The Jersey City news. (Jersey City [N.J.]) 1889-1906, 1891-04-06
Hal1inger's Paramour Said
in Court That Big Ed"
Would Kill Her.
SUNDAYS CHASTITY CRIME.
The WOman's Head ClOven With q
Hatchet = Her Arms Nearly
Hacked From Her Body.

place where may be safe from the jeal-
Gus passions Of tnat man. He'll kill me
the first chance he getsf'
Such was the prayer Of a tall, raw
boned, copper-colored woman, known as
Mary HalIinger, to Justice Stilsing. in
the First district Court On the morning
of Wednesday, March Is. She was the
self-confessed paramour OF Edward Will
mington Hallingsr, known in sporting
circles as big Ell. Ellinger," an ex-Bap-
tlst exhorter. pugilist and kalsominer.
Hallinger had just been sentenced to four
days in the City Prison for threatening to
kill his paramour. It was the third or
fourth time he had been arrested for the
same offense.
The woman's words were prophetic of
one of the most brutal tragedies recorded
in annals of crime In Jersey City. Her
body Is now at Speer's morgue. The
skull Is hacked and crushed beyond
recognition, and both arms are nearly
severed from the body. She was slain
with a lathe hatchet with scarcely q
moments warning. at the hands of the
man she had proDhesied would XIII
her. Hallinger himself attempted sui
eide with the hatchet, but was too cow
ardly to flush the job.
The tragedy occurred in little. miser-
ably furnished room in the basement OF
No. 3i7 Third street about six o'clock yes
terday morning. The victim mad oc-
cupied the apartment only since Friday.
tnis she rented from Mrs. Frances Moore,
a respectable coiored woman, who, with
her husband and several children. occu-
pied the front baseme Mt room and ad join
ing kitchen. The house is a three story
frame building, and is tenanted by a
number of colored families. Before NOV
ing into this room on Friday. the woman
had been elected from the house OF Mrs.
Thomas Mccall, at No. 3lS sixth street,
where she has lived with her two children
all the winter.
At this place she was visited occasionally
by Hallinger, who insisted each time she
should leave and 20 live with him. Her
positive refusal always frenzied him aud
on March II, he attempted TO cut her
throat with penknife. She escaped into
the street. These frequent brawls alone
led the McCalls to drive the woman from
her home. They advised her to hide from
Hallinger-
HallinQer has been working at Kings
land. about three miles out of Rutherford,
all winter, as lather. He left Rut her
ford Sunday morning on the one O'Clock
train with a white fellow laborer. He
brought his lathe hatehet along with him.
He went on over to New York and after
drinking at several places. leI5 MS
Then he came back to Jersey City by the
Desbrosses street route. He immediately
went to the house of the McCi lis and de-
manded sdmittance 30 see Ills wife. The
McCa!ls admitted him and satisfied him
that the woman was not there. Then,
under threats of being killed. Mccall
told him he would find her in Third
street, near Monmouth.
HE FINDS THE PLACE.
Hallinger was seen pacing up and down
an alleyway in the rear of the block in
which No 3l7 is located. Subsequently
he went inside several Of the houses, and
after rapping at doors aud asking ques-
tions, ascertained that woman by the
name Of Hallinger had moved into the
basement of No. 3l7.
Joseph Moore. occupant of the base
ment in No. 317, works at the United
States Express Company's stables. He
mad Just got out of bed and was dressing
when he heard Hallinger's rap. He went
to the door and asked what HaIlinger
wanted.
Il want to see my wlfe." replied Hal
linger 'She moved in here few days
ago"
voice. She yelled to Moore:-"Don't let
him in. l don't want to see him. He
means to kill me-"
but by this time Hallinger had burst in
the door He walked through the room
where Mrs. Moore and her children were
lying in bed. He jostled Moore rudely
aside, and drawing the hatehet from be-
meath his coat, passed on through the
kitchen and showed open the door leading
to the little bedroom where his paramour
and her two children lay covering in
bed. The woman had apparently sprang
from bed at the sight of Hallinger,
''You don't want TO see me, eh? You've
got another man. Well, want TO see
YOU"
The Moores heard him utter these
words. ana Immediately after they heard
several neavy strokes as though Hallin-
ger was beating the woman with his lists.
They wondered why she made no outcry.
Moore ventured to peep in the room. The
sight that met his eyes caused him 10
throw up his arms and exclaim, MY
God, he's murdered herP'
According TO Hallinger's own story he
hurled the hatchet across the room as
soou as he entered. The woman was
Just sliding out of bed.
The blade of the hRtchet sank deeply
into her forehead, and he was obliged TO
wrench and twist it to get it out. Then
he turned the eye of the hatchet and COM
menced to hammer her over the face and
skull. One eve was complete ly punched
out. a terrible cash was found straight up
and down the victims face, splitting the
chin wide open. She was found with her
feet on the floor and her head and upper
portion of the body reclining on the bed.
Seven terrible gashes in the right arm
and several in the left tell the story of the
woman's feeble attempt to ward on the
killing blows even after the hatchet had
been sunk in her forehead.
TOO CowARDLY TO KILL HIMSELF.
Satisfied that the woman was dead, Hal
| linger picked up one OF the babes from
| the bed, where it was wallowing in the
| blood of its mother, kissed it, and then
turned the natchet upon himself, inf1ict-
| ing several gashes in the back OF his head
| Failing in this, he picked up knife from
| a Ia BILE near by and attempted to cut his
| throat. He acknowledges that he was
too cowardly TO carry out his designs
upon his own life.
Leaving the woman as she lay where he
| had killed her. he grabbed up the Oldest
child and snatching coverlet from Mrs.
| Moore's bed as he went through the trout
| room, he wrapped the child up in It and
walked into the street. Here be seemed
\ to De bewIlderei and walked upand down
| in front of the house mutterlng something
| about the Second Precinct Station House.
He encountered two men, Thomas Thomp-
| son. of No 3l9 Third street, and William
| c. Taylor, OF the dining car department
Of the Pennsylvania Railroad Company
aud asked them 10 show him the Second
| Precinct Station House.
His appearance, for his clothiug was
saturated with blood, alarmed the tive
men. but suspecting tragedy. they
walked along with him until they reached
| Jersey avenue. Here be was handed oyel
| TO Patrolman Van DerzeL
Atfhe Police Station, when questioned