New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1891-04-06
A NEGROES TERRIBLE FURY
HE CHOPS HIS WIFE TO DEATH.
USING A RATCHET TO COMMIT THE cRIME-HE
CONFESSES.

USING RATCHET TO COMMIT THE CRIME-HE
CONFESsEs.
Edward Wilmington Hallinger, the colored prize
fighter known as Big Ellnger,' murdered the woman
who called herself his wife in Jersey City. in most
brutal and horrible manner at a. m. yesterday, by
choppng her TO death with lather's Ratchet On
Friday, March o. Mrs. Mary Hallincer, she called
herself, applied to James Moore for furnished room.
Moore, who is colored man, lived with his wife
Frances and four children at No. 317 Thd-st wlere
they occupied three me basement floor of
frame house. The Mo0reS knew Mary slightly, and
agreed to keep her until she could do better. 1t was
| arranged that Moore and his family should sleep in
the front room, the middle to be used FOR a
kitchen and the third room, which was only large
enough TO contain small bedsiead bureau and a
chair, Mary and her two children two years and nine
months Old occupied At FIVE minutes before O'Clock
yesterday, James Moore got up and nearly
dressed when he heard some knock at the door.
He went to the door and found Halingcr there. The
prizefghter under the influence Of drink. Moore
asked what he wanted and Iallnger replied that he
wanted to Mrs Hallinger. Moore told Iallinger
to walt moment and closed and locked the door on
him. AS he did this the woman called Mrs. HallinGer
in great excitement said: "Don't let him in;
don't let him in, for he'll kill me-"
Before Moore could tell Hallnger he could not enter
the man burst in the door, through the front
room and kitchen to the bedroom door where he saw
Mary and the two children in the bed. Mary was
sitting up.
"You don't want to sec me- do you,' Hallinger ex-
claimed but want to see you" As he said this he
drew from his belt lathers Ratchet and hurled it
with great force at the The Ratchet revOved In
the air several times and then the blade sunk in the
| left side and the top Of the skull and remained
buried there The unfortunate woman gasped Eddie,
| Eddie, ! want you" and would have fallen had not
the Infatuated BRUTE utterlng oath, spreng 70 her.
He seized the hatchet by the handle and wrenched it
| from the skull, and then in manner too hendish
almost TO be believed. hacked and chopped the I'M
fortunate woman to death. satisfied that the woman
was dead, Halinger seized the Ratchet firmly by the
handle and eDdeavored to knock out his own brains
with it. With much force he swung it over his head,
| cutting serious but not dangerous cash in the
! back of his head. Finding 1t difficult manner to
commit suicide in this manner, lie tossed the Ratchet
into rockingham and picked up an old silverp!a;ed
table knife, with which he made vicious attempt to
cut his throat. The knife was too dull to do more
damage than inHict slight cut Halllnser flung the
knife away when his attempt to cut his throat failed,
and seizing his elder child, who asleep in the bed
beside its murdered mother, he rushed into the front
room and drageed quilt from Oh the pea were Mrs'
| in the quilt and hastily left the house.
| James Mo0e had from the house soon as
| the murderer began his fendish work. lie went 10
blood that flowed from Hallnger's selflnhicted in
1uries his after LEAKING the house subse-
| Quenty traced. BLOOD showed that he went down
Thgd-s to Jersey and up Jersey to FOurths+.
Here he encountered Policeman Van DerLee who, OBJ
serving his condition, but unaware Of the murder
rested Hainger. When Van DcTZec took his prisoner 10
the police station Halngoc said that he his way
theve 10 give himself up lie asked, IL his wife were
not dead TO be allowed to return and finish his work.
When assured that his victim dead. he endcavord
10 il himself again, but halfdOzcn policemen sub
| dued him. Hallingcr locked up In cell. few
hours later alinger made statement, confessing the
| murder.
| Charles D. Converse, county physician, visited the
/ dead woman. He found her body or the ned and her
| feet on the floor. She was partially dressed. Dr..
Converse found the skull had been crushed In the
left side OF the head, and also near the middle of the
head. There were three ugiy cuts on her face, and
both checks cut open. Both forearms wete hOr-
iby cut 1t Is thought that when Halinger wrcnched
the Ratchet from the womans head after the first
blow she raised her to ward of further blows,
| and the murderer cut them down.
Halllnger, 1t said yesterday, Baptist eX-
horter as we'll a prize-fghter and that his trade
carrying on a revival among cOlored people in
Connecticut he met the woman lie killed yesterday and
| induced her to live with him. They came to Jersey
City. bat his Jealousy intense that Mary had a
hard life Of IL. Hallinger was arrested five times In
the last year for beating her, and the last time was
only three weeks ago. When Hallinger aTTaigned
before Police Justice Stilsing for this offence he sue
ceeded, as in the other cases, in being discharged
When Mary LSard the Judge say he would dismiss the
complaint against Halingi she begged the Justice 10
send her to Jail, for Hanger would kill her when he
| got chance.
| Halinger was removed yesterday afternoon to Police
| Headquarters. He will be arraigned before Police
Justice NJ. J. ODonnell to-day on charge Of murder