The daily gazette., 1878-05-11

IT, L
wouldn't hurt me; he was always kind to
me and the other children, and was u.s.
ually kind TO mother only when she was
Intoxicated: father has not been drunk
much through the winter but of late the
sprees have been more frequent; he was
sick through the winter and he had then
the same look Of wildness that he had on
Friday last.
AT 1:20 Court took a recess.
AFTERNOON SESSION.
Court re-assemb bled at O'Clock.
Thomas murder case resumed.
Charles Brickle sworn: Am police
officer in the city of Wilmington. 1t
Was 20 o'clock that was told to go to
the house of Thomas; it was on April
9th; went right out to Thomas house
found him there saw his wife lying in
the room upstairs the house was open
and no one else about. The first place l
observed blood was on the steps going
up stairs, on the second or third step from
the bottom; l also observed blood on the
knob Of the front door inside when / re-
turned on my second visit. Thomas ,sssis
then IA the hall when i went up stairs,
after saw tue blood, i saw Thomas and
said "what in the name of God have you
done, John "-I always called him John
He said, 81 have cut my wife's throat
and cut my own !" thought he then was
talking to him for while / found he
wasn't dying. l took him by the arm,
led him into the kitchen and seated him
until went out to see if the carriage
was ready; 1 then returned and helped
him from his seat; he then walked out to
the entry; the only conversation was
when L said ait wa, serious affair."" and
he repeated eyes, 1t Is serious affair"
When L found Thomas he was in the
back room with his head thrown back
against the door; he was in full view of
the body of his wife, being but five or
ten feet between him and the dead body
Mrs. Thomas was lying there in the front
room with her throat cut, with blood all
around the wound; found one Of the ra-
zors about two feet from her head and
the other was lying on the floor near the
washboard, some distance from her knee;
there was great deal of blood ON tho
floor, up stairs; the carpet was saturated.
Cross examined Thomas looked as
If he was under the influence of liquor;
he was not as i have seen him; when
we got him in the wagon he got raving,
swearing and cursing the whole way into
the hall once he went to get out, but /
didn't think he knew what he was doing.
the blood was clotted around his neck
and on his breast did say he was either
drunk or had the Grams" This specimen
of the vernaculor used in police circles
not being exactly expressive of the con-
dition OF the man to the idea of the court
the witness had to explain what he meant
by the ''rams."
The counsel for defence having admit
ted that the deed was committed by
Thomas, the State rested the case and
Mr. Gray opened in an elaborate argu-
ment ON the part of the defence. 1 would
not, he said, conceal from you if l could,
the sense of extreme responsibility that
oh mi iln ri faar hafn xnt n
in the cause ofthe unfortunate prisoner
at the bar. l feel it thoroughly; feel it
more than / know how to express. 1
therefore take it upon myself to say to
you as a man addressing his fellow man
on a solemn occasion such as has never
been my experience to learn of its equal.
This responsibility is increased ten fold
by the conviction that occupies my heart
a. to the complete defense that interposes
against this most horrible charge; increa-
sed ten fold because l feel that perhaps
some word said by me to their Honors or
to this jury, or perchance one word left
unsaid, many prejudice the cause that
has been placed in my hands.
Gentlemen, / with you, and every
man, every intelligent man in the com
munity was one short month ago, shocked
with shuddering horror at the recitalmade
here from that witness stand tonight. L
felt as no doubt you and every fair min
ded citizen felt, that feeling or horror
upon its reception in every honest AVA
kened heart, of won't say revenge
but perhaps VindictivenesS, that swift and
condign punishment should be visited
upon that man. But it is the glory of our
system-the crowning glory of civiliza-
ton under which we live, that the all
ministration ofjustice is never in hot
blood
No feeling that fl lis the breast ofthese
witnesses of the scene can occupy the
breast of those who are sworn to try this
case. 1t is justice that is administered
here. l rejoice to tell you that no one
who bears the heart, the form or the
semi blance of II man could ever have
struck the blow that deprived this poor
woman of her life; no not while reason
retained its throne and held domin-
ion over his actions. No, gentlemen,
| il was because that reason had abdicated
its throne, because he was there the wild
| creature of the impulses that were throb-
bing through his heart that night that the
| foul deed was done. L will show you
that he was driven by the demon that had
possession of his brain that made him
| something else than that responsible
being that the law will punish.
This man is not native of our coun-
! try, but was born in Cardiff, Wales, and
as the custom In that country followed the
same occupation as did his long line of
ancestry ne is blacksmith and a re-
markably skilled one at that. He went
to Australia, and from there he came to
this country, leaving his wife behind
him; but subsequently sent for his family
and settled amongst us. Even since he
has been in this country he has been in
the employ of the Harlan & Hollings-
worth Company, After he came here
the curse of every household wherein it
should light, took possession, the blight
of intemperance. His wife took to drink
ing, up to the time of this unhappy event
he has had no home of his own, in the
sense woman alone can giveit.
He has been obliged to follow her
around in the lanes and streets of the city,
and has been seen carrying her home
when she has been in these debauches..- He
has also been known to seek and carry
her from among the hedges; and upon
one instance after searching long and
well he found her in the almshouse, and
he then promised to let her stay there
and pay her board if it would cure her OF
| intemperance.
| We have to regret to say that he COM
mitted that ineffable folly of resorting to
liquor himself, in order to drown his sor-
rows. During last winter, as is always
| tI,a naoa x.yban ri x,aY, hp af IN al