The New York herald., 1878-11-19
THE FERRON MURDER.

TIE JURY FIND THE PRISONER, WRIGHT, GUILTY
OF MURDER IN THE SECOND DEGREE-HE Is
SENTENCED TO IMPRISONMENT FOR LIFE.
The Court of Oyer and Termincr. Of Kings county.
Judge Gilbert and associate judges presiding.
sumed the trial of John N. Wright the murderer of
Bernard Ferron, the boatman OF tho Erie breakwater
yesterday afternoon. Colonel f. I. Wood, of counsel
for the prisoner. proceeded to sum up. In opening
his speech he dilsted upon the circumstance that
Wright was but poor sailor boy who
had no relatives present TO look after his
interests. He therefore, naturally looked to
the jury to give him his rights. He then
cited various authorities to show the signif-
cance of the various grades Of manslaughter and the
penalty attached thereto. This young man. the
prisoner was lett alone on the boat. which his
home. He left in charge OF his employers prop
ery and believing himself to be in danger Of receiy-
ing bodily harm at the hands of the deceased he
killed the man, and justified in doing Only
two witnesses had been produced by the District At
torney who identified the body as that of Ferron.
The prosecution. counsel held, ailed to identify the
articles found the body. The best proof
Of lack OF reconciliation the part of the prisoner
to commit murder was his throwing the body over
into the little puddle the Erie Basin where there
but three feet OF water at low tide. The rope TO ound
in the mouth Of Ferron had been placed there by four
boys who rowing boat in the East River and
who threw rope about the head of the deceased and
tried to pull the corpse ashore but failed Counsel
occupied three hours and quarter in summing up.
and after District Attorney Catn proceeded
to address the jury fs
General Catlin spoke for about three hours. He
denied that the parents OF the "boy" poor, and
commented upon Wrghts story of the details attend
ing tho murder as highly improbable He called at
tention to the indifferent manner of the prisoner,
who had exhibited less feeling throughout the trial
than he the District Attorney had witnessed In
person charged with crime wrights evidence he de-
noNnced as IAN unlawful. wilful and murderous
falsehood."
Shortly before i've o'clock Judge Gilbert delivered
the charge to the jury, In which he said criminal
painful to the mind. but there was, nevertheless
duty TO be performed Wright young in fact but
boy, when Ferron was killed. II was not an .un.
y criminal charge, and charges OF murder not
confined to any particular age or class. It was
but he thought the facts had not been fully
brought out on the evidence There had been. how
ever enough shown to enable the jury to make up
brief the evidence bearing on the disappearance OF
Ferron on March Is. and the finding Of the body
the @ evidence that the body recovered was that Of
Ferron. TO make it justihable homicide 1t
nas nSs Ss ssssS BODILY for the h.m s to s
be sustained by other proof. circum-
stances. The relative size of the men must
prisoner, and lame. Judge Gilbert then in
strncted the jury in regard to the different grades
Of murder. II they believed that the prisoner in
tended to kill Fcrron without any proyocation then
il murder in the hrst degree. II the killing
done unnecessarily and without proyocaton, thon it
was murder in the second degree. Manslsugllter
in the third degree tho involuntary
or accidental killing of man while he
trcspassng, which the theory in
this case. The jury should judge from the evidence.
upon which they are to draw their own inference
to the intention. His Honor. in concluding, reminded
the jury that while it would be gratifying to acquit
the prisoner yet they had duty to perform, and he
was entitled to no sympathy whatever.
The jury retired 70 deliberate at half-past five
o'clock. They had been out but few minutes whom
they sent down the Court and asked that the skull
and the hammer be sent up to them.
The jury after absence Of two hours returned to
the court with verdict OF murder in the
second degree
Judge Gilbert. who was in the Court. then called
the prisoner before the bar and passed upon
him. telling him that his youth had
probably saved him from . verdict the
penalty of which gould have becn death. He
then sentenced him to the State Prison
for the term OF his natural life. The
prisoner dropped his head and sank into
chair. turning quite PALE and manifesting the first
emotion he has exhibited since his trial commenced
Ho was removed 10 the Raymond street Jail.