The Pulaski citizen. [volume] (Pulaski, Tenn.) 1866-current, 1880-02-19
Four Murderers,

The New York correspondent of
the Chicago Inter Ocean writes the
following account of the prominent
murderers now awaiting their doom
in New York and vicinity: a
- Commo on people, people who are
worried about their souls, their
bread and butter, OF any other of
the important things that go to
make up life, might almost envy the
most celebrated of the criminals
now awaiting trial. ,5or hanging, for
murders of the most aggravated de-
scription. Take. for instance, Chas-
tine Cox, the negrO1Who chokpd the
life out of Mrs. Hull in the dead of
night, and then robbed her; Pietro
Balbo, the young Italian, who with
a knife slashed his girl wife until IN
her agony she bit the end of his
finger off as her Ups closed in death;
Mrs. Jennie Smith and her lover,
Covert Bennett, accused of having
murdered the formers husband with
sash weight as he lay asleep in
his own bed. There are some sin
gular coincidences connected with
these prisoners; they are all young,
remarkably good looking, superior
to their station in life, and about as
serene in their conviction of their
souls salvation as if they were
saints, born, bred and martyred.
Four more relieIous-perhaps L
should say devotional-people it
would be difficult to find, and as
they are comforted in regard to
the condition of their souls, SO are
they as to their bodies, for they are
literally ted on the fat of the land,
and their wardrobes are more than
filed, while delicate attentions, in
the way of flowers, fruit, cigars,
etc. are lavished upon them.
Take Chastine Cox, a tall, l,spright
ly mulatto, almost white, erect in
carriage, polite in manner, and with
an easy comm md of language. He
tells his visitors glibly that "the
good Lord knows / never meant to
hurt Missis, 'and relates with touch
ing pride how he tried to bring her
to with cold water. though it never
occurred to him to take out the
dress stuffed into her mouth. He
further states that he Is ''truly reIi-
gious," how he was even arrested il
church, and how confidently he in
tends TO preach and start a new
sunday school as soon as he gets
out; he invites the more worldly
minded of his visitors to pray with
bim; and loves to converse on the
Immortality of the ordinary soul.
His cell is speckless in its arrange
ment, and is usually adorned with
flowers and chromos, while various
little comforts are scattered about.
Noticing his spotless, polished lin
en-, a lady asked him where his
clothes were taken care of "Oh,
the ladies give me money, and l al
ways send them to a good laundry,"
he replied. Flowers adorn the lapel
of his coat and his head looks as if
just from the hsirdressers' hands.
Four different situations have been
offered him in case he gets out, ard
he spends much of his time discuss
ing which he had best accept, his
preference being for that of lead
ing lawyer in Newark. Chastine
says his prayers with fervor and
frequency; knows, either hung or.
freed, he is going to "wlth the an
gels stand" and lectures the res7
porteTs who interview him upon the
resistance of temptation. the yield
ing to which, as he wisely remarks,
has got him Unto q peck of trou-
ble." Woman is q conundrum.
She will have Mysteries if a strange
man speaks to her on the street.
and will discourse for hours on the
horrors of the moment, but she has
the nerve to visit the worst crimi
mails, including those who have
foully murdered one of her own
sex, and is supported through the
trial by curiosity-the one quality
that never seems to fail her, and so
it is that early and late Chastine
Cox is rarely without q visitor; is
stared at as though an Adonis, and
listened to like an oracle. IA.
Go from his cell to that of Pietro
Balbo, the handsome, dark eyed
Italian, scarcely rare than boy,
who is visited e' ' day by three
Catholic priests, and who proudly
calls his cell my little church."
Why, is easily seen. One side OF il
is occupied by an altar, always
draped i'll white and decorated with
a crucitix and an image of the Vir
gin and the blessed, Infant; triple
oranched- brass candelabra hold the
wax candles kept perpetually burn
ing, while scapulas, illustrated mot
toes and religious books I'LL the