The New York herald. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1840-1920, 1875-09-03
ACCUSED OF MATRICIDE.

case of painfully absorbing interest was nvesti-
gated yesterday afternoon In his office by Coroner
Croker. 1t was that Of the Thomas Callahan, who
arrested last Sunday night the fearful suspicion
of having caused his mothers death at No $50 South
Fifth by beating her while both she and the
happy son under the baneful influence of strong
drink
The prisoner appeared in custody Of police officer
He is apparently about twenty eight years of
age, medium height, slight why build, light
plexion, sharply cut features blue eyes, and bearing
marked expression of decision about the mouth. His
well developed forehead might be classed with the
category known intellectual and altogether looks
most unlike what might fancy murderer to be- His
two sisters in the court The elder is a stoutsh
woman of twenty-five twenty-six and the younger
Mary Callahan, principal witness in the case, is pre-
possessing young girl of about fourteen years old She
has look of intelligence about her. but from the sad
of demeanor-perhaps attributab to the crcum
stances connected with her mothers death-impresses
the beholder with the conviction that she led
very unhappy life.
The first witness called colored woman named
Annie Walker She testified to living at No 1873 South
Fifth avenues knew the deceased about year; saw her
last alive day last week. Mrs. Callahan had been
drinkng the deponent found the deceased dead her
room; young girl named Maria Sawyer eats at the
house with deponent; Sawyer did not get to the
deponents house Saturday night, and the latter
went to seek her Mrs Callahans floor, in the grs
room; this the top floor front of the house
No 1S9 South Fifth avenue; deponent asked how Mrs
Callahan was; Miss Sawyer said she did the de-
ceased and deponent said she would go and see her;
the witness opened the door of Mrs Callahan's room
and did not at first tho occupant; she
looked again and perceived the window
a bundle of dirty Clothes from which human foot
protruded the witness exclaimed 'Why she is dead 10
knew she dead for she uncovered her from under
pile Of dirty clothes and old dresses; uncovered her
face; II was all covered up with calico dress brought
round that way Showing by motion how IL twisted
about the head of dece9sed the deponent then gave
the alarm; Mrs. Callahan's had "run orr his
little sister the night before; deponent had officer
called and then went to seek the girl and brought her
to the room when the deceased came TO deponent's
place last week she complained of PAIN in her side
from fall at the time of finding the body the room
was great disorder and the door OPEN as if it had
been forced the deceased in the habit Of drinking
to excess.
P1ErRo GRoIA
being sworn, testified through an Italian Interpreter
that he lived next room TO that of the deceased
her at halfpas three p. NJ Saturday; she was
intoxicated and lying down in Italian place at the
basement; did not afterward any in her room
until half past ten O'Clock that night when the son and
daughter of deceased into her room; that time
the went to bed the of deceased carry
rags out of their Saturday afternoon, and
on Sunday morning bed,a mattress; afterward saw
the prisoner carry away clohes the colored woman"
went into deponent's and asked where deceased
was; he answered that he did not know;
THE PRISONER WAS DRUNK
always when his mother was
KATIE CALLAHAN
daughter Of the deceased testified to the following ef
the dece&ed; lived with mother sister and brother
Thomas Callahan on the top floor; saw her mother
last alive between and two O'Clock Sunday MORN
ing; she was lying down on the floor; the brother
scoded witness in the evening, about eight O'Clock; did
not go to bed that night; her brother told her go
away; he went down stairs and under the innu-
of liquor after eight O'Clock the witness
q neighbours house and stayed there until twelve
she went out of the because her brother scoded
her and called her names; he had trouble with his
mother; they had been drinking together all tho
morning; on coming back the deponent went
up stairs and found the deceased lying on the
floor and prisoner lying the bed both deceased and
prisoner awoke up about the time and began to
scot deponent; she ran down to the soop, and tile
prisoner down after her. she lay down the stoop
and slept; the prisoner was intoxicated
HAND
to strike deponent with; first heard Of her mothers
death in the house of Mrs Hugs next door to where
they lived, at ten minutes after twelve Sunday morn
ing; the prisoner threatened to choke deponent; the
prisoner had struck deceased in the face body
when in liquor her brother in the habit of taking
things out the house to pawn them; he had been alb
sent from home, and said he working in Albany or
Troy; he had been four five days at home when this
fouble occurred; the prisoner had sometimes struck
deceased and the latter retaated the colored
found deceased dead at ten minutes before twelve
Sunday morning. the prisoner said twice. in the house
OF Mrs Hugs, 81 think my mother is going TO die"
CAPTAIN CHARLES M'DoNATD,
being Said:-I am Captain of the Eighth police
precinct about hafpast twelve O'Clock last Sunday
night II was reported that woman had been found |
front ROOM top floor and found covered with heaps of
cothing only foot protruded out of the heaps the
face and body of the corpse covered with bruises;
out of the house, description of him given and |
he arrested by officer Hendricks, who took him |
knew of his mothers death; he said mo" |
but that he had beaten her not with any |
weapon, but with his fists, on Saturday; /
after beating her he returned the night |
and took some things away, among them clock and /
bed which he pawned in Grand street. South Fifth
avenue; the things pawned are now in the Eighth |
precinct station house.
The statement of Dr. Cushman who had examined
the body of Mrs Callahan after death was then read
1t in substance as folows:-
Externally bruises found the front of both
legs and the right thigh and hip and the
of blood found beneath the scalp the right
temporal bone. compound fracture of the fourth rib
the left side and simple fracture of the fifth, |
sixth and seventh ribs the right side shown.
The left peural cavity contained about sixteen ounces Of
fluid blood. Death, in the opinion of Dr. Cushman,
caused by shock from the injuries above described
The prisoner. Thomas Callahan, upon being asked if
he had anything TO say, ntimaed that being ga poor
hand to talk, he would for the present abstain from
making any statement
At minutes after three O'Clock the jury retired
and returned fourteen minutes later with verdict
The foreman said they found that the prisoner chad
HIS MOTHERS DEATH"
The Coroner was not satisfied with this singular
rendering OF the jury's opinion. In explanation the
jury stated their inability to believe that the prisoner
had deliberately killed his MOTHER she had been drink
ing and fell down stairs but they thought that his treat
of the deceased contributed to hasten her death
The verdict being unsatisfactory because lacked clear
ness the jury were allowed TO retire for further debera
ton After remaining out for about eight minutes they
returned with the following written verdict
VERDICT.
Mary Callahan came to her death by injuries in
cted on the ribs and other parts of her body at the
hands Of her son. Thomas Callahan, at No. 1S9 South
Fifth avenue, on the 2Sth of August, 1875
After the verdict had been read the officer in charge
of the accused handcufed him. Then it that his
feelings got the better of him and he wept bitterly
His sisters, who sitting a bench him,
burst into tears and sobbed If their hearts would
break. The elder one, in particular, made no at
tempt to conceal her vehement grief The was
painfully impressive and affecting
The prisoner was removed to await the action Of the
Grand Jury.