The New York herald. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1840-1920, 1873-02-19
ESSEX IN COURT.
Newport Greatly Excited Over the
SchOOlmaster Scandal.
The Wife and Daughters
Refuse to Testify.
Narrow Escape from Judge Lynch in Pass
ing from the Court to Prison.
NEWPORT. r. T.. Feb. IS. 1873.

distinction Of having more thoroughly excited and
| exasperated this community than any other man
| who has lived during the present generation
PROBABLY there has never been q among mod
| ern criminal events which has disclosed such de-
porable and revolving circumstances, and 1t Is,
| therefore, not singular that the people are wild
with Indignation. There Ia an involuntary feeling
even among the best anu most quietly
disposed citizens to take the matter OF
punishment into their own hands, and but
for the very strenuous eTo1ts OF the police
to-day they would have been successful
The story of how he ruined and debauched
nearly his whole family OF daughters has already
been told; but there are yet many circumstances
of revolving cruelty which have been hitherto
concealed.
| Essex. the man accused Of such series Of
unnatural acts, is man whose appearance de-
notes the interect actually existing, and to look
| upon him one would hardly believe him the terrible
combination Of the haman and animal which he
really is. Apart from his unparalleled crimes he
Is also charged and almost proved TO be man
whose angry passions scarcely less fierce than
those of the most ferocious beast. For years he
has been the terror Of his family and only through
fear has his career been so long concealed.
! TWENTY-FIVE YEARS \ SCHOOL TEACHER
He has taught school more or less in the neigh
borhood of Newport during the past twenty five
years, and as q teacher he had few equals and
| fewer spperiOrs. Over in the neighboring town OF
| Portsmouth, Twenty-Five years ago, he made the
| acquaintance OF and married Lydia Baker, then q
| cOnfding miss OF only fourteen, but now the
detected wife and mother OF heart-brOken family
Their offspring consists Of five children, all bright
and intelligent-Emma Co. the eldest, twenty
three years of age; then comes SON.
Charles, of twenty years, and the others
Clara r., Estee and LYDIA, aged respectively
eighteen. tpac
Essex has dealt largely in species OF mysterious
rubber articles, and, being frugal sort of man,
he has amassed fortune variously estimated at
rom h1teen 10 twenty thousand dollars. Almost
from the moment OF the birth OF Emma, the eldest
daughter, he 10 said to have been little better than
brute, and his conduct in this direction has in
creased from year to year Latter!y. 1t is alleged,
and, when kicking and pounding failed to secure
The fearful crimes which brought about his arrest
were begun hve or six years ago: Emma was his
slant dea tn upon exposure kept the poor girls and
vile from complaining Finally, when lie at
tempted ,se night to ruin ESee the
arrested. This is the story on which the arrest
was made. To escape from the monster father
| the poor girl had to hide herself away in q cold
attic; bu: even here she was purs ied and dragged
QUO. Entreaties and appeals however, caused
the fellow to defer his prGpeHsities for the time
being, and he was taken Into custody the next
day. The story OF his acts, with all the narrowing
| and revolving details, was told by Mrs. Essex and
her family to Mr. Pray, a well known jeweller in
| Newport, and subsequently the facts were made
known TO the City Marshal, and on the same day
| CAPTAIN HAMMOND MADE THE ARREST.
When taken into custody he was very cool and in
that not single member OF the family would ap-
pear against him IN Court. In the statements
! made by Mrs Essex and her son and daughters TO
Mr. Pray it appeared that on one occasion when
the mother demonstrated with her husband he
kicked her out OF the room, and subsequently pur-
sued her into the street with a loaded revolver.
| He has also broken up match between the oldest
| daughter and an estimabe Young man in neigh
min mr. hn md
her again in his company. He also attempted
to shoot her a few weeks ago, because
teaching in Portsmouth and come home to hive, and
and probably he would have contaminated his
| whose family she was boarding. These are only a
! few instances OF his demon-ike conduct which
gasas s"a ,y n
| ne should be taken away and punished. In the
community generally he has passed for an estma-
attracted warm friends or admirers. He
member of St. Mary's Episcopal church IN Ports
mouth a fact which served to bolster HIM up some
what in public estimation until the late downfall
EssEx's FAMILY WON'T APPEAR AGAINST HIM.
But the most singular part OF the story is yet to
be told. notwithstanding the eagerness and
anxiety Of the family to secure his arrest they now
utterly refuse to appear against him IN Court. on
the contrary, they are one and all laborng to
secure his release and restoration to the house
Catch him and kill himl' said Mrs. Essex to the
| ..Cut his throat y, said the son.
Wien hen he had been locked up their Joy knew no
bounds, and it seemed as II taog could hardly wait
| Tor the opportunity to make oath TO their state
| ments and send the terror Of the house to prison
the officers went to the house arrange with the
family for the preliminary examination. they
| Essex who had not been on friendly or speaking
terms with the family for long time .
! 'sTUIs THING MUST BE STOPPED"
| he is alleged to nave said, "Why If you appear
against him in Court you will all be disgraced, and
Albert viii have to spend the rest of his days in
Instantly there was marked change In their de-
meanor. The same enthusiastic spirit for the ar
TEST and punishment of the man which had been
manifested was now suddenly employed in undong
| what had been DONE Mr.. Shei1eld, whom the ac-
cuscd had employed as counsel, now also appeared
further exposure would bring everlasting disgrace
and ruin upon the whsle family. Added to all this
there came an avalanche of tender letters
from the Jail, in which the accused proiessed
all sorts OF penitence for his wayward course,
against him were withdrawn, he would deed them
all his property BY this time, as may be supposed,
the feelings OF the women had been so wrought
upon that they utterly and positively refused to
substantiate their statements In Court. In order
family was granted an interview with Essex, in
JAIL last evening" at which time matters were ami
cably arranged During the VISIT crowd or sew sew
when the family departed they were followed and
hooted all the way home, but no violence was
THE ARRANGEMENT OF THE ACCUSED,
according to assignment took place IN the city
Court this forenoon. The fact that the family had
seeded from their determination to prosecute was
generally heralded, and where there had before
been the warmest sympathy for them there was
now the heartiest condemnation. Early In the
morning crowds collected IN the streets, and the
Court House and jail were surrounded with an early
multitude. II was given out as rtlse that the
prisoner would not be brought into court,
and great many OF the curious and
indignant went home. Enough remained,
however, to form formidable mob, and
they came near making short work Of the unfor-
tunate prisoner. During his passage to aud fro
between the Jail and Court House Captain Ham.
mond with a squad OF dozen officers, was detailed
to do the duty or escort ana protection. The Cap
tain, when he called, found Essex indulging In 0
snave performing the tonsOrial operation himself.
HIS son present assisting him In the prepare
ton OF his toilet, and the manner In which ne gave
MIN orders to bring this and that showed clearly
that he was not the pleasantest man In the world
| Ga, Jeiu