The New York herald. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1840-1920, 1873-06-07


The walworth Horror-The Coroner's
Inquest.
The testimony given at the Coroner's in
quest yesterday as to the facts and circum-
stances connected with the Walworth tragedy
fully sustains us in our first impressions-that
this case is without q parallel in the daring
and offensive presumption of the assassin,
and that never was there, among civilized
men or savages, more unnatural, deliberate,
remorseless and utterly revolving murder. We
look in vain among all the horrible inventions
of fiction for anything more frightful or de-
testable than this cold-blooded, merciless and
cowardly killing of the father by the son.
According to the testimony Of Mr.. More
head, a boarder whose room was within hear
ing Of an ordinary conversation from the door
OF the room where the murder was committed,
the parley between father and son before the
firing was brief, for that shortly after the door
had closed upon the victim the firing COM
menced; that there were four shots in rapid
succession; that the witness heard no talking
nor sounds Of scuffling before the firing took
Ting cry Of murder, such an exclamation as
any one would make under the influence Of
terror, and that the body of the MUIR
dered man was found lying within twenty
inches of the door, The statement Of
the murderer in his own defence
bears out this testimony of Mr.. Morehead,
that the conversation between father and son
was brief. 'sWhen he came into my room,"
says this fedgling Of murderer, 81 asked
him to sit down; he did so. Ispoke to him
of his conduct, and said, Promise me that
you will neither threaten my mother nor
insult her or any Of the family any further. ;
He answered me, 4 promise, but with look
which to my mind implied contempt, and the
reverse Of an intent to keepthe promise. He
had just before put his hanI up to his breast
as if to pull out pistol. I am unconscious
of having fired more than three times He
closed on ND rapidly. His grasp was upon
me when fred the last time. do not think
he said anything during the whole interview
except what l have stated"
The conversation then was very brief. The
father listened to the demand of the son and
promised compliance; but the look connected
with the promise implied contempt, and that
look was the death warrant of the unsuspect-
ing father from his frst-born, who had pre-
pared himself for his deadly work. That the
father was wholly taken by surprise is evident
from his unarmed condition. 1t does not APP
pear that he had even q cane as defensive
weapon against the possibility of an assault,
and it does appear that his only resort, as a
last chance for his life. when, perhaps already
wounded to death by the first fire, was to close
upon the assassin. All this is confirmed by
that fearful cry of ''Murder!" heard
by Mr. Morehead at each discharge
of the pistol. 1t was. he truly says, the
exclamation that any one would make under
the influence of terror Utterly defenceless,
mangled and bleeding the victim Of this hide
GUS crime had no other resource than the
wild, despairing cry of Murder! the cry
for any help within hearing against the treach-
erous hand of his own son.
The offensive ''look" Of the father which
cost him his life, we hold, was perfectly
natural considering the relation in which the
parties stood towards each other. The father,
doubtless, thought, when the promise Of good
behavior was exacted OF him. ''Well, this is
cool-this change of authority of the father
over this STRIPPING to the STRIPPING over the
father but he appears to be inclined to
make scene of it, and, to avoid scene,
/ will yield to anything he may demand.
He is my son, and it is, therefore,
impossible that he can have any designs
upon my life' But that awful cry of
murder |" in the next moment dispelled all
these parental delusions and such is the
lesson Of this Walworth horror. But the most
fearful feature of the whole affair is the appar-
emily self-satisfed conscience of the murderer.
1t impresses every witness Of his bearing
under this heavy crime with the idea that he
esteems himself hero that he has done
q meritorious deed of blood that he has vim
Dictated the honor of his family, and that he is
champion of filial devotion. This may be
insanity; but, if So it is form of insanity too
serious to be trifed with as an excuse for the
crime, and too dangerous to society to be
considered as an offset to the awful murder
for which the prisoner is held to answer.
The SAVAGE WAR IN CUBA cannot be better
illustrated than in the infamous and impo-