Rock Island daily Argus. (Rock Island, Ill.) 1886-1893, 1888-09-19
AnEye for an Eye,'
6kSssssi.
Would Have Been Good Law
for This Brute.
VIM. BOHAN'S ATROOIOUS CRIME.

VIM. BOHANs ATROCIOUs CRIME.
A Merciiess Monster Who Gouged His
Wife's Eyes Out, Whose Singular De-
votion to a Deyilish Ruffian Causes Her
to Commit Out-and-Out Perjury in His
Behaif-Sentenced to Hard Labor for
Twenty-Seven Years.
New York, Sept i9-The little court
room in Long Island City was crowded with
naen and women Monday afternoon, and the
eyes of all were turned with fascinated
horror on the burly, brutal looking fellow
who scowled at them in return. He was
William Bohan, and he was on trial for |
gouging ont his wife's eyes. He looked capa-
BILE of the crime, horrible as it is, His square
Jaws were thickly covered with stubby
black beard, and his closely cropped hair
seemed almost to touch his little, furtiye
eyes so low and narrow was the retreating
flrehead lad in flannel shirt and an
old suit of dark Clothes he sat with his law
yer on one side of him and a constable on the |
other So great was the prejudice against |
him, excited by his crime, that it was with |
difficulty that jury could be obtained, and /
even the judges on the bench-Garretson, |
Bradon and Cavanagh-could scarcely con-
ceal their disgust.
Mrs. Bohan, who was the first witness was |
led to the stand by two court officers. She |
walked slowly, her cropping gestures awaken |
ing erwhelming sympathy in the hearts of |
all who saw her and reminding the fierce |
horror for the brutal wretch who robbed her
of her sight. Her kindly face wore troub'
led look, and she turned to the judges before
she was well seated and asked TREMENDOUSLY:
ADO have to testifyp "You have have to
tell all you know and answer truthfully all
the questions put to you" said Judge Gar
retson, gently. The troubled look grew
deeper.
Can you see me, Mrs Bohans" asked Dis
trict Attorney Fleming.
mo, sir can not" she replied, sadly.
perhaps if you lift your veil you can see"
| continued the lawyer, alluding to the green
| bandage about her eyes She removed it,
| and murmur ran around the court room,
which the Judges themselves were too af-
! fected to stop.
| Pohan WINGED and turned his head aside
that he might not look upon those pupilless
| sockets. The poor woman waited patiently
till she was told to put the bandage on again.
How did you lose your eyesightr asked
the lawyer
william put up his hand in the dark, and
l ran against it, sir" she replied with
pleading tone in her voice.
do you mean to tell me this was done ac
cidentally| exclaimed Mr. Fleming indig-
nantly
at just happened this way" answered
Mrs Bohan, earnestly turning her sightless
face appealingly toward the jury. "On
April %, 1887, William and were living to-
| gether at Rockaway Beach. William was
in bed that night and took some money out
of his pocket and went into the next room.
There was no light and William was cropping
about in the darkness when his finger hap
pened to get into my eye. | have not been
able to see out of it since" Here she paused
moment and then, as if fearing she had not
laid sufficient emphasis on the innocence of
her husband, she added earnestly:
ut was all an accident, and he was not to
blame"
When she heard the voice of her husbands
lawyer how quickly and readily she an
swered, and how relieved she appeared, and
how the troubled look passed out of her face
The questions sounded like the most exquisite
irony.
aid you and your husband ever quarrelr
asked the lawyer
"Oh, no. We got along very well together.
l never made any complaint against him, y
she replied
"Did he not Intentionally assault youl" he
continued
"Indeed no. sir she replied promptly "He
| nat mt han in tba Hart /
against it 1t was quite as much my fault as
his"
The daughters next testified, and one of
them, Mrs. Barry, told how she had seen the
blood on her mothers cheek just after the
assault, and how she had heard her father
say he would give her a mark that she
would take to her grave. She also heard
him say he would pull the other eye
out Mrs Hoffman, another daughter,
heard her father threaten her mother
Mrs. Mary Farrell, a sister of Mrs. Bohan
gave the strongest evidence. She was hear
and soul against the prisoner, and she evil
IDENTIFY wanted to see him punished for his
sickening crime She said: II have seer
that man." pointing to Bohan, who scowled
: back at her from under his lowering blacl
brows, strike his wife many times, anc
more than once have heard him threaten to
2 injure her | heard him say once, DO yol
e see those cedars out there. | will swing fol-
you yet
Bohan himself was put on the stand, ant
he seemed to feel the universal execratior
that looked out from hundreds of eyes be
low him. He kept his eyes down most o
the time, and talked in low tone HI
never raised his eyes from the floor. excep
now and then to glance furtively at tn,
jury.
"Did you ever strike your wife, asked Dis
: trict Attorney Fleming.
ayes, l often struck her," was the una
D dashed reply, "and | have hit her in the face
too, but her eyes We're put out by accident
!, never did that"
Mrs. Bohau was recalled and denied he
daughters testimony about threats bein,
made by Bohan.
IS ale never threatened me at ALL " said tht
v faithful creature true to the last. "He wa
o always kind to me-" and she was led, groI
e ing, to her seat
b The speeches were strong, and every on
g Listened to hear them. Then the jury file
d out and the crowd waited for half an hou
n for the verdict
s Bohan's hands twitched nervously, and b
toulu schittiy http etHl III HIS tuh!F- w lie
the jury came in he looked up eagerly, an
1t when the verdict guilty" was pronounce
a his head fell dejectedly on the back of tn
& chair in front of him, and be put his hanc
n up to bis face. Mrs. Bohan had been le
s. outside to little ante-room by her daugt
d ters When she heard the verdict the sam
d old troubled look crept over her gentle fac,
and she swayed her body back and forth
her chair She was led away, talking
re herself.
II The Internal brute was tried Yesterday @
ct the second count in the indictment-gougiu
1t out his wife's remaining eye in July last
ID and promptly convicted He was sentence
on the first count to fourteen years and 81
months, and on the second to twelve yea
and five months imprisonment at hard labo
Dr. The highest penalty would have been thrt
re years and it is difficult for the ordinar
III mind to understand why be did not get ever
ID day of it.
The American" Nominee Accepts.
New YORK, Sept. 19-James Langdc
In Curtis has issued his letter of acceptance
to the nomination for president rendered hi
" by the Nation
IN & American part,