and that
THE HEAD WAS HORRIBLY MANGLEp.
Around the neck and heels were buckled straps
which had been used as handholds The body was
takentO the First precinct police station house
and more careful examination OF it was made by
physicians On one side of the head was wound
made apparently by number OF blows, and on the
face there were several incised wounds, made, APP
parently, with a small Ratchet. The detectives
took the case in hand in few hours afterwards
Gay nor nlRnL until guilty. party
was secured But little could be done on the night
OF the discovery OF the murder other than to
shadow several suspicious parties who were known
to be bad enough TO commit such crime for the
purpose OF robbery. At early dawn the officers
were at the place where the body was found, and
some lew drops OF blood discovered ana traced
IN THE DIRECTION OF wRfGHT's HOUSE.
The officers, therefore, entered 1t ana made a
search, but the house being darkened they could
formation which warranted the arrest OF Wright,
Mrs. Margaret Wood, sam Bembey and Mrs.
on Christmas night they were all taken in custody
and more thorough search OF the house for the
evidences OF the crime was made. The detectives
then fouDd two hatchets, one with some small par
tices OF blood on it, as also one single red haIr
responding III color to that of the murdered MANS
In closet there was some blood stains and in an
old shed the pack OF the pedler was found buried
In the ground under pile OF old lumber.
THE WOMAN TELLS WHAT SHE KNOWS
Upon questioning the woman she stated that oh
the day OF the murder she had been out washing,
and on returning, about noon, she had found Tom
Wright Washing up tae moor; tha am ne aod her ,nat
she finished washing the moor, and upon noticing
something which looked like blood she had asked
where it had came from; Wright had replied that
ne had '.kiled damned Dutch pedler and placed
the BODY In the cioset.n subsequently, however,
Wood further stated that Wright went out after
dinner and came back to supper.
COMMITTED TO JAIL
The prisoner was thereupop taken TO the Police
Court. Detective McDevltt, who had principally
worked up the case, gave bis testimony and Wright
DER The others were also committed to secure
their attendance as witnesses. At police head
quarters it was subsequently ascertaned that
Wright answered the description OF party who
1t was alleged, murdered farmer near Fredericks-
burg, Va, In The early part Of 1870. Wright was
10 this time, he had not been con-
victed in the district OF any crime. but
had been suspected OF several highway robberies.
He soon became a troublesome prisoner to his
Keepers, and on one occasion, when asked to COM
ply with the rules of the JAIL he became defiant and
cred and placed in heavy irons. Shortly after his
cOmmttal, when a fellow prisoner, confined in an
adjoining cell, had spoken discOuragngy OF his
case, he
ATTEMPTED TO CHEAT THE GALLONS
by starving himself TO death, and gave sickness as
an excuse for not eating For more than week
ne refused to eat anything. The physician to the
jail, however, administered to him as medicine a
preparation which gave him voracious appetite,
and his effort to destroy himself by this means
failed.
CATALOGUE OF HIS CRIMES.
To his fellow prisoner he made admissions as to
several crimes among them the robbery OF a hotel
at Weldon. n. c., in 1870; the outraging OF q girl
named Davis, near Fredericksburg, Va, in the lat
ter part OF 1871: indecent assault on woman
at Lower Machodac Creek, near the mouth Of
the Potomac, soon after; beating and robbing two
men and committing an outrage on girl at ely
another ,s,. ot on "a. girl at camp meeting
establishment on Capitol Hin, and entering and
r0bbing the house OF a Mr.. Stephenson last FAN.
The last named robbery was accomplished by Slip
ping IulO tHe HOuSt anu ScCfctn& himself unuef
the bed until Mr.. Stephenson had placed his pocket
book under his pillow and retired TO rest where
upon he sneaked 1t out and made Off,
THE TERRIBLE RATCHET.
The trial attracted large numbers OF persons,
and great general interest was felt in IL, partcu-
larry by our Hebrew population. 1t was feared by
many that the government would not make out a
case, as II was not known that the woman, Mrs.
Wood. would swear to the statement which she
had originally made to the detective officers, and
It was known that Wright had possessed great in
fiuence over her. When placed on the stand now
iuctance The government also T proved by pro-
ducing in Court portions OF the scalp and face OF
the deceased preserved in spirts) and fitting the
small Ratchet to the wounds, that such an instru-
ment could have made them, and the defence hav-
ing failed IN their effort TO prove an dlioi, the
prisoner was convicted Of wilful murder.
SENTENCED TO DEATH.
motion was made for new trial, but was
ovcrruled, and on the l4th OF April he was sem
fenced 10 DE executed on the 30th Of Nav. Excep-
lions were also taken to the ruling Of the Court
and the case was therefore argued in the Court in
General Ierm, but the Judge below was sustained.
There was now no recourse left but TO the Execn-
tive, and the prisoner having had the counsel OF
two colored Methodist minister's for some weeks.
and not being as ready to take 1.-THE short road to
glory" as were jenkins and Johnson two coored
men executed her last Fall for murderl, an
effort was made by the Rev. Father Wigett
in that direction. He succeeded in procuring just
as the President was leaving the city the 26th of
may sne premise Use 81 respite for one week. and on
ment was signed postponing the execution OF the
sentence until to-day.
THE MURDERER ACCUSES AN AccoMpLrcE.
during ms imprisonment both before and after
the trial, ne wrote number OF letters to his mis-
trsss, Margaret Wood, begging her to say that Sam
Bembry nad Killed the man, and instructing her
what TO say when she was called, and after his
conviction he renewed his entreaties to
her, asking ner TO take back what she
had said. He also made several conflicting state
ments, all Of which can be summed up IN the
words, sam Bembry killed the pedler.n He In
sisted TOO, mat the man was not Killed at the time
claimed, but towards dark and that no Ratchet
was used, but spade and trowel. The portion OF
the story referring to the trowel may be true.
Such an article may have been used. as well the
hetchet, TOT tr0wei was found In the house after
the murder Dy physician, and on submitting the
spots 10 chemical test they were found to be the
blood Of some warm blooded animal.
THE AssAssIN's CONFESSION.
On wednesday last TO one Of the guards, he
talked the entire dag, and asserted that the peder
was not Killed for his money but for his pack that
the man came TO the house about eleven O'Clock
IN the morning and was knocked in the