The Jersey City news. (Jersey City [N.J.]) 1889-1906, 1894-12-14

The. murdered man had considerable
wealth, but it is not known that any
of his money is missing. 1t is thought
| likely that the murder was the result
! of a quarrel,
STORY OF THE CRIME.
Daniel NJ Robertson, born in Frederic
ton, PEI, 49 years ago of respectable
parents, spent last night, his last on
earth, in a murderer's cell at the New
Bedford House of Correction.
He murdered his wife, Mary (McKen-
zie) Robertson, on the morning of the
9Th of September 1893, when she was in
the house in this city which she was
keeping up by her own exertions, and
almost Immediately upon his release.
from prison, after having served a SEN
tence for drunkenness. He was the black
sheep of his family He married Mary
Mckenzie, a native of Belfast, P.E-l.,
about twenty years ago out of pique, be-
cause of disappointment in love for an
other woman. There appeared to be only
love and trust on the wife's side, how
ever, against brutal treatment and al
most hate on the other. He had learned
the carpenters trade, located in New
York, where he became enamored OF
young lady who, at the last moment,
withdrew from the arrangement and dis
appeared For some years previous TO
this Robertson had been sober and in
dustrious, but when this disappointment
came he relapsed into his old dissolute
habits and sank still lower Then he
remembered that Mary Mckenzie, whom
he knew in his early youth, had come
to the States" and he made inquiries
for her, finally locating her in New Bed
ford, where she was serving as cook
in leading household. He made over
lures to her, but it was only after con-
siderable persuasion that the woman
consented to marry him. Robertson had
learned his trade so well that there were
many who aver they would rather have
had him drunk than many others sober,
and as a matter of fact it was in
drunken condition that they had him
most of the time. Mr.. Spooner, a fore
man under whom he had worked Tor
several years, was, much to his own re-
gret the man who designed ana con-
structed the scaffold.
THE MURDER.
DAYS and months were spent by Robert
son in the correctional institutions OF
this county, until life with him, or un-
der his name, had become a burden, and
Mrs Robertson resolved upon divorce.
The suit was pending when Robertson
was released from serving sentence in
the House of Correction on the morn
ing of the murder. He went to his
Wife's house, demanded food and money
and began to quarrel, expostulating with
her relative to the divorce matter. She
was obdurate, and in his anger he seized
a table knife lying near, plunged it into
his wife's face twice and fed
Medical aid was summoned, but was
of no avail and in short time Ropert-
son was without a wife, and his eigh-
teen-years-old daughter was without a
mother. Robertson was arrested IN
saloon shortly after he had committed
the deed, and upon being told that ne
had killed his wife, exclaimed, coollly:
That's a hanging matter in this State
His trial. conviction and sentence fol-
lowed as a matter of course, the evil
dence going to show not only the ACT,
but premeditation, since he had been
heard by reliable witnesses to say ne
would kill his wife when he got away
from the Jail. He was ably defended by
attorneys assigned to him, and when
the jurys report was found to be against
him, he readily abused his counsel in
open court. Even then they did not de-
sert him, but all further efforts in his
behalf proved unavailing. Within the
past week or two there has been slight
reaction in his favor, but letters and
representations have proved futile to Sc
This was the first hanging for forty
years in Bristol county.
SO VERY RELIGIOUS.
On Sunday last Robertson was bap-
tised, the Rev. I. H Coe, the prison
CHAPLAIN. and the Rev Donald Mac
.Dougali. Pastor of the Presbyterian
,0fI I.fr1 7tKTEs1 sf1c
Island, officiating. The Rev. Mr.. MacDou-
gall has been in almost constant atten-
dance upon the prisoner since, and says
that Robertson has prepared himself
to face the inevitable. His daughter, up
to yesterday, refused to see or hold
any communication with him, but, at
the earnest solicitation of the Rev. Mr
MacDougall, she came from Boston and
visited her father in his cell. The meet
ing was an affectionate one but was
not prolonged. After her departure Rob
ertson was at first very much cast down,
but he recovered sufficiently to eat, and
apparently enjoy a hearty supper. The
| Rev Mr.. MacDougall came afterward,
| and to him and keeper Josiah S. Hunt
| of the House of Correction Robertson
| read a statement of his case from his
| point of view. This statement was pre-
| pared by the advice of the clergymen
/, who feared a scene and a rambling
| harangue on the scaffold.
| When the Rev Mr. MaSDougall left
| him, Robertson said he fully realized his
| situation, had become reconciled to his
| fgate and would try to meet it calmly.
| Keeper Hunt said he thought it unneces-
| sary to keep any special watch over the
| man, and, therefore, there was 10 regu-
| lar death watch, but the watchman in
| Robertsons section was Instructed to
| keep an eye on him through the night.
| THE GALLONS.
! The gallows was taken to the Jail yes
| terday afternoon. after having been ex-
hibited accidentally to the populace, and
| was set up in the "cage" of the prison
1 this morning, work beginning soon after
eight o'clock, or as soon as the prisoners
| had entered the various departments and
| commenced work for the day. 1t had
| formerly bee set up and tested. Thurs
l day afternoon Sheriff Wright Deputies
| Kirby and Spooner of New Bedford, and
| e. c. Brown of Attleboro, were at the
| Jail, rehearsng their parts, the business
\ being new to them.
DELIVER US FROM EVIL