Eureka daily sentinel. [volume] (Eureka, Nev.) 1871-1887, 1876-12-15
THE DISTRICT COURT.
A woman on Trial for Her III

A woman on Trial for Her Life.
In the District Court yesterday Mary
Irwin alias "Hog.eye Mary" was put
on trial on a charge of murder in the
first degree. In September last the
defendant fatally stabbed Catherine
Miller in front of a saloon Oh North
Main street. Both We're women of the
town and both were VIGOROUSLY disco
lutte characters. The deceased was
known by the uncomplimentary soub-
riqact of "Bull Dog Kate" This cog
nomcn was a fair index Of her general
behavior and reputation. She was
much addicted to strong drink and had
a vile tongue. She had been FREE
qnentlv before the Police Court and
had served several terms i'm the County
Jail for boisterous conduct. Mary
Irwin, the defendant, was also in the
habit Of drinking to excess. There
was "a disagreement bet ween the two,
and meeting in a saloon the quarrel
was renewed. Each applied to the
other the vilest language that the i'm
agination can conceive OF; entirely too
rough to find place in the columns of
a respectable newspaper. Finally the
defendant backed out of the door dar-
ing the deceased to follow. The de-
ceased came, and then came, too, the
death struggle. Mary Irwin clutching
Kate Miller about the throat drove the
glittering dagger into her body several
tines, The victim the meanwhile rails
ing her hands in supplication and APP
pealing piteously for mercy. No nler-
cy was shown by her inflriated an
tagonist, and she sank helpless to the
ground, dying a few hours later. 1t is
proper to state here, in justice to the
defendant, that it was in evidence yes
terday hat threats had been made
against her life by tlse deceased,
said threats having be EN- brought to
the knowledge of the prisoner. Kate
Miller. however. being unari.ed, was
without the present ability to infiict
serious injury upon her a~ssailant,
this being the point on which the
ease should have turned. Soon after
the killing the defendant was lodged
in jail, where she has remained to
date. She Is not prepossessing i'll ap.
pearanee, whatever charms b may
have possessed having been obliter-
ated by a long career of dissipation.
Several of her friends of the demi
monde occupied seats by her yester-
dry in the court room, all apparently
taking Il lively interest interest in the
proceedings. While District Attorney
Merrill was feelingly ~recounting the
circumstances Of the homicide, we
noticed several times a tear stealing
down the cheek of the prisoner, dem
oustrating that Notwithstanding her
mode of life there was something
left of her better nature. The defense
was ably conducted by Hon. Thomas
Wren, and District Attorney Merrill
represented the State. The court
room WAS we'll filled throughout the
day with spectators. The following
gentlemen were impancled as jurors:
VIM. Cotfey. j. ". Brown, r. {. Cole
man. j. r.. Fulton. George L..
Smith. I. j. Nianpin, j. w. Callison,
l.. ;. Shingler, G. l.. Garfield, J. ID.
Bigelow. w. IL. Collins, and w. A.
Montgomery. The District Attorney
finished the summing up of the case
at 10 minutes pas s o'clock, when
Judge Cole proceeded to deliver his
charge, the same being elaborate, able
aud impartial. The officer vas then
sw0rn aud the jury retired TO deliber-
ate on its verdict, while the prisoner
was returned to her quarters in the
jail At midnight the jury was stiA
ns,f