The sun. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1833-1916, 1878-12-14
CONVICTED or WIFE MUADER.


and Julia Paul rode to the residence Of jus
ticc Of tho Peace in n carriage about y year ago.
TO be- married. The Justice went out and per-
formed the briof ceremony as they sat in tho
carriage Mcrrick was n ftalwart young me-
chanin ~ bad reputation as 10 iniplacahility and
violence OF temper. but popular among set of
carousing friends. Miss Paul was young and
pretty. but not Of g very firm character. She
hal fnllcn in love with Murrlcs. and he had
promised to marry her; hut she had been COM
RELIED to threaten n resort to legal prosecution
before he would mako her his wife. That WIS
the unuromisiug commencement Of their wud-
lock. Eight months aitcrward Mrs. Mnrrichs
body was found buried on the bank Of EAGLE
Crock. not FAR from the city. Mcrrck after
having been for aweck on trial as hermurlrrcr.
was convicted this evening.
The unhappincss of the union Of Ncrri-l and
Miss Paul il presented by the testimony Of Mrs.
Mccain, nrghl or. who said that he would
not forgive his wife for having forced him TO
marry hor Mcrrick on ono occasion told her
that she ought to be dead and in hell. She put
her arms around him and begged him 10 be
kind to her She told him he had everything
she had in tho world. and asked him nj lenst TO
60 10 their room and tax to her. She WIS wCrD-
ing. He went out, and she followed him. Tho
witness saw them In the yard. She still had
hcr arms about him. ana WIS talking To him,
still weeping. Other Witnesses testified that
Mrs Mcrrlck tried hard and pcrsstrnty To win
the love of her husband hut that he was mi.
tormly rcpcllant. Tho prosecution believes
that no meant all along to Kill her. An nc
quaintancc testified that Mrrrlck once pointed
To her in the street and said There is that
woman that made mo marry her will mako
short work Of her. woman swore that be-
Tore Mnrrieh marringc ne SAID That IL he was
conurlcd 10 marry Julia he would take her out
riding and kill her. About n week. before Mrs.
Mcrriok \ disappearance Mrrrick told the same
woman that he would Kill his wife, or IL h.
didn't. ho had somebody who would do 10 for
him. His murd"rous threats were frequent.
and he mndc them when sober M readily ns
pwhcn drunk. Mrs. Mcrrick. however. seemed
/ To pay little heed to them, but kept on trying to
overcome his dislike.
Thus tho ll-matcd pair lived together until
ono saturday IN september last. On the after
noon "i that day according To the testimony of
uiutglS. N,IIltk HH,,uEll som" StIN'hhlh'i
"strnsibly 10 Xiii rats; The poison was wrapped
in white paper. and labelled Poison" with
a warning skull and cross bones also ON the
wrapper. Early in tho evening Mcrrick went
To- livery stable and hired horS" and carriage.
huy employed IN the stable testified to seeing
him start with his wife, who had readily ns-
srutrd to his invitation ~ a ride. She wns ill
ana took the offer as an indication ot n touch Of
kindness, Before going out Mcrrick put
saw him put cartridges into u four barrclrd
pistol. The ncNt point In that ride described by
lance out Of the city William Henden. the
keeper, swore that Merrick drove up and
entered. lie drank gluss Of whiskcy himself
AMI carried glass OF blackberry cordial To- the
woman in the buggy. first emptyng "a white
powder into II. Ioungrrs IN the barroom saw
M"rriek put the white powder into the liquor
for his wife. and ono saw u skull
aud crossboncs on the package from
which he took II. He paid for the
drinks ana drove on. in direction away from
the city. An hour later lac was seen by two men.
who testified that he was bending over a
told the men that She was drunk, and they
helped him, nut her into the carriage. The
INK TO the theory 81 the prosecution. and one Of
the men observed that tho limbs Of the woman
were rigid while putting her in the vchlc Ono
of these mon heard voice IN the road crying
Oh. don't! Oh. Lord DON'T II WIS shrii
voice. Ike that OF woman. He went down the
road and came upon top buggy with the top
partly let down. A woman was lying on the
ground. and man was STOPPING over the
woman. The man said he woman was drunk.
The man drove OH rapidly. leaving a robe on
the ground The other witness Of this incident
said that the man sat down on tho body Of
the woman when he got In the carriage To- drive
Oft. lie identified Mcrrick H. this man. Still
later Merrick drove up To klinc's harrOom
further along the road. II is supposed that his
| wife was then dead. and that he wanted more
liquor 10 sustain his courage. Kline test fed
TINT Merrick ordered Il brought ont TO him.
Kline. while delivering tho whiskcy, observed a
stf-looking figure sitting in the seat with Mer-
rex. He said that this was his girl She
head nor face was visible. Mcrrick called sew
eral times To Kline, and when he went out adj
dressed him ms " You ID Dutchman." and
wanted 10 know why he had not come quicker
Mcrrick returned TO tho city with the horse and
| carriage, but his wife was never afterward seen
alive. lie told inqurers that she had gone
A week after this Saturday night ride. Will
liam i; Palmer. while fishing IN Eagle Creek,
saw human hand sticking out from the sand
proved 10 be the body II Mrs. Merrick. A hole
enough for the BODY ot he woman SSa and aG aS
twigs, earth, and logs had been piled over the
rem aims Track OF vehicle were traced 70
been stripped Of clothing presumably To make
Identification less easy. In her stomach was
the ashes Of q stove in Merrick's house. after
his arrest. the buttons and other metal things
peNt3nKinE 10 net missing ii2thlng were found.
| curious. He swOre that his vito rode OF with
him on the night Of her disappearance. but that
he left her in "A suburb OF the city. She said
that she WIS going TO the residence Of n friend
named Lucy; but he did not know who this
on until he overlook n girl. who told him that
she knew him. lie remembered that he met her
at q public ball two years previously. but did
riage, and thcy rode together several hours.
taking drinks OF LIQUOR NJ barrooms along the
way. IL was this girl. and not his wife. accord
ing 70 his story, whom the various witnesses
for the prosecution saw IN his company, she
fell from the carriage. and II was while she was
cries, on, don't' shc was the woman AN whom ON
they lifted Into the carriage. He took her back
to the city left her at a street corner has never
seen her since. and does not know where she
can be found. As To his wife. he does not be-
ievc that the body Identified by several wit
ncsses was really hers. llo docs not know
whether she is alive nor where she H.. He re-
crlycd note from her. by the hand Of u strange
negro woman, saying that She was we'll. hut 1t
did not tell her whereabouts. He did not keep
the note. Tho buttons and other things found
IN the ashes must have been put there 10y some
body 70 criminatc him. ms he burned none Of
his wifc's clothing. lie remembers frequently
threatening TO put his wife out Of the way. but
he never meant 10 xiii her his only ohJert being
70 Brighten her, so that she would go away from
him. Under cross eXamination, Merrick made
many contradictions.
The Jury were. out only thirty minutes In
Mt hoy an fb.f