The New York herald., 1878-12-04
DEATH FOR TWENTY CENTS.
The Woman's Body Covered with
Cuts and Bruises.
A TOUCHING STORY.
Testimony Of Prisoners Little Children.
Who Saw the Tragedy.
ley TELEGRAPH TO THE HsnALp.l

BOSTON, Dec 8. 1873
On the eth day OF December, 1877. William Henry
Devlin, of Lowell TO his home and, after beinf
in the house some time had dispute with his wife
about twenty cents which resulted in high words and
led to personal alteration. From this it cama
to blows, and Deylin brutally assaulted his
wife. throwing her down, kicking hes
and otherwise assaulting her. Ho dragged
her by the hair Of her head the little in
which they were. stamped his heels on her skull.
stabbed her with knife and bruised and mangled
her person tha. she became unconscious and after
lingering until next day died Of her injuries 1t
one OF the most fcndsh murders that occurred in
this State for number Of years, and natur
ally excited public opinion in the city and
adjacent towns. Devlin promptly
rasted and lodged in jail Last June the Grand
Jury heard the evidence presented by the State and
found true bill against him for the murder Of his
wife, and he was rcmanded for trial before the De
cember term OF tho Supreme Court. to be held in
Cambridge. This morning the case was called in the
Supreme Court and jury impanelled. District At
torney Stevens opened the case for the governments
with a brief and forcible statement Of the facts.
TIL EVIDENCE.
The nrst witness called was Medical Examiner John
c. Irsh who explained the nature Of tho injuries the
results of the autopsy. &C., the court room having
been cleared for the purpose
Dr. Leonard Huntress. Jr., OF Lowell testified that
no assisted DIR. Irish in making the autopsy;
found great number of internal and ex.
ternol injuries think the injuries
except the cuts. which caused by sharp in
strument: there more than thirty bruises pro.
ducsd by separate blows: cannot account for the
injuries she received death occasoncd by loss Of
blood and the shock from the blows.
Abic w. sheldon grocer, of Lowell, tctsided -
Devlin's family traded with me; Devlin made fuss
about his wife borrowing twenty-five ccnts~o my
partner to have her tooth pulled; he displeascd
with it, and said he would sec about it. On
cross-examination by. Mr.. Gale witness ssid
We had an assignment Of Devlin's wages, therefor.
let his wife have the twcnty-nv cents inferred
from what he said that he thought his vito got the
money TO buy liquor with never ssw his wife drunk
wouldn't have let her have money for any such pur-
posc.
John r. Mccanerty captain Of police Of Lowell. tes-
tfeu ON the forenoon OF December TO- 1877 about
halfpast eleven o'clock in consequence Of what was
told. 1 went to tho house numbered IS Conn
mon street, Lowell; on % entering ! found .
passed through the kitchen to the bed.
room, and found the dead body Of woman
lying the floor; summoned the medical examiner,
who returned In company with the undertaken: in
the bedroom, near tho head Of the woman. VIC fouud
with blood and had also. apparently. been wet with
water; next saw Dcviin on tnc morning Of the llth.
Simeon II. Harris police oftcer. OF Lowell. testified
TO tho condition OF tho house and the finding Of the
bodies Of Mrs. Dcvlin and infant detailed by the
TESTIMONY OF THE PRISONERS CHILDREN.
John H. Dcvlin the ten-yearold of the prisoner,
bright. pretty and intelligent boy. next testified:
Father came home and asked mother did you bor-
row twenty-five cents up to the store r. she said
yes; he asked her what she wanted to get II
for; she said she got 1t to get tooth
pulled out with he then began beating
her. knocked her down stairs stamped on her with
his foot took her by the hair of the head stabbed her
in the head with Q shoemakers knife which he used
10 tobacco with; he also threw water to her:
we staid in bed all day Sunday. because
father would not let get up; Monday
morning father said he was going out in
the street. and gsve ten cents to spend father
told 60 to my grandmother. and tell her that
mother had fallen down stairs and broke her lcg tho
baby in mothers arms when father threw her
down the steps; father took the baby up and
laid IL two chairs, with . pillow under it..
Nellie Frances Devlin, the eight earold daughter
OF the prisoner testified substantially her brother
did. Tho little girl then narrated the following
touching incident while the father nervously
chewed his qud Of tobacco and far the rail
to catch the slightest accent of his own child.
who had risen mp in judgment against nil remem-
her when my mother died for got up in the night
and went 10 her; she called me to her and said.
Nellie, am dying-soodby; she asked
me to remember her % long as lived; then sha
kissed me, and then she dead; have lived with
the Sisters Of Charity since mother died.
At half-past Ave p. NJ. the Court adjourned until
half mast nine morning.