The New York herald. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1840-1920, 1873-03-15
Comforting Words to a Fellow
Murderer in the Jail.
Affecting Farewell Between the Con-
demned and His Children.
A Temperance Lecture On-
der the GallOwS.
Rum in the End Leads to All
That Is RuinOus.
PRAYER, RESIGNATION AND THE MOOSE.


CHICAGO ILL.,, March IA, 1873
To-day another Of Chicagos murderers was
launched from the gaOws-tree into eternity, there
to confront at the awful bar of Eternal Justice the
spectre OF his murdered wife.
THE STORY OF THE CRIME.
The story OF George Drivers great crime has
already been told in the columns of the NEW YORK
HERALD and need only be repeated here briefly lie
was man of thrty-fve years or thereabouts and
had been married for some fifteen years to Ann
Driver, comely, honest and Industrious woman,
who had borne him Jour children--William, aged
fourteen; Mary aged thirteen George, aged
eleven, and Belle aged nine. Their mar
ried life was not happy one. Driver
drank freely at times and when in liquor treated
his wife with great brutality, Kicking beating and
abusing her. so that, at last she was compelled to
institute proceedings for divorce. This the Court
awarded her, with the custody Of the four children
and possession of the house in which she lived.
After the decree Driver frequently at the house
OF his former wife, where, indeed, he occasion
ally boarded. His love for liquor continued, and in
his drunken sprees he would beat and abuse Mrs.
Driver, "as il she were still his wife, to use the
naJre expression OF witness. When out OF money
he would bother her for what little she had al
though, as she told him, the whole family was de-
pendent on what scanty wages she and her eldest
boy could earn. SO things stood on Thanksgiv-
Ing Day, last November. In the evening the
family all took supper together Driver
was little intoxicated, and as usual, reinforced
bad language by abuse, kicking his divorced wife.
Next morning, Friday, November 80, he came to
the house somewhat under the influence Of liquor,
but not so drunk as to be unconscious OF what he
was doing, ana went into bedroom Off the
nriV fol m
Ing about ten minutes, during which time some
words are understood to have passed between
them. she telling MIN to get up of the bed and
leave the house. According to the daughters
story Mrs. Driver, when he refused to get UP,
slapped him in the face. At any rate. about ten
minutes after entering the bedroom they came out
into the Kitchen, where one OF the boys was lying
on the lounge. Mrs. Driver went and stood be-
hind the stove. The alteration was re-
newed; Driver again asked for money
which she refused him. He drew some
thing from his pocket. Mrs. Driver cried:-"Do
not stab me-" The weapon, however, was not
knife. for in second flash and explosion followed
and, with a ringing shrek, the unfortunate woman
Tell to the floor, shot by her husband In the pres
ence of their children. The bullet had passed be-
tween the ninth and tenth ribs on the right side,
traversing the liver and lodging in the spine. The
wounded woman survived only couple OF days.
Driver was arrested at the house to which he had
returned later In the day, On being asked why he
had killed his wife he answered:-"That is my
business" To the sergeant who searched him he
said that he had shot her because she had refused
to give him money. He seemed somewhat drunk
when arrested, but not so drunk rs to be ignorant
Of his actions or irresponsible for them. His
mouth was somewhat bruised and swollen, although
another OF his children declared that Mrs. Driver
had not struck him, as another sister alleged.
The trial took place early in February. Applica.
ten Tor change Of venue was at first made and
granted; but as country jurors had Just found
two other Chicago murderers-Perteet and
Ranerty-guilty on short notice, the defence un.
dertook to risk their chances in Chicago. The
prosecution was conducted by Charles H.
Reed, States Attorney, and the defence by Mr.
John Mason. The prosecution brought up the
three children OF the prisoner, who witnessed the
shooting, and several neighbOrs, who testified tC
the repeated ilusage by the prisoner OF his wife
One woman heard Mrs. Driver say the night before
she was shot that he had threatened to shoot her
but dared not dc 1t. The defence claimed
that the shooting was accidental, and un
dertook to plead drunkenness; but the
latter plea was thrown out under O
decision OF the Supreme Court that, while the
Judge might consider the prisoners drunkenness
In fixing the penalty, the jury could not in decid
ing on his guilt or innocence. After short alb
senCe the jury returned verdict OF guilty, and
fixed the prisoners punishment at death. When
he subsequently came up for sentence the prison
er's counsel tried to obtain a new trial to intro
duce additional evidence, which was refused, an d
the Judge passed sentence on Driver. fixing his
execution Tor to-day This was on the 10th ult.,
so that only twenty three days interviewed be
tween the sentence and Its being carried into
effect. Another objection was made on the ground
that when sentence was passed the Judge only
named the day OF execution, but fixed no hour,
afterwards adding to the sentence ''between the
hours of sunrise and sunset" This objection, too
came to nothing.
WHAT THE CONDEMNED HAD TO SAY.
Driver was frequently interviewed In his cell by
willing to talk freely. At first he persisted that
the shooting was entirely accidental, and that he
had been changing his pistol frem nand to hand
lie inveighed bitterly against his children, whom
he said, they (hs enemies had taught to swear
quest that he had gone to live at the house after
their separation, so that he could aud ne
IN supporting the children iras. lie b had gyeI
on which they had dined on Thanks
giving Day had been purchased by him. On tn
his wife had provoked him and tainted him. Ill
had asked her to get his breakfast and put him VI
some lunch as he wished to go to WORK wnea s ~,
whiskey. Then she struck him In the face, knock
ing out one or his teeth, and was lifting chair Y
about" pulled out his pistol and was changing !
from one hand to the other, when IL exploded.
ms sentence Driver made yet anotner stateuent
IN the following words
THE MuRDERER's STATEMENT BEFORE SENTENCE.
your Honor, cir, all / have to say Is did no
intend To shoot that woman any more than do u
SHOOT you new. We had little trouble and hat
small pistol that had put in my pocket Ipu
this maud In my pocket-that Is, think dhi-and
as remember well enough, II caught my left bant
anu went on went into the bedroom to look To-
my comforter, and saw the little boy and girls X
the ether room and went out to look at them
and she looked at me and did not speak, nor
went up Blue island avenue and thinks
to myself, 1 may have shot her-I did not knew
Will GO home. as soon as did | saw two or tire,
women In the house and two men. did no. know
what IL was and stayed looking, and by and by .
policeman took hold or me and says, "You she
your wife" or something like that, and was wake,
off, did not intend to shoot that woman or d
anything with her. From the day we were marie,
until then do not think lifted hand on her.
may have set her down or scolded her, but neve
struck that woman. That Is all have got to say
A TERRIBLE SURPRISE