The New York herald., 1876-10-19
MRS. HOUSE ACQUITTED,
The Jury After Six Hours Find
Her Not Guilty.
GOD TOLD ME So"
Attorney General Vanatta on
THAT Creedmoor Shot"
TRrxrox, N. j., Oct. Is, 1870.

Last evening at nftesn minutes past seven O'CLOCK
Me jury in tho Of lrene House. who was trial
Tor staying her husband, Orson A. House. came into
souFt. after absence of hours and half with
vsrdict OF aquitsal for the prisoner. During the
day and shortly alter twenty minutes to
enc O'Clock, the time when the jury retired
partially understood BY tho knowing ones 10 tho
and In the saloons in the vicinity to which
he Jerseymsn retired TO drink applcjack. that 1t
would be difficult for the jury to convict the
prisoner Mrs. House came into court accompanied
By her iather-a tall with small face dressed
black cothingat carly hour, and sat OF the
lime talking and laughing with her counsel Mr. Green
In fact TO look at her, she sat near the
able bslow the Judges bench, with her merry mood
Upon her. tanning her face with cheap Japanese fan
20 would imagine that she trial for killing
Husband. Jersey justice is said TO be very STRICT
but in this the cuprit was found not guilty
OF manslaugnter, though the crime not
denied st any stage of tho case. "Brad" House,
who has become notorious in connection with
his dead brothers wife, was also in court.
and occupied himself going about whining that tho
newspapers would not do him justice and that he had
proposed marriage TO her. but that she had pro-
posed marriage to him He acknowledged that he
TO get tho money lott by his brother in conversation
with the HERALD reporter. and said that ho "a
kind o'taiked marriage to the selfmade widow with
that object in view But he said that ho had beon
warned to not do so foolish thing
to marry Irene by her sister, who said
that Irene not right in her head. "Brad" also
stated beiag his OATH that rene," he called
her, had preto aded deed OF farm in the town 0.
Virgil CORTLAND County, N. " which had beon signed
In blank by the pistocd husband, but which had been
nlled by the herself illegally In this
ful, complaining way Brad talked to the reporters
and gave every one present idea that he
: little deficient in tho quality OF backbone.
He gave the impression that he was the injured man
and not the who had been killed, the Attorney
General stated, with aim worthy OF Croedmoor.
And during this time the prisoner in her deep black
dress, which overhung by enormous veil,
which she adjusted about four an hour, threw
her lovely bue eyes all the court and tear
into the Of her eye whenever the Attorney
General paid his respects in severe way to her.
Seldom has . moro beautiful, moro charming looking
more innocent appearing woman appeared in court
ali kinds Of stories were floating about In regard to
her, and while tho jury out, and while she tanned
herself and chatted in humorous way with her
Bel, these stories related by the quidnuncs
with considerable gusto. But tho soraphic
expression the cuprt's faco gave tho lie TO all
these stories and whenever she lifted her white hand,
SO shapely In form, TO her forehead, or shook her
QAuQkeICnleI, mOVeO
fully thrill OF sy mpa.hy went through the hearts OF
the rough-looking Jerseymen, who felt almost ready
to applaud with their solidy- -huilt cowhide boots
Attorney General vanatta in his argument,
did not in any detail OF the crime
spare her, ana he was quite ncisive when he asked
how many men could pretty or fascinating woman
be permitted to kill without being punished. Never
during the long. weary waiting of hours and half
court room did she seem to lose her SELF
possession. To those who came to her sne
eonversed freely and with high spirits and who
spoke to he1wss certain the unfortunate
woman that It would be .a right" when the jury
came back. AT little before six O'Clock the court
room began TO grow dim, and the light from the win
dows darkened, and the buzz in the big room fell to
lower Key The people who waited we're, OF them,
friends OF the old Van Sant father Of Irene. and
shsre a number OF young girls, with tho usually
vacant ana insipid expressions that are to be
seen in any court room Mt murder trial There
had been a trial OF negro, during the absence Of
Irene's jury, Tor stabbng a white man at picnic in
the village OF Pennington, IN August last, and the
white man sat in court and was looking quite WELL
But that did not save the negro His jury
went out and back with conviction in 1fteecn
minutes. Just about dark Ers House felt tho neces-
sity of taking supper. and LETT the court with her
father and she walked up the street her homo-a
short distance-she met woman of middle age and
humble appearance. whom she recognized Ircne
lett her fathers arm for . moment, and
sprang on her friend, kissing her repeatedly
and showing considerable emotion. At seven O'Clock
It announced that the jury had agreed. and the
court room, which had been dark and empty. was
now brilliant with gas jets and began to fill again with
she tramping OF cowhde boots. Irene .er father
came in and sat down opposite the reporters a. every
of whom she looked with slow delberation Tho old
Chief Justice took his seat behind the bench and again
the lovely eycs OF the prisoner elevated
his in q sympathizng way Then the jury rooped in,
and her eyes scanned every OF them, hardly
missing q line furrow in their twelve
faces The iathcr trembed little, but the wrists OF
thc daughter, pecping out from the folds Of her
sleeves, they rested the black
surface OF the table, from which the
lawyers expound the statutes OF New Jersey were as
nrm and steady as If they were of marble. She then
knew, It was said afterward, by some mysterious
means only known to that wondrous piece OF mcchan-
ism her female heart, that she acquitted,
for she had just asked the County Clerk,
Moore. what the chances and, being
told that they were no understood quito favorable,
sne said dulcet whisper, IL knew it; God told mo
So" "who shall say IL for you 2" asked tho clerk to
10 the jury, and they answered in voice. The iore
man." Then the verdict announced, "Not
guilty. and all the cowhide boots stamped
violently while It seemed as II she would
faint for moment and her body swayed little. but
she bit her lips and stood hrm Then the father camo
forward ana took the hand Of each juryman Lvho IN
his turn gwen the hand Of Mrs. House. and a smile
from her lips and large eyes OF blue as The Same
instant She shook hands with all OF tho
Jury but one man, and he seemed 70 avoid II In tmd
tashon not at all shared by the eleven others All
bong Irene and her father passed. into tho
street. Her counsel asked for her discharge, which
was granted by Chief Justice Bcaseiy.
--
PROCEEDINGS or THE COURT.
the address by the Attorney General lasted two
hours II full Of and research and very ex.
planatory OF the law touching the He at times
became eloquent and warm in his remarks, and his
speech throughout attracted strict attention and
doubtedly left deep impression Tho charge OF the
Chief Justice pithy and lasted only half an hour
He simply laid down the law in tho and read the
axidcncc Of TWO or threa OF Tho nrincnnI itnehsez