The Manning times. [volume] (Manning, Clarendon County, S.C.) 1884-current, 1886-10-27
a SAD COURT SCENE.
'mo Little Boys .iccusers of Their Fc'hcr-!a
Thrilling Temperance Lecture.
(F-or. the Pai!alelphia Telegraph.
;ltrick Collins. y


(F-oro tie Philadelphia Telegraph
Patrick Collins. -
a manly little fellow of twelve years,
with ronnd bright face and dark eyes,
and dressed in neat knickerbocker suit,
walked erect and rapidly toward the
clerk in t:1e court of oyer and termi2er
in Jersey City yesterday. He had his
hand or the Bible, and promised to tell
the truth, the whole truth, and nothing
but the truth.
\ man OF forty years, plainly but neat
ly attired, intently watched the child.
He had shuddered when the name was
called by Prosecutor Winfield, and ner-
vously squeezed his black felt hat as the
child was sworn. an expression IN which
admiration and fear were blended came
! over his face as his eyes noted the bright,
ready demeanor of the boy.
The spectators looked on the scene
with wrapt attention, for they knew that
the boy was to tell how his mother was
murdered, and that the murderer, the
man, was his father.
James Collins and his wife led Il cat
and-dog life for many years. On May
II last-a Sunday-they quarreled. The
next morning the wife was found IN bed
dead, her nursing babv at her side.
Forty wounds were counted by County
Physician Converse on her body. The
occurrences If that Sunday were known
in part to the two boys; fully, only to
the prisoner.
The prisoners counsel offered a plea
CT manslaughter, which was refused. 4
consultation and another long conference
with Judge Knapp and the prosecutor
followed. The counsel for the defense
evidently did not desire to assume the
risk of trial. They offered to plead
guilty to murder in the second degree.
The plea was reluctantly accepted by the
court, and the accused family but gladly
whispered eyes" when asked if he re-
tracted his plea Of not guilty. Then
Collins son gave testimony to determine
if there were mitigating circumstances.
Several witnesses had testified that both
husband and wife were quarrelsome.
Patrick did not realize that he was
homeless and almost friendless, but fire.
quently looked afect;onately at his faith
er, and once smiled IL return as faint
smile Of pride at the intelligence Of his
boy stole for a moment on the face OF
the father Patrick did not see the fatal
assault. He left his wretched home at
10 o'clock on Sunday morning because
his father and his mother had been
drinking and he feared trouble. lie re-
manned away until 5 o'clock that night.
Tears moistened his cheeks and he
sobbed as he described how on his re-
turn he went to his mammals bed. He
thought she was asleep. He was hun
CRY, and shook her to arouse her as he
asked for slice of bread He could not
wake her, and went into his fathers
room. His papa was awake and told him
mamma was dead The child again
wept when he related how, the night be-
fore, his mother had tried to push his
father down stairs because he would not
give her his wages; but the tears were
chased away by smiles when he enumer-
ated the articles his father bought that
Saturday night for him and his brothers.
Martin, his brother, who is year
younger, was also called. Like his broth
er, Martin has an attractive face. He is
OF faE complexion, and has blue eyes,
He showea not the least nervousness or
fear He seemed to admire his father,
and was disposed to cast the blame on
his dead mother. In bis testimony he
told how that Sunday morning his moth
er fell, and in her rage broke the stove
with a hammer. She sent him for
whisky. He broke down as he said II
didn't want to 60" In a moment he re-
covered and resumed: ''She said she
would kill me stone dead if I didn't go. :"
He brought her bottle Of whisky, and
she drank it. He left her asleep in the
rocldng-chair at half-past ) il the after
noon. His father was sleeping in the
bed at the time. When he returned
home three hours later his mother vas
dead. He voluntarily told OF several
fights in which his mother was the ag-
gressor, and reluctantly described those
IN which his father was at fault. As he
left the stand and passed his father, the
father muttered: God bless you, my
son-God bless you"
County Physician Converse selected
Patrick baseball bat as the weapon with
which the death blow was probably in
hicted.
The defendant submitted written
statement. He was remanded for sen
tence. The extreme penalty is twenty
years at hard labor in State prison.
What disposition to make of the two
boys puzzles Prosecutor Winfield, who
is greatly attached to them, and is loath
to have them sent to any institution.
They viii be detained for few days in
the hope that suitable homes may be
found.