Wilmington daily commercial., 1875-11-16
THE CHADWICK WIFE MURDER.
TRIAL OF TEE CASE AT NEW CAS-
TIE.
TESTIMONY OF THE STATES W.T.
NESS.
MR.. BAYARD ASKS AN ABANDONMENT o.
THE CASE.

Our telegraphic report OF the Court proceed
ings, yesterday, broke Off when Attorney-Gen-
eral Pennington began to address the Jury in
opening before them the case OF the State in the
Chadwick wife murder trial.
Mr.. Pennington opened by saying that the duty
which they were called upon to discharge was one
seldom falling to the lot OF man. Here WAS
case of murder between husband and wife, where
the relations ought to be Of the most sacred
character. Mr.. p. then defined murder from
the books showing the distinction between NAL
ice express and implied, saying that from the
evidence the State expected to prove the verdict
would be one Of murder in the lst or End degree.
he next recited the facts in the case which he
expected to establish by evidence charging that
Mrs Chadwick died from the effects of blows at
the hands OF her husband. Then witnesses were
called for the State, Daniel Farra being the first
to give plot OF Chadaicks premises.
Hannah A. Chadwick, sworn | am the
daughter Of the prisoner was living at home on
April 2Gth father had been to Philadelphia /;
came home about ii or II O'Clock that night /;
when he came home my mother was with me in
the sitting room my sister was in bed IN the
I'd story he had been drinking l could tell by
his looks; mother was diseDgaged when he
came in lie sat down and looked at my mother
and said to her. "you have been drinking
she replied, 81 IL you say that again / will raise
the neighborhood !" he said it again and she got
up and went into the entry when she got to
the door she fell she then went to rear door
and putting both hands on it she screamed
' murder !" my father called to her to come
back she left there and went to door
on 4th street; father followed her; he went out
into the street where he met Mr.. Green who
said something to him; he said go away and
tend to your own AFFAIRS Green then struck
father and he then put Green upon the ground,
not striking him; | observed mothers head
bleeding that night and next morning; she told
me to get papa and he came and put court plas-
ter on, which stopped the bleeding; she died the
following Tuesday week; Friday night after the
assault she got to drinking again and said ''she
wished something would happen;" next morning
she was taken sick and she said she had the
erysipelas my father wanted to lget doctor;
she said mo, would rather die !" after per
suading her, DR.. Fields was called in all the
time she was sick she complained Of severe
pain in her stomach the day father was absent
mother had been drinking she sent my brother
for it mother had been drinking for FIVE or six
years my father had no weapon in his hand ;
he did not strike her at all be did not take hold
OF her rudely the next morning she asked me
what she had been doing the night before as
she remembered nothing but fall ; on Wednes-
day she helped about the house on Thursday
she WAS moving about and sent for more liquor.
and Oh Friday she was preparing flavor for ice
cream ; Oh Saturday che went to bed mother
did not fall down the porch steps she was not
out on the porch she would scream at times
when no one was near.
The Court here took recess until 3 r. NJ
Matilda Chadwick sworn: Am sixteen and
daughter OF prisoner reside with him on the
night Of April 26th was in bed got up in the
night but don't know what time when | came
down stairs saw mother and sister in the entry ;
they were going to the front father was in the
sitting room mothe r fell backwards and sister
helped her up mother and sister went out on
the street there were no lamps in the hall but
lamp was III the sitting room | went out with
mother and sister front, and raped at Mrs
Palfreys door; she asked me if a police had
charge Of my father said "no, it was Mr.
Green /" / heard both mother and
sister Hannah cry murder !" | don't know what
time it was my lame sister awakened me next
day mother helped wash the witness here cor
roboratedher sister statements to her moth
er helping with the work about the house for
the rest Of the week, her fathers kindness in
| attending to her cut head, and testified to her
mothers drinking habits and her continued
drinking for the week following the 2lst Of
April Saturday morning after the Goth mother
had the eryspelas Sunday and Monday she
was better Tuesday she was worse and ,com-
| planned of pain in chest and cough father
was attentive and kind TO her she had no
| marks on her where he struck her for he never
| touched her on the night of the 2Gth She died
| on Wednesday, May 9th, at o'clock.
| Amelia Briggs testified in substance as fol-
| lows Lived next door to Chadwick heard
noises the night of April 2G, between Chadwick
| and wife, about IL q O'Clock was aroused by
cries Of murder and bells ringing raised the
/
| porch whom / recognized by their voices to be
| Chadwicks wife and two daughters screaming
Z" murder, open the door, he'll kill US to night p
| heard them humping on the door Chadwick
was inside and l could hear him through the
partition wall talking Chadwick came out
three times twice he came out and each time
| Mrs O. fell the girls running to the end Of the
| porch the third time he came out
| saw something thrown over the porch railing
| on the pavement below, and heard Mrs Chad
l vii 90 fba
under the porch saw Chadwick next front,
and Mrs. Chadwick leaning against the railing
| Chadwck's daughters were there, and one went
| and knocked at Palfrey's door some men were
| on Chadwick's steps demonstrating with him
he ordered them OIL OF the pavement
| Mrs. Chadwick said nothing l saw
what l supposed to be blood on Mrs. Chadwick Il
| face and shoulders was at my back window Is
| or;20 minutes after heard Mrs. C's voice under
| the porch heard her again on the porch saying
"Open the door, oh my head, oh my arm !" saw
| her next leaning against the railing front and
that was the last time saw her; the night was
| neither dark nor light from the back porch to
| the pavement ID about feet.
VIM. A. Green testified in substance as fol-
| lows; Going along Fourth near Orange, on the
night of the 2Gth of April heard cries of murder;
when got opposite Chadwicks saw Chadwick,
wife and daughter in the entry; they appeared
| 10 bel scuiiling; stepped up on the step and
said, ''Bill, WHAT'S the natter; Chadwick asked
| me why interfered in hisbusiness, and ordered
| me of saw Mrs. Chadwick the railing; she
was leaning; he ordered me of his steps, and
went out to the curb; Chadwick knocked me
| down then and / fell on my side and shoulder;
some strangers came along and took him off
me- saw some blood .on Mrs. Chadwicks face;
| think there was a light in the hall; could not
recognize any voices in the hail. there seemed to
| be scu1ng noise there when | first came up;
did not hear anything they said; l had been
| drinking that night myself 30 ] could feel it;
| Chadwick was intoxicated.
Albert Richardson, Peter G. Hutchinson and
wife we're called but appeared to know nothing
OF the occurrence.