The sun. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1833-1916, 1878-05-07
WRIGuT'S TERRIBLE CRIME.
yor M RIhLED orr BfRNEr, THE
uotruIN, AND mn ms HODT
,turdcrrr'. Ncw Version Of the KILLING
me right for i.iic In f." scho"ncr's Cabin
,rn. ,,uv Srarri, Of Hrooi,iyn'. Police
,,",,h, Held for the Grand JurS's Action.

r.hl- haired, hcardlrss boy, wearing n |
~. .in. "a b,ur embroidered shirt and II |
vi, worn suit ol brown, WIS taken in u coach |
m,D, Van Brint street police station in
,.n,yi Yesterday. To- Justice Ferry's court In
r,i.r street. 10 answer To- the charge Of muir
,~.,,. Hrrnnrd Fcrron. the river Spectator.
.h..eiu,iy was found on April 2G. anchored to
m.ha,om of the Erie lnsin with ono hundred
.f ship iron. Tho prisoner, John NJ
rs.l, A seminar. was arrested on Thursday
10. p NJ on the schooner Abbic NJ. Hodg-
oan a, the foot OF Fify-scvcnth street. North
,i,cr Thcpolicc got on his track n few days
.tcr thc discovery Of tho body. and were salts
cod,bot he was ut least one OF tho murdercrs
.uspectiag at that time that there were at least
,uo men concerned In the crime The identity
ofihe schooner Mary B. Harris. on which the
murder WAS committed. was fixed.
Gee W. Jcwctt the mate OF the schooner. who
had quilted her on account Of quarrel with
tho Captain, assisted the police In the search
for Wright and Ernest Talbot. the only mcm-
bers Of the crew Of the 1Iarr These men
werc on different vessels. rapidly moving from
one port TO another. and apt to leave their
schoonors Mt any point never to be heard OF
again. Tho Abbie Hodgman was traced to Bos
ton thence to Portland whore she took load OF
deal for New York. Her arrival was anxiously
Wednesday night. and on Thursday Wright
was arrested. He was not told Of the charge OF
murder and seemed to think that he was
wanted for theft.
It's always my luck" he said. IT'S those
four shirts and six pocket handkcrchofs that
have got me into trouble now"
When President Jourdan OF tho Police De-
partmcnt. and Superintendent Campbell qucs-
toned Wright in the police station. they gave
him to understand that there was n lost pocket
book which was being searched for. Not word
WIS said to him about tho murder. Mrs. Fer
ron's identification of the pocketbook found on
Wright as her husbands was disprovcd 10y II
wholesale junk dealer who had had dealings
with Bernard Fcrron.
On Friday. the Captain had another talk with
Wright but he refused to say anything about
his connection with the Mary j.. Harris. He
was told Of Ferron's disappearance and he de-
MED that he had ever seen Fcrron on the
schooner He laborcd under much suppressed
excitement when talking. and refused after
that to eat anything. Two officers were kept ut
his cell door. day and night. to. prevent his
committing suicide. as he seemed TO be think
ing of doing. Capt. Reilly finally determined
70 try the effect OF bold accusation 81 murder.
his private Office and accused Him OF having
murdered the boatman. and said that the case
wis plain against him. Wright expressed no
plies. The Captain on sunday told Superinten-
dent Campbell. that h. thought his prisoner
was ready to confess. The Superintendent saw
Wright on sunday afternoon. and in q few
minutes Wright confessed that lie had killed
FerrOn accidental
Wright walked up to Justice Ferry's desk
when his name was called yesterday. stepping
upon the witness stand. and stood toying with
his silk cap, His coat was thrown open. expos
ing the embroidered front of his blue sailors
SHIRT. His features are regular, with the TX
and R2 a eyes S are Mia bne lie is 20 YEARS. OF
age. His light hair is thick and glossy. lnnany
other dress he might readily be- taken fora
young clerk. Justice Ferry read the charge 20
him. and Wright said. l plead guilty to the
charge"
and you must understand that whatever YOU
say here will be used against YOU"
scrape. lie reerated S lis plea H Of gully. and
signed the examination boldly and lcgiby. Tho
He said: II haven't any friends in these parts.
The Captain Of the Abbie Hodgman comes from
the same town do. but he isn't here" Justice
Ferry then committed him to await the action
To a reporter Tor THE sun Wright snid that
he was born in Indian River Ne, and that his
father was carpenter. He had three brothers
and five sisters. and had been 10 sea three sum
mers and last winter He added: used to
help father ut carpenter work, but he wanted
me TO 40 TO sea. so that could help him along.
and consented. | shipped with Can't. Crow
ley. who was from our town, and was taken ns
cook on tho schooner Mary Il. Harris. There
WINS another young fellow from our town who
Tabhett." ~
=" Tell me about tho killing of Ferron." said
well. will didn't intend to murder him.
Inoyer saw the man except once be!ore. and
TINT WIS wnen he came on board the s.hoonerto
AXE the mates box OIL. knew he was a junk
man. The day did il. March 10. believe it
WIS. he came alongside the schooner made fast
his boat. AMI then came on board. There WIS
nohod, there except me. CHpt. Crowley was
away home and Talbot had gone ashore. |
WIS ~ Nh" cabin. drinking gin-I stole it from
Il hon d. n
offered han something 10 drink. and he took
enc or Two drinks. We didn't say much Of anv-
drinking he saw bag Of coffee behind the door
~ sud that he wanted that coffee. told him
ilai he couldn't have il, BECAUSE II belonged to
H. but h" didn't offer me any money. |
tod him that he couldn't have It any
bar. and sot between il and him. lie started 10
Gun "gS, and made pass q me- ana l'nd;
b" kngtked his head against the cook stove,
INT don't think he hurt himself bad then. He
gyt W swearing. and came At me again. calling
ne all kinds of names. and struck him again
and knocked him down again. Then ! Kicked
rs head with the heels OF heavy pair Of boots
10Th my feet, He didn't move. and then saw
that had killed him. went up the gangway
hlieen minutes. THEN | went back into the
rpln and ielt OF the body and saw i was
ep.d. l felt bad because had killed
40 officer and TIL him nll about ii. but
then thought that would get in trouble any way
ani SO made up my mind 10 get rid Of tho
BODY; ! collected all the old pieces Of iron |
could find. and put them in the canvas bag.
which we used 70 get ship stores in, and took il
70 me guard and lifted it on top. / bound "A line
around the bag. and then went into the cabin
Where the body WIS. | took out a wallet, in
whleh there was $50 in money. and then pulled
ulr poly out the forward gang on dcck. und
dragged II 10 where the bag wac. tied Il line
about the body, and then tied the otheren 10
lhe bag leaving about three feet slack Then
dumped the body overheard. 1t was about II
o'clock, noon. when ] did this. There was no
one who saw ne The body. made IL loud
splash and | WAS afraid somebody heard it.
lor II was very still. but | didn't see
my one IN sight. ! sculled the boat ashore and
uel II near whore Talbot had left the ships
yawl when he went ashore. | then took tho
{awi and went back TO the ship and worked
nNIl 70 cl"an up tho spots Il blood, and got
everything all clean by o'clock. There WAS u
Eooi denl oi blood around on the cabin loor
uut egt II all mp. | took the money from the
bocketb9ok. pat il in my wallet and then put
the po,ketb6ok in tho stove and burned IT,
About O'Clock | heard Talbot signalling for
ne, ana rowed ashore for him He wanted to
fnoW now got the yaw back to the vesssl and
iIu MN that | went ashore with Il bOWman
SSnl lopk i back, didn't tell him what had
zone and made up my mind never to tell any
AZ troubled mo some at first but got 40 |
nlhN care much ~ ] diiut think ID would