The evening world., 1889-10-14
FOR LUCAS MURDER
Burglar Charles MIlVaine Brought to
Trial at Last.
He Faces Justice In Br0OkIyn's
Sessions Court To-Day.

The trial OF Charles McElvaine, who murdered
Grocer Christian W. Luca, Of Brooklyn, on the
morning of Aug. ~ in Lucas own house. at
Jay and High streets. was began before Judge
Moore in the Brooklyn Court OF Sessions to-
day. The court room was crowded.
DistrictAttorney Ridgway was prosecuting
officer and ex-Judge Reynolds appeared for the
defense.
McIlvAine Is one Of the worst-looking pris-
oners that has ever been arrAiGned at that bar.
He is undersized and Of sinister appearance.
He habitually wags his head to and fro like o rat
in a trap seeking a method OF escape.
ident way.
The examination Of talesmen took mp the
The crime was one of the most brutal on rec
ord, and a uIiyersGl thrill Of horror was felt IN
Brooklyn and New York at its occurrence:
Policeman, Kennedy was standing on the cor
ner Of Bridge and High streets about $40
Screams GtSTn IN and md %9ieno of T HeIp p ! murder nsni% T"i in the
direction o! Grocer LnoA's house,
The policeman set OF on q dead run in the di-
r%ection Of the cries, and saw a man running
The man had his shoes in his hand and his
wnlstcoat and shirt were covered with blood.
The man saw the officer and turned TO run.
but Kennedy oyerhauled and caught him and,
assisted by Policeman Cassidy, took him to the
stntlon-house
The man proved to be Charles MeElvaine, 2
Grocer Grtscerf Inca' so house. " was caught "a sSaoB BY the grocer 70 aTo
whereupon McElvaine plunged his clasp-knife
into MIR. Lucas body n score OF times, and while
his victim sank dying to the floor escaped by
the window through which he had entered.
Mrs. Luca, alarmed by the sound OF the scufie,
hAatened into the room,
,, the murderer turned from the body OF his
vi tim she tried 70 bar his passage, -,
Stand aside, = he. cried furiously.. "Or l will
kill You ~ 1 have killed your husband
Luca was found in the throes of death on the
floor OF his room, which was covered with blood.
He WAS speechless and fingered but 4 few min
ute-.
ON his body were found twelve ghastly stab
wounds. There was n long, uneven, ugly slash
across the front part Of the left arm, above the
elbow, which severed the muscles. The bra
chiRl artery was cnt IN two with another cash.
On the left side a deep cut separated the spleen,
while the lungs were penetrated from behind.
1t was her aConized screams that brought the
policemen to the scene, carsed the arrest of Nc
llvaine and awakened the neighborhood to the
realization that another crime had been perpe-
trated by a midnight thief, but there was a feel
ing of Satisfaction that the assassin had been
caught red-handed and would suffer for his
crime and not remain unknown, AZ in the case
OF Lyman s. Weeks.
MCllvEinO made = statement to the police in
which he said that the robbery was a pre-
arranged plan with himself and twn accom-
plices. Martin Diueen and Tom Quinlan,
The other two men, he said, remained outside,
while he, Mcllyaiue, entered the house,
They were frightened by Mrs Lucas screams
and made their way TO New York City, where
they were subsequently, captured and are now
sories 10 the murder.
Mcllyairc had been married but two weeks
when the murder was done. His wife is under
arrest AZ a witness.