Memphis daily appeal. [volume] (Memphis, Tenn.) 1847-1886, 1873-06-28
Letters of the Most Infamous
Character-EnOugh to Drive
the Best Boy to Kill a
British Father.
of the Testimony of
Mrs. WalWOrth-First Ink
Iings of the Insanity Plea
Signs Of "NOt
Guilty."

heart is starving for their caresses.
Make the interview when | come just as
easy and pleasant as possible. l cannot
stay from them much longer. l will
see them peaceably if l can, or with a
tragedy If l must. Their little faces
haunt me. As they are mine, pOpish
cruelty must bend to the demand
of a fathers heart, or the Walworth
name goes out in blood. Keep Frank
Walworth out of my way. You have
taught him to hate me, and his pres
ence or obstruction in my way will only
excite fatal evaporation. l want to see
my little girls and come away Deacea-
bly,. Beware that you do not in any way
arouse the frenzy which you have
known TO exist since you left me. There
is no reasonable way to deal with me.
[ shall have my rights under
that decree, with no further legal
delay or expense. | have con-
ceded promptly every right to you
under that decree, and now l am going
to see my children, and you shall not
bring them up to hate their loving
father. Eliza Backus has written to
me that you will do it if you can, from
your associations with them, and then
/ shall shoot you and myself on those
dOOrsteps, for l have nothing further
to live for. Do right, Ellen Hardin,
and you will find me prompt to
DO right. / am g broken-hearted
desperadO. Save this letter for
the lawyers and the courts, if you please.
God is my lawyer now; not that re-
morseless, brutal God that you and
Eliza Backus and c. A. WalwOrth wOr-
ship, but the God that planted love for
my little girls in my heart, and that
says to ihe bereft tiger, "Kill!' Oh!
you wretch, that kept me two years from
the little hands and hearts that love
me. Your only excuse was my poverty
and misfortunes. Should my children
refuse to speak to me in the streets of
Saratoga, l shall say TO myself that
she is teaching them al TO hate broken
hearted father. All is lost, and trag
edy must come. When / know from the
conduct of the little girls that you have
taught them to hate me, two pistol shots
shall ring about that house, one Staying
you and the other myself. l know you
have no personal fear, no more than l
have, but we both must die when the
discovery reaches my brain that you
have estranged my young children from
me. If my little girls do not love me,
then my life is valueless, and | shall die
with a feeling Of luxury and rest, but
you will have to attend me to the spirit
land-the God of justice demands it
but if you do right under that decree, all
may be well; but now my heart is ago
nized for my little children. If you had
common sense YOU would know how TO
appreciate the danger.
MANSFIELD T. WALWORTH.
Judge Dawes, in a lengthy opinion,
adhered to his ruling excluding the let
ter, though he said he should still keep
the question under advisement. His
decision will virtually emasculate the
letters which Mr.. Beach, in his opening
speech, stated would be offered in evil
dence as showing the hatred Mansfield
WalwOIth entertained, not alone for the
prisoner, but the Walworth family. If
Judge Dawes adheres to this line the
prisoners defense will be materially
weakened. and will form an important
basis for a motion for a new trial if the
prisoner is convicted.
SECOND DAY.
NEW YORK, June 27.--The WalNorth
trial was resumed to-day before a dense
ly-crowded court. Many women, bOth
Young and old, were present, and the
prisoner, as on previous days, was sur
rounded by his relatives. Argument
was continued by the counsel on adj
mission as evidence Of the letter of de-
ceased, dated August Is, 1872, but Judge
Davis decided he would admit only
such portions as contained threats. The
counsel for the defense excepted to the
ruling. Charles O'COnOr then read the
admitted portion of the letters from
deceased, when the district-attorney
withdrew his objections, and the whole
letter was read. 1t is addressed to Mrs.
Walworth, and opens with command
to listen TO the terrible words contained,
for they will show her how keenly and
fierceIv the writer feels the humiliation
of Reuben II. Walworth. He then ira
duces in the grossest terms the memory
of his father, vilely assails his brother
and sister and wife, and IN awiui IAN
guage threatens that in case his wife
will not see that he has something Tor
his entire life, TO kill Frank, Tracey and
IIIs -,ssS, ,ad to wipe out the name
Of WalWoTth forever. The closing part
of the letter was characterized in an es-
pecial manner by obscenity and bias
phemy, and when the reading was
finished Mrs. Walworth was recalled,
and testified that she once screamed for
help when her husband assaulted her,
and Frank entered their room, saying,
'Be quiet, father" He remained until
his father had left. When Frank read
the letter just introduced be became viO-
lently excited, frothed at the mouth,
then remained perfectly quiet for about
an hour, when he fell into a deep sleep.
Similar parOxysms seized him sUbse-
quently, and once when witness showed
him a bruise on her arm, made by the
deceased, he acted in very peculiar
manner.
After a recess, Mrs. Walworth con-
tinued her testimony, and said that
when Frank WEs seven or eight years
old he fell on the hearth and fractured
his skull. On two occasions he received
injuries on a baseball ground, aud COM
planned Of his head for some months al
terward. This closed Mrs. Walworth's
examination. Other witnesses were eX-
aBIined, but nothing new ELECTED. A
number Of letters from the deceased to
his wife were read By Mr.. O'ConOr, and
among them the following, which has
been referred 10 es the one that Sc eK-
cited Frank. It is dated ST the publica-
tion house Of Carlton & CO., under the
Fifth Avenue hotel, New York, thlr'
teenth.
Listen to these isrTrible words; they
will show you how keenly ard fiercely
] feel the humiliation Of Reuben Wal
worth's will, and what Scot, TIE
descendant Of King Malcomb, VIII dc
when all had been taken from him
Reuben H. WalwOFth always hated me
from my cradle. He always haten ans
one who was high-spirited, and would
speak out their thoughts. De always
liksd eringing hypocrites like Eliza
Backus and Clarence WalwOrth.
Although he saW my ambitious spirit,
he hated it, because Il would moi
tOady 10 his favorite Yankees, hence
from my cradle he prosecuted me and
hcodad ma off in avery pIlraIit or gDapIl.