New-York tribune., 1885-03-01
TWENTY YEARS FOK ROCK WE'LL.
THE WAINWRIGHT FAMILY ACQUITTED.


FINDING THE PRISONER GUILTY OF MURDER IN THE
SECOND DEGREE.
TOMS RIVER, n j., Feb. 2S.-The jury in the
Wainwright murder trial have rendered a verdict
against Rockwell Of murder in the second degree
Mrs. Wainwright, her daughter and two were
acquitted. Rockwell showed no emotion whatever
when the jury rendered the verdict. Mary Emma
Wainwright grew very nervous after her acquit-
tai The jury informed Judge Van Syckle, about
$50 a. H., that they desired to see him. Court
was opened and the prisoners were brought in with
anxious faces. Rockwell was pale and stod. The
Judge asked the foreman if the jury had agreed
upon their verdict The answer was in the aftr-
native, and the judge was informed that juror
Clarke would speak for his fellow-ju jurors and for
himself. Rockwell stood up and the clerk asked
what the verdict was. juror Clarke replied: 1--WE
find Elson X. Rockwell guilty of murder in the
second degree-if the court will receive such
verdict"
The Judge ordered the verdict entered. One by
one the Wainwright family faced tue jury and
were acquitted and discharged.
Ex-Judge Hoffman requested delay before the
judgment was entered, and the court took recess
until 9 o'clock At that time Rockwell came into
the court leaning on the arm of deputy-sheriff.
The composure and coolness which have marked
his demeanor did not forsake HIM. Like man who
was prepared for the worst he stood up and faced
the Judge, who said "YOu have been convict ed,
after prolonged and patient trial, of murder in
the second degree. You have been defended with
an ability and elOquence which, during service Of
sixteen years upon the bench, have not seen ex.
celcd. / do not wish to say anything that Will add
to the pain of the position III which you have
placed yourself. All will say IS that the jury have
taken the most mcrcful view of your case
that they possibly could. Nothing remains to be
done but 10 pronounce upon you the Judgment OF
the law for the offence of which you have been
convicted. The sentence of the law ls and the
court adjudges. that you be committed to the
State prison at hard labor for the term of twenty
years"
Ii is practically admitted by the jury that the
verdict is a compromise the last ballot taken out
one resulting III vote Of SIX for murder IN the
The result is received with general satisfac
ton. feeling of relief Is expressed that the
trial has reached 50 satisfactory conclusion
James j. Wainwright. for whose murder Rockwell
was indicted. was wel-known character liv-
ing near Toms River. He was last
I'm tho village i, on September IA and his
failure to appear in the village in the
three following days excited the suspicious
OF the villagers. who sent man TO his home late on
September Il To II he sick RockwelTs daugh-
ter answered the summons Of the messenger and SAID
that her father had left home TO NOW the yard
OF one of the villagers, and that she
had heard that he had afterward gone fishing in
Bnrucgat Bay Il WAS found upon inquiry that he had
not been in the village, ana on the
next day u searching party was organized.
Il went TO WainwHghts house and beside
a footpath leading from tho house through
niece of scrub pine woods OF the searchers dis
covered OF the ground which proved on
/ close examination to have been made by blood
some branches OF trees and bushes discovered
which had been broken by shot, ana leading from the
| spot where the blood found was a clearly
| ubf,h ID
by II dragging body. This was followed through the
unlcrbru,h for nearly thousand teet 70 tne
cdgc OF a swamp, when the trtilerS came upon
a spot where heavy oody hhd ueeh lol sonlo u,ue.
There were marks of blood around u ana also thc
~ tc tree the marks OF projecting burr OF wagon
nxlr Tho tracks were followed for d-tarce of quar-
hc ukcr Held where the tracks crossed and recroSscd
! each other In many directions. Under the pine
Of o., y rake which had been used in scraping
together pine needles. The t5Ach Was io"o"tu go Ut
! Charles. George and Mary Emma
Wainwright the and daughter OF thr murdered man.
on the afternoon OF the day that their father had as
left home. and that he had load OF pine nee IN MS
| OF the scarchers had learned IA shots had
seized John WItlel, who the nearest ncishbor Of
| Wainwright, and he narrowly escaped lynchiHE' -
The belief that the tracks had been made by ROckwcTs
wagon turned suspicion upon him. as hc had frequent
y quarrellcd with Wainwright, who charged MN WIN
undue Intimacy with his wife. II was also learned mat
! Eorl,ycl htd been leaving the village ON his
| yncnu Sat . a M on september 10 and that
! he went In the direction OF BIn0cr where he
! owned a cranberry bog search party was organized
| 10 go there aud September Il two hunters
! fol!owed wagon tracks which corrcspondcd to
those in the Luker field, to the neishborhood
! ~ CEDAR Creek The hunters entered the water and
wadng M the stream they horrncd at the dlscov-
ery of Wanwreht's naked body, which lay under water
m the middle OF the stream the head thrust under
| :. hummock" and the legs held down Dy =
heavy log some distance away was double plie OF
fence rail between which the wagon tracks lall ana tue
r,uatn. of a fire were discovered from when were re-
covered piece of cloth and some Dul9nT, - ~ ~ -,
l.rc was deemed sufficient to warrant the arrest ol
RorkweU and he taken into custody, rs were aiso
IN. children and wife of Wainwright The corohers
ury rendered verdict that Wainwright had come 10 MS
death 1T tho hands OF some persons uhkhoW' asSteu
by tne Wainwrignts and Rock S'l-