The New York herald., 1876-12-26
THE MICHIGAN HORROR.
WOMAN ACCUSED OF MURDER LIES IN BED
IN COURT DURING THE TEIAL-A SKETCH OF

A WOMAN ACCUSED oF MURDER LIES IN BED
IN COURT DURING THE TIIAL--A SKETCH OF
THE CRIME.
The sensation OF Northern Michigan Is the terrible
murder Al Chesannc, near Saginaw. Mich. woman
named smith loves young man named Alexander
They continue their Illicit love for than year
Smith, the husband. cross and Jealous They want
him out OF the way, and a plo, to murder him Is
planned Mrs Smith has a sister, just married to
one Cargin in New York State she hates Smith. and
so does her young husband Correspondence follows;
the letters destroyed They 10 Kill the Jeai.
ous husband and make q journey to Michigan Tor the
purpose Alexander is to stand by with trunk strap
for Cargin to choke Smith after he has been stunned
with club Al midnight while Mrs. smith Is lying
with her husband, Alexander leaves his hotel,
enters open window, meets Cargin and
his wife. who stopping In Smiths house.
Cargin gets the club and falls upon the sleeping smith,
who gives groan OF despair The guilty wife
arises softly goes her babe adjoining room,
and while the blows continue her husbands head,
while the trunk strap drawn around his sasping
throat she puts her ngers IN her ears and presses
the babo TO her BOSOM Smith IS killed after fright
fu struggle. Once he cries out and moans. Blood
flows from hts nose and mouth. The bed is saturated
with the blood. To romove all traces Of violence
Alexander and Cargn cut the plastcring from the wall
put II IN tho bed and carried the stil warm body on
the mattress Tho barn they pitch ton OF hay upon
It, then set fire to the barn in two piaces. While they
doing this the TWO women scrape the bloody door
and headboard in the house with pair OF scissors.
Suddenly danes burst from the roof OF the barn.
wild cries echo the midnight air. the neighbors
hurry from their beds only 10 see the rednot outlines
OF the barn sink into mass Of lame The women
scream and pull ther hair, and IN convulsive sobs
INFORM the appalled, listeners that poor Mr.. Smith went
out to look after his horses, when KICK rom ono OF
disabled h broke the lantern and set the barn
on lro On the day following that night Of sin and
shame the remnants OF the mattress were found and
other proofs that could not be explained away Then
Alexander, the Don Juan OF the tragedy, confessed,
Mrs smith corroborated his dreadful story and tho
trial began. Cagin just been convicted OF murder
in the nrst degree. The evidence against his vile 10
now before the jury, alter which Mrs smith and her
lover, Alexander viii take the prisoners stand.
Cargin declares his innocence; also his we's. She
says She sick and bod is allowed her in open
The following Is description OF the strange scene, as
given by the Saginaw Courier Of December 23:-
Yesterday proved to be an interesting day in the
Cargin-Smth murder trial aud considerable progress
made, though from present appearance II Is not
probable that the viii 20 10 the jury before Tues
day or Wednesday next Twelve witnesses were called
spectators smaller than common during the fore
noon, but after the noon recess every available space
OUTSIDE tho bar occupied. both on the loor and in
the gallery Deputy Sheriff Rice had plenty TO do to
keep the crowd from pressing forward and obslructng
the Wow OF the ladies occupying the seats fhe de-
fendant IS becoming generally known as the
BEAUTY
She still occupies her chair and recncs her
LETT side with her feet upon the rounds OF another
char or resting with limbs extended uil length n
the chair ITSELF she Is turned partially toward the
jury but only tho pointed right cheek and forehead
arc visible to them. Her eyes shut almost conn-
ually that impossible 30 get lair look at them,
and during tho whole day sho did not raise her head
from the pillow except as sue rose To 80 10 her cell.
One would naturally wonder what kind OF nature sho
must have TO remain SO unmovcd NJ tue startling and
blood curdling revelations made against her by tho
witnesses upon the stand. At times, when no one is
known her BIO observing she can be seen to peep
with her right eyo partially opened, tho
left being hidden from sight by the pillow. But the
moment she observes any person looking al her the
eye is quickly closed and remains so until she again
thinks herself unobscrvcd and at time she sits
reclines easy way the eager throng eaten
even glance at her.
Alter giving the testimony the reporter continues
A COURT
At this point IN the testimony Mrs. Cargn was
seized with OF her frequently occurring hts and
she began 10 gasp stretch sQuea and clutch empty
nothingncss with her outstrctched hands, ana at
William A. Clark Jr, laid his hand pcrsuadngly upon
hers and whispered forcibc uttcrances her
by which she was made to understand that IT wasn't
tho right time to put In III TO tho best effect and ad
vantage, whereupon she Instantly became quot.
Mrs Smith ut the close OF court was still on the
stand, and will be again this morning We could SEQ
percoptiblc change in her Testimony except as to
now facts, and ncr dcmcanor was about the Same as
tho former trial, except that she testified to her
criminal intimacy with Alexander with little moro
nerve than the lormcr trial, though yesterday IL
was inerspcrsed with occasional giggle