The New York herald., 1874-10-28
MAGGIE nAMMILL'S DEATH.
Trial Of Sarah c. Merrigan for the
Murder of Her SchOOlmate.
A CURIOUS RECORD OF DEPRAvITY
Remarkable Evidence for the Prosecution
Insanity The Probable Defence.

kemark0Dle EVl0ence l0f Inc Pf0secutl0n-
Insanity The Probable Defence.
the court OF oyer and Terminer OF Kings county
was called TO order, Judge Tappen and Associate
Justices Voorhees, aud Johnson presiding, at q
quarter-past ten O'Clock yesterday morning. Mrs.
Merrgan, IN company with her mother. occupied
a seat BY the side OF ner counsel, Messrs. Tracy
and Keady attired In a suit OF black and looking
pale and careworn. she is said 10 have been SUD
ject to attacks OF melancholy and crying OF late.
and 1t Is noticeable that while at intervals she
exhibits intense interest In the proceedings In
court, she invariably reapses into lstlessness.
The proceedings commenced by calling the
names drawn In the new panel OF seventy-fve
jurors ordered yesterday to complete the Jury.
The examination OF Jurors on both sides was very
rigid. Objection to capital punishment on prin.
ciple and conscience and more parttc-
ularly In case where woman IL
the defendant, was the chief cause OF disquali-
ncation OF those who were compelled TO stand
aside. James A. Rogers, an intelligent. middle
aged gentleman, said, in answer to questions as
to his qualifications TO serve, II have most decided
| conscientious scruples From the time that first
remember reading the Bible decided that capital
| punishment was wrsng.n District Attorney Wins.
low and Mr.. Levi Faron appeared for the people.
The attendance OF spectators lawye ers, physicians,
| witnesses and idle young and old en- was much
larger than upon the preceding day. the court
room being at times crowded In every part
THE JURY.
A Jury was obtained at halipast eleven, and the
following jurors were sworn III. G. Atwood, James
p. Moran, a. W. B. Howard, Peter Rapelye Jr.. $.
L. Jordan, Charles W. Kitchen, Adrian Van Sim
derden, Thomas WilKeson. n. A. Tutrle, Thomas
l. Ryder, Joseph Gard, Frederick Waters.
THE STORY OF THE PROSECUTION.
The District Attorney, on opening the case said
Margaret Hammill, the deceased, was the daugh-
ter OF the late Peter Hammiu, an iron merchant.
or New York, who, dying, left her competence
Deceased boarded In New York, in Eighth street.
! The acquaintance between the prisoner and her
self commenced In childhood. when they were
| pupils at convent in the upper part OF New
York. A friendship Is supposed to have sprung
up between them. In the course OF
life their social positions changed. The de-
icndaut married James Merrigan, . poor man,
an6 they resided In small house, No. 199 Ninth
street, Williamsburg, on the second door. Under
meath this noor, on the nrst story, Mrs. Sarah
Klpp lived with her daughter and q boarder named
Coe. They proposed to snow that 1t was the GUS
tom OF MISS Hammll to collect her rents on the
nrst OF each month, and that the friendship OF the
prisoner gave way to her cupidity and avarice,
mills visit, on tuesday, september 2, that she
took the lie OF ner lrend 70 gain possession Of
fore noon, was seen to go into the house and she
was never seen leaving It again. she did not come
out she lost her lie. They would show tnat BY
some means the prisoner got q clothes line, which
she doubled around the neck OF her victim and
At ten minutes alter seven O'Clock P. N. the
Thursday ioo wing the alarm OF tire was given IN
was the rss break open the door Of the bed
room, iound tue pody OF deceased lying on
s door, and Os the surss ss saa Ss da
ured from burning Kerosene Oil beneath tine
. S e sss
an adjoining room. The District Attorney. IN con-
cluding warned the jury against being Influenced
| In their verdict by any slcKy senttmen taty Tor
woman who is the defendant, but to render thoir
verdict impartialy aud IN accordance with the re-
WHAT THE LoDGERs DOWN STAIRS HEARD.
Mrs. Sarah +. Kipp, the 1rst witness called,
the lower noor OF the house No I0s Ninth street,
Williamsburg; Mr. and Mrs. Merrigan lived up.
Der 4 noticed in the forenoon. about eleven
ososn aa lazy g0laG nosSed
sns smiled pleasantly at me as sns passed;
On! wssSnesaay, sSu saay, morning Mrs. MsrTlgan
heard something lall. which thought was q ker:
observing the smoke, told her the lamp must
have tallen; Mrs. Merr,gan, who was excited.
tuesday or %sdnssaay tniak the ormer day.
seSqs ns When q the rs w0 was Su
into the room and saw the BODY; saw Mrs Merri.
gan between tuesday and me ips me- o. the re she
day alter saw the lady mrs Melrigsn came
peared to Be very nervous and excited; heard
the disturbance upstairs ABOUT two O'Clock
tn the Gay T alter saw Mrs. ana Mr. MsrrIsan moving
ness mes said that while the cd disturbance was going on
| on tuesday afternoon she heard mans voice cry
| 0ts "srAND BACK, DAMN You!"
she saw LADY named Mrs. Knowles go up stairs
| with her daughter In the morning, and. later, she
that time she ala not Know Mr. Merrigan's appear.
ance, having resided IN the house but lew dsys;
! Nag2ie Hammill ID IN there" 0tA &9U
BY the District Attorney-The voices appeared
/ to be between two women and q man somebody
was thrown down heavily on the door and dragged
across the moor; to us IT seemed that somebody
IKE some heavy Cody VII hrown down Seard
smothered. distressed noise, az II OF some one cry
a q m ANA TN, S an
the whining. .::tressea noise heard nothing tr ssd
CIV ABOUT FORTUNE TELLEKs.
Mrs. Matilda Knowles testified that on Septem-
Der 2, 1873. the prisoner called at her house and
was on Tuesday evening"; she told witness then
tnar Maggie Hammil had gone away; the morn.
ing ioilo wing she came again to see me with her
baby and asked Tor my daughters; she carried q
| re tlcule with her, which she said her sister had
/ given her; and II my daughter would
/ not be offended she would give 1t to her witness
identified the reticule O. deceased as the article
| mentloned) on Thursday saw her again about
three O'CLOCK; sne said she had been TO her
mothers, but was going home. as ner husband
said she must 60 TO her own homo, no matter
what the consequences might be; saw her
during the ire tnar night, and she said,
'.Tnere is woman burned to death Ia
my room, and ! am AFRAID tr Is poor
Maggie Hammil;'' she sad Maggie called that