The Jersey City news., 1889-11-20
HANGED FOR MURDER.
NV First and Only Experience with
the Death Penalty.

fer charity by respectfully dressed
from Cork few days ago, her husband
having sent the money to pay her pas
sage to New York. Upon her arrival
she found that he had been killed by a
drunken rowdy, and as she was penni-
less she asked me for trife to get a
nights lodging.
Having been imposed upon the pre-
vious day by tale of the same kind, l
passed on without needing her piteous
appeal.
had walked but few PAGES when a
feeling of regret came over me for my
harshness, and turned round to relieve
her distress, but she had gone. stood
musing, undetermined what to do. l
felt had acted with inhumanity; but it..
was so unlike nay usual conduct that I
consoled myself with the reflection that
always had been the friend of the out
east, and that very likely the woman
was not in actual want-this the re-
spectabilisy of her attire, led me to
adopt as fact, and, resolving to Danish
the transaction from my mind, walked
homeward.
When I reached the corner Of Wall
street man, apparently the worse for
liquor, asked me for charity, and with
an eagerness which evidently astonished
him gave him some money.
This somewhat eased my mind, al
though felt that I had relieved the
wrong object. AS l passed st, Paul's
church ] saw by the clock that it only
wanted few minutes of my dinner
hour, and was always SO punctual that
knew even few minutes delay would
cause the greatest anxiety to my wife
and daughters, whose affection for me
was the great comfort of my life.
Resolving to crush the haunting feel
ing, hailed an omnibus and jumped in;
but new torture now seized me; the
noise of its wheels seemed to echo the
woman's appeal for charity SO visibly
that / involuntarily looked out of the
window to see that she was not running
at its side reciting her tale of sorrow and
destitution.
Getting out at the corner of Washing
ton street, walked hastily to my house
and paused an instant on the steps, half
resolved to go on wild goose chase in
search of the mendicant. Finally pulled
the bell. When the door opened, instead
of following my usual custom of enter
ing the parlor to greet my wife and
daughters, l walked straight up to my
dressing room, where I sat for some time
in gloomy abstraction; then, bathing my
head with cold water, mechanically
changed my dress and again seated my
self in the deepest detection.
was aroused by my wife, who, sur
prised by my unusual conduct, asked
tenderly if did not feel well.
Eyes," replied, "but very tired. The
weather tries me. But, however, let us
to dinner"
My daughters and niece who was on
a visit came round me and playfully
scolded me for being SO naughty. At
last sat down to the table, but could not
eat a mouthful. After several attempts
to eat requested my butler to bring me
the brandy decanter, which surprised
them all, as was strict temperance
man, and merely kept wine and liquors
for such of my guests as did not share
my scruples.
When the brandy was brought filed
goblet nearly full of the ''liquid damna-
tion," as I had recently called it in q
speech had made at temperance
meeting, and drank it off at a single
draught. This somewhat relieved me
and enabled me to swallow few mouth
fuls of dinner.
My spirits somewhat returned, and we
all adjourned to the drawing room. The
arrival of some visitors to my wife and
daughters afforded me an opportunity Of
leaving the room unobserved. / put on
my hat, resolving to call upon friend
who lived in the next street.
Not finding him at home, I strolled on.
The evening was fine, and before / was
aware of the distance had walked
found myself near the North river. At
tracted by q crowd which had gathered
round the end Of one Of the piers, went
towards it, and was told by policeman
that poor woman had just been taken
out of the water.
pressed forward, and exclaimed
aloud, on the impulse of the moment,
when / gazed upon the lifeless form;
"Great heaven! the very woman / treat
ed SO brutally not an hour ago!"
The words were scarcely out of my lips
when strong hand grasped my collar.
1t was the policeman who had just
spoken to me.
sob, the murders out them" he cried.
''You know something of this matter!a
A cry was Immediately raised that I
had confessed myself the murderer; and
as there was O severe bruise on the poor
womans head doubtless occasioned by
her striking against the pier, it was ex-
aggeraLed into fractured skull.
All was now clear to the excited mob.
/ had FIRST killed my victim with a blow
on the head, and then, to conceal my
crime, had thrown her into the river. In
vain did protest my innocence; they
paid no more attention to me than had
to the poor woman herself. So strong
was the popular feeling that the police
had considerable difficulty in saving me
from being lynched on the spot
Let me pass over the details of the
coroner's inquest, which brought in
verdict of willful murder. I will say
nothing about the agony of my first in
,.,;Al, fa,,,tlv Tbx, h<,yrf>r If