The sun., 1894-08-23
AWOMANSCORNED, HESAYS
C0RCORAN'S DEFENCE TO MRS.
M'CONNELB'S ACCUSATION.

she says He Assaulted Her snd Smashed
the Furnlture-Hs Says He went to
Prison 60 ObIIge Her once. and stbe Au-
9ry Because Ho wsnt- 60 Leave Her.
Joseph F. Corcoran. alias Frank Mcconnell.
alias Frank Wilson.was on trial before Recorder
Smyth yesterday on a charge OF assautlnR Mrs.
Evelyn Mcconnell. The latter testified that she
was the wife of Frank Mcconnell, the general
passenger agent Of the Chesapeake and ohio
Railroad in this city. The assault was com.
mitted on Aug. 3, and Mrs. Mcconnell then
lived in nat at n West 121st street.
Mrs. Mcconnell testified that her husband left
her last October on account Of her relations with
CUrcoran. Last February Corcoran beat her,
pleaded guilty Of assault in the General Sesaions
Court. and was sent to tho pcntcntinry for six
months. When she heard he was free again
she hired two persons to prevent his entering
the house, but he cludcd their vigilance. lie was
very drunk at the time. lie struck her on the
head with the fiat OF butchers clcaver,
knocked her down, and kicked her. She ran out
and got n policeman, who arrested Corcoran.
She said that COrcoran was morphine fend,
and that, besides striking her, he smashed tho
furniture.
When the police entered the fiat to arrest Cor.
coran they found the clcaver and two big butcher
knives. The keys ofa piano had been hacked
and cut, the upholstery in the furnitur had
been slashcd and ruined dresses had been cut
into shreds, silycrware had been chopped up
and china had been flung upon the floor aud
ehattcrcd. McConnelrs hand was bleeding
LAWYER William sanford Lawton, who had
been assigned by tho Recorder to defend
COrCoran, handed tn the witness two notes.
They had been sent by torcornn to the witness
during the police court proceedings. They we're
brief, and In both of them Corcoran said he
wouldn't be sacrificed again" Mrs. McCon-
Those notes were written for purpose" she
said with toss of her head
lf.'N Nl.nV NFN In mt
matters with your husband" asked Mr.. LSwton.
No. sir" replied the witness.
Corcoran went on the witness stand in his
avn bel behalf He Is a tali, angular man with Ih
story was as follows:
II was janitor in the fats at Ninth avenue
| when fTst % met Mrs Mct ctonnef h%s She was then
living there with her husband Mrs Mcconnell
and became intimate, and one day when We
fiat and heard me upbraid her Then he left the
PLACE and didn't live with her any more.
Mrs Mcconnell some time aftcrward rep
resented 70 me that II would be good scheme
IL would JspPsS"r to leave her m She could get
and she would pay the tine, she said. No one
would know WHO had paid the fne, and cyery-
nell could bo made to give up money. us he
would sS we we're ;,, sSro' re return ,n to % her ,.
worse i1cfuand d Instead @ @ Of ne Pr got sa sent up
for six months. But Mrs. Mcconnell came to
was released went to i've with her in her f,at
In 12lst street.
"On the night I was arrested we uuarrcled.
The quarrel began on the previous night when
told Mrs. Mcconnell that was going to leave
her. She mussed around for while and then
Museum. We got home between IL and l
O'Clock, and she asked me IL meant what had
said said did.
II went out and bought a bottle of whiskey.
and we drank IL. Then ] got another bottle,
and we drank that Mrs Mcconnell got into a
towering rage at my threats OF leaving her, and
said she wasn't to be cast Off like an old shcN
She then began In her anger to destroy her own
furniture. As 1t was hers / looked on and
laughed. Finally she threatened TO commit sui;
eide, saying that every one would believe that
had killed her, as | had been sent up u
charge Of assaulting her. 1t dswned on me that
there sense In that.
II grabbed the knife with which she had
been cutting the mattress on our bed, and In
that way ! was cut. She said. then. that she
going TO buy some rat poison, and left the
fat. The next knew the police came"
During this recital Mrs Mcconnell who sat
near the Assistant District Attorney. seemed in
different. The trial will be resumed to-day.