The New York herald. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1840-1920, 1879-07-17
CHAS7lNE COX'S TRIAL.
His Counsel Fails to Have His Con-
fession Ruled Out.
MANY WITNESSES EXAMINED
The Case To Be Given to the
Jury To-Day.

The scene in the court room Of General Sessions
yesterday nearly the Same as on the previous
days. The not SO crowded few visitors
being allowed to enter An officer ut the door ques-
toned every and refused to admit those WHO
came from curiosity. District Attorney Phelps and
his Assistant. Mr.. Rollins. conducted tho prosecn-
tion and Mr. Howe, with several associates, repre-
scented the prisoner. The latter was more serious
than on any previous day He evidently begins to
spprehend that something is taking place
which deeply concerns himself. The testi-
mony adduced chiefly recapitulaticn OF that
taken on the Coroner's inquest.
THE PROSECUTION OPENS.
The trial opened shortly after ten o'clock,
Chief Clerk Sparks calling the roll OF the jurors all
OF whom answered to their names. District Artor-
ney Rollins Immediately began the opening speech
for the prosecution.
.'On the morning of the 18th of last month"; said
he, "a lady, who had retired to her room
and bed the night before in the full
enjoyment of her health and spirits. was
found dead in her bed. Just truly as
the rigid limbs told of death other circumstances
with as much force told of foul murder This
had been done without arousing the attention of
single inmate of the house There the gravest
apprehension that the murderer might never be dis
covered But just two weeks afterward he was man.
acled, brought to New York and confined as pris-
oner upon ample proof. Now lie is at this bar. and
you have sworn to decide whether he caused the
death of this woman. and whether at the time of
the act he was engaged in the preparation of q
felony.
..On the evening of the 10th Mrs. Hull was at home
and received the visit of friend who in the habit
frequently visiting them. After he left she retired
,,,lf ofba 10, nd
and also retired. In the morning the cook discov-
cred Mrs. Hull lying upon the bo3 apparently dead
The feet bandaged and the arms were pinoned
behind her. trunk and drawers of sideboards had
been ried rings and jewelry had been stolen.
son Monday, the 10th of June. the prisoner at the
bar went into the premises of a pawnbroker named
Sternberg, in Boston, and presented cameo set Of
earrings, which among the articles missed
from the premises Of Mrs. Hull. He said his name
was William Francis, and that he had sick sister
for whom lie wished to get some medicine. and
asked So for the set Sternberg gave him
Sc 60 As the prisoner stood there talking u
clock in the street struck twelve and he took from
his pocket watch and looked at it. Thereupon the
pawnbroker took the watch from him and opened
it and the inscriptions Christmas 1873 and
~. De +. H. The pawnbroker was atterward
visited by inspector who knew that the cameo set
was wanted and took it away with him. On the
10th Detective Wood saw the inspector and made
known that the articles connected with the
murder OF Mrs. Hull Together they went to Mr..
Sternberg, who then told them about the watch and
gave a description of the man who had sold the
cameo set. The jewelry identified by a
lady from New York. gentleman named
Bach, to whom Mr.. Wood hal mentioned
the fact, and given very excellent descrp
ton. saw the prisoner walking along tho street
and rroc hiss n he WAS
III ade Mrs. Hull's watch found, and upon his
finger the unique ring. Upon being questioned
he detailed the story of the murder His vanity
took him into the house. his vanity made him hold
to the property. his vanity led him to make a
confession and his vanity think may say, makes
him quite content with his present situation.
ANTICIPATING THE DEFENCE.
~ am informed by the daily papers that there will
be great effort made in this case to show that
although Mrs. Hull is probably dead and although
by II coincidence the prisoner at the bar u
fortunate to be there about that time. that he had
nothing whatever to do with her death and that
she might. for all we know. have died
from any one of thousand causes entirely
argument, although not perhaps with as much in :
tensity, applies i'll every have only to say
antcipatory OF such attempt that when these dis
tInguIs he'd physicians shall be called upon by
the defence to testify, am willing that you
should be entertained. and AIN willing to be enter
tanned myself by whatever speculations they make
to- what modesthere of sudden death and how
far terror may result in causing death without
4
dulse in many speculations upon that subject
they please; but after all the Court will tell you
ta:-rhat while such theories may be interesting
tor the doctors and for those who hear the the sim
pie questo will be at the last, Did Chast:ne Cox by
his act contribute in manner to the death of Mrs.
Hull? Any man that enters u chamber and plunges
knife into the breast of person who would
not have otherwise lived minute after, is
murderer just the same as If his victim would
have lived fifty years. Sometimes jurors have
great diiculty in deciding between the first and the
second degrees of murder but there rs no delicate
n
prisoner to kill even to do injury is not to be
considered at all. The law says that IT any person.
while engaged in the commission of felony,
the death of another, he shall be deemed
guilty OF murder i'll the first degree.
MOTION TO QUAsH.
Dr. Hull then called to the stand and stood for
moments beside the witness chair, looking
very much depressed and nervous Before he. took
his Mr.. Howe interposed u motion to quash the
first five and the last four counts of the thirteen in
dictments lie claimed that according to the statute
omission of the words without any intention"
In the statute of 1876 showed that the law designed
that reconciliation should be present in order to
make the culprit guilty of murder in the first degree
Judge Cowing-I shall. for the purposes OF this
hold that If any person finds himself within the
definition taking life while engaged in the com mis-
sion of a felony intentio nally or unutentionalIy
shall hold that it is murder i'll the nrst degree.
Mr. Howe made another motion requesting the
District Attorney to state on what counts he would
Judge Cow ing-There being only one crime charged
In different waya deny your motion, and VIII allow
you to take an exception
DR.. Hull then and no re,old the story Of
the discovery OF the murder in nearly The Sam.
words those used Oh .he Coroner's inquest and
which have beon already published in thc HERALD.
He also identified of lewclry that had
stolen. ON animation NO said that he
wanted to examine carefully the position of the
different articles in the room where his wife
killed, but that the police prevented him.
Mr. =. y. Chittendef, the friend of Mrs. Hull, who
was visiting her on the night previous to her DEATH
identified the watch with her initials which he had
given her last Christmas.
Nellie West, the coorcd chatnOcr maid told again
the story of the occurrences on the morning OF the
iripr Mr or q v lI nj q a
learn from her the hour ut which the remains of
Mrs. Hull placed on ice, but she could not give
him the Information.
E-pr fba rn1o al tnottG nA To Tho