New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1874-11-02
BROOKLYN JURY TRIALS.

The falibility of that test of guilt upon
which the Anglo-Saxon race has relied for sc
many generations with an almost superstitioui
confidence, has just received two fresh Illus
trations in the Brooklyn courts The trial OF
ex-Tax Collector Badeau has ended in failure
through the surprising firmness of two of the
Jury in declaring him innocent in the face OF
testimony which seemed conclusive to the other
ten, and also to the bench; and the trial OF
Mrs. Merrigan for the murder of Margaret
Hammill has likewise ended in a disagreement
under circumstances which must be more OF
less dscOuraging to every man who is con-
cerned for the swift and certain administration
of Justice There are two classes of crime
which, under our present jury system, are only
punished with extraordinary difficulty. One
embraces breaches of public trust and dis
honesty in office. William NJ. Tweed escaped
conviction on one trial, after conclusive proof
of his enormous populations, and he would
undoubtedly have escaped again had it moi
been for the unparalleled precautions OF the
attorneys for the people to secure an honest
and unprejudiced Interpretations of which
the public never knew the details In the
Phelps case at Albany there was one scan.
dalous disagreement of the jury. LII the Safe
Burglary case at Washington it is notorious
that the composition of the jury causes con-
siderable uneasiness. The other crime which
seems to be specially favored by twelve good
men in box is murder; and 1t has got to bs
a matter of no little amazement when ver-
dict for the full offense charged in the indict-
ment is obtained Oh the first trial, even in
aggravated cases.
We are far from assuming the guilt OF the
woman who has just been tiled for her life III
Brooklyn, but it seems to us that in view OF
all the circumstances q verdict of some sort
ought certainly to have been reached. The
case is one of the most remarkable In the
recent history of our courts. Sarah Merrigan
and Margaret Hammill were close friends OF
many years. standing. One day fire broke
out in Mrs. Merrigan's ROOM and when the
neighbors forced an entrance they found on the
bed the charred and lifeless body or Miss
Hammill with o rope wound tight about tho
neck. Mrs. Merrigan, who had left the room
O short time before, was arrested on charge
of murder. and her subsequent conduct is said
TO have confirmed the suspicious against her.
More than q year passed before the trial came
ON. Then the counsel for the defense presented
one of the most startling stories ever told III
court of justice. In his theory there had been
no murder at all. The two women were anus
ing themselves telling their own fortunes by
measuring the neck, feet, and other parts OF
the body with rope, according to certain
directions they had received from gypsy.
Miss Hammill was standing on a chair, with
one end of a clothes-line about her neck, and
the other end thrown over the door, and Mrs.
Merrigan was measuring her feet, when a
neighbor called the prisoner out. When she
returned she found her friend stransling at tho
point Of DEATH The char had tipped over, and
the end of the rope had caught ON the outside
handle of the door. Exactly what took place
afterwards the prisoner did not know. She lost
her reason, and probably set fire to the room
herself in paroxysm of insanity. Dementis
was shown to be hereditary in the family :
Mrs. Merrigan had given stropG symphonic as