The New York herald. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1840-1920, 1875-06-17
BROOKLYN COURTS.
COURT OF OYER AND rERMINER-THE NINTH
STREET TRAGEDY-TRIAL OF MRS. SARAH C.
MERRIeAN FOR THE MURDER OF MARGARET


COURT OF OYER AND rERMINKR-rE NINTH
STREET rRAaEDY-TRIAL OF MRS. SARAH c.
MERRIeAN FOR THE MURDER OF MARGARET
HAdMIII.
Before Judge Pratt.
The Kings County Court OF Oyer and Terminer
was crowded yesterday morning by the motley
asscmblaee usually present at criminal trials In
anticipation OF tue beginning OF tue second Trial
OF Mrs. Sarah @. Merrigan for the alleged murder
or Miss Margaret Hammili which had been
postponed from Monday In consequence OF
Messrs Tracy and Ready. counsel for the defence,
being engaged in the Tton-Beecher case. JUS
tice Pratt presided. ssorty before eleven O'Clock
the prisoner was brought into the cour. room In
company with her mother and little daughter,
the latter wearing pretty pink suit Mrs
Merrigan looked much thinner than on the
occasion OF her first TRIAL She has suffered
greatly from her two years. Incarceration IN
Raymond Street Jail, which was described by the
last Grand Jury OF Kings county as possessing all
the horrors OF the Black Hole OF Calcutta, and
looked careworn ana emaciated. She was neatly
dressed in black aud occupied seat between her
counsel, General Tracy and p. Ready, ana her
mother, holding her enid In her arms.
At eleven O'Clock, when the case was called,
District Attorney Britton addressed the Court
aud said that as he had. after mis- removal from
onice been consulted In reference 70 the case by
one OF the counsel for the deiepce he did not thnE
II proper for MIN TO prosecute IL. The case oil The
People would be presented by his assistant, Mr..
Moore, who, ne tnought, was entirely capable Of
taxing charge OF Il. The empanelment Of jurors
Jury was obtained :-Charies Delapicrre, No. 567
Carton avenue; Christian Qusritlms, CanarsIe;
W. 4. Colt, No. 176 Livingston street;
Joseph +. Mavson, Myrtle avenue and Bridge
David T. Bos sortn. No. e63 Cumberland street;
George Remington, NO. l33 Ptospect street;
Lincoln, No. rs Gates avenue, and simon Brown,
FlaJlGnus.
the case or the people. he began BY saying that
the prisoner and her victim had been schoolmates
at tue Convent Of Our Lady Of charity at the
foot Of East Ninetietn street, New lOrk during
tne war. About The time they lett school Miss
Hammlps iather DIED, leaving ner large guam
tlty OF real estate, part OF which was located ia
Williamsburg. Miss Hammill resided mp town in
New York. Meanwhile her schoolnaie, sarah T.
Dodge, mad married mechanic named Merrigau,
and mad gone 10 i've In the rear tene-
ment house No. 1919 Ninth street Williams
burg Mrs. Merrgan complained constantly to
her neighbours OF her poverty and often wished
Tor wealth. Mes Hamm collected the rents OF
nsr houses anu on gong 70 fy ,Cr Sna'
/ derngsn. on the I'd daJ OF september, 1873,
Miss hammill lett ner nome IN New YORK SAYING
that she was going to see Mrs. Merrigan In VIII
lamsbCrg. That AFTERNOON she was seen Dy
some OF the nelghbors 10 enter the apart
or the rear house. No. 1879 Ninth street. Later Ia
the day a scunling noise was ueard in Mrs. Mer-
NOISE, wHich continued about d teen minutes, was
iOl owed nv 4 fall and then all became quiet In
the evening Mrs. MerrlRan went away ana
spent that night at the n0use OF ner mother,
complaining 70 netgh0or as she lett
the house that she was quite NJ. The next
day she returned with two boys hired room on
the nrst moor. aud empoged the boys TO remove
the furniture from the 'front.' room on the second
floor TO the newly-edsed apartment. They took
most OF the furniture away, but left Kerosene
lamp ana table. Wne tney were IN tEe 'front.'
room they noticed peculiarly unpleasant odor.
which appeared 20 come from the rear apartment,
and asked MIRA MerrIgan the cause % ~ she replied
tnat a cat had brought a piece Of decayed meat
there and that was the reason sac was going to
move out. Mrs. Merrigan gave the bows some
money which tney purchased beer with. MISS
Hammill mad not been seen since the I'd inst. On
the evening OF the Atm Of september some Of the
nctgAbOrs saw smoke issuing from the windows
Ot ldrs. Merrigan's apartments on the second
nOor she in the yard ana Sney called her at
tentiOn TO l.. A Inan was ascending the STAIRS 10
extingusn the nre, when she told MIN that there
MAS kerosene up there aud he mad uetter not go,
as he mi mt get nurt. When asked II any one was
III the room where the IRE WAS she
said yes. poor Maggie hammIll Is up
there; she came over from New York lntoxi-
Gated ana must nave upset inc Iamp.' An alarm
Of nre Had Deen sounded, and upon the arrival oil
the nremen a Ladder was placed against
the walls. upon ascending II the fire.
men found the blinds tied together vita cords,
out nnally succeeded In forcing entrance. On
y beds,esd IN the centre OF the room was blazing