New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1898-07-09
MURDER IN FIRST DEGREE.
MRS PLACE CONVICTED OF KILLING
HER sTEPDAUGHTER.
nv OFT NEARLY THREE
TIE KINGS COUNTY JURY OUT NEARLY THKE"
HoURs-sURPRlSE AT THE Vhhpi'iN
APPEAL. LIKELY TO TIE rAKEN-THh

| ,-,,r v,xos corN1-y Jury OUT NEARLY THREE
| uo,,ps-sr,npRIsE AT THE vERDrcr-AN
APPEAL LIKELY TO BE rAKEN-THE
PRISONER BREAKS DOWN AFTER
THE VERDICT IS ANNOUNCED.
| Mrs Martha NJ Place was convicted yesterday IN
| the Kings County Court OF murder In the HIST de-
gree for the killing OF her eghteen-year-old step
| daughter. Ida Place. at their home. NO. oSs r'a"
| cock st. Brooklyn on February last. 10 most u
| the people In the courtroom the verdict was
tremendous surprise murder In the second degree
| being the worst form OF homicide OF which IL was
| believed the jury would find her guilty. 1t look
the jurymen two hours and forty minutes 10 reach
| the verdict The courtroom proceedings TOOK ony
"A little time. At $40 o'clock the juryneh NE" "''
their seats. Mrs. Place had already taken her pace
at the bar. She appeared to be as calm as ever
and kept her eyes straight in front or her not
looking for a moment at the jurymen They kept
their eyes away from her also. and the'r races
wore "A gravity that sent buzz about the court
room each man whispering to his neighbor that IL
would he n conviction. After tho murmur OF con-
versation silence settled over the court
Gentlemen OF the jury. have you agreed on a
vcrdict?'
The voice OF the clerk broke tho stiffness with
Sharpness that Jared
we have" said the fore man, in quiet. nrm
voice we find the defendant guilty as charged
In the indictment"
A sigh OF establishment swept over the court
room Every eye Mrs. Place. but not
muscle of her face moved. She sat there the same
tall thin black sclf-composed figure that she had
been throughout the trial. 1t Is doubtful IL she
realized at the moment just what those few words
from the foreman of tho jury meant. Al the re-
ouest Of counsel for the defendant the jury was
polled and each man reiterated the statement OF
the foreman that the verdict was guilty OF murder
in the first degree. Then Judge Hurd thanked the
Jury and they discharged
Mr.. Van lderstne. counsel FOR MIS- race Wauo
the usual formal motion to set aside the vernict'
and his motion denied a court ofncer touched
Mrs Place on the shoulder She rose and followed
him across the front OF the courtroom to the pen
While the gaze OF the hundreds In the courtroom
was on her she trod firmly, and her face expressed
no inkling OF emotion. But when tho door OF the
pen shut her from tho glare OF those curious eyes
she broke down completely. and sobbed out her
woe in the arms of Miss Meury. the city mission
airy who has been her friend during the long
months in Jail.
POINTS LIKELY TO BE ARGUED.
The verdict OF the jury great victory for
the prosecution. Within memory no woman In
Kings County has been convicted Of murder In the
first degree The case vii! undoubtedly be taken
up appeal and 1t Is probable that the main point
be discussed before the Appellate Court VIII De
the admissibity OF the evidence or the attack
Hurd ruled that all the circumstances surrounding
the murder were admissible including evidence re-
gardrg the assault on Mr.. Place. The prosecution
asserted that this evidence was valuable ana
proper because II showed that the defendant was
trying TO get rid OF the witness against her whom
she feared the most and who hndered her night
from tho house 1t asserted by the defence
that the evidence was not admissible. because the
assault had nothing do with the murder. and
a separate charge. which should be tried as
such The right OF these two claims will probably
be decided the appeal and the stability OK the
conviction may hang on this point. No day has as
yet been fixed for the sentence Of Mrs. Place. and
she will remain in the jail until she is sentenced
THE SUMMING UP.
Mr. Van Iderstlne. in his summing UP In the
morning session. called the attention OF the jury
particularly 10 the fact that the defendant was
not on trial for the assault on her husband. He
said that whether she committed that assault or
not had no bearing on her guilt or innocence OK
the murder OF her stepdaughter, and the jury
should put the two crimes apart In their minds
and see that the one did not interfere with judy
ment I'm regard TO the other. He went over In de-
tail the evidence given by the prosecution. paying
particular attention 10 :he evidence Of DR.. Hen
derson the Coroners physician. who made the
autopsy on the body OF Ida Place. He read some
OF the testimony OF DR.. Henderson, and insisted
that he did not know what he was talking about
cred. There no evidence In his autopsy find
ings to corroborate his statement
DR.. Van Colt, the expert for the defence. who
had made more than three thousand autopsies.
had shown plainly that Dr. Hendersons work was
OF no value whatever. from scientific point Of
view, and witness had been called to con-
tradlct DR.. Van Colt. was he attacked In cross
examination. DR.. Henderson the only wit
who testified that Ida Place died from as
phyxiation and surely the defendant ought not to
be sent to the electric chair testimony weak
ns S ii h 81 Mrs. Yfn n n
Of her husband and closed BY saying ing that there
her stepdaughter. and the jury should not have
the least hesitation in acquitting her
Place family from the time that Mr.. Place
d% ed he lie s das f o as h
ree e er m m nr and Of a
small and malicious nature. Time after time she
he s out of er or it ne wond be- S
worse for her 1t was impossible for Ida to live
without insult. so she was compelled to seek her
companions away f.m nome and awheeL During
stance could be cited when Mrs Place had spoken Ten
a pleasant word to her stepdaughter. Mr. Mcguire
il the conclusion that the defendant had murdered
at al nd e told % the JURY s ses
would put premium premium on crime II they failed to
gree.
A BRIEF CHARGE TO THE JURY
The charge to the jury by Judge Hurd was brief |
He told the Jurors that under their oath they |
were bound to decide the case on the evidence |
alone, excluding all considerations OF resentment
on account Of the terrible nature OF the crime |
and also excluding all considerations OF pity Oh
account OF tho fact that the defendant was a |
woman. He said that the be deter |
mined the evidence alone. no matter how disa- |
grccab!c the duty might be or what might he the |
consequences to the defendant. The first thing to
be determined I'm their delIbera. lions was the cause
OF death. The prosecution said the girls death |
was due to violent suffocaton. The defence de- |
clared that there nothing In the evidence to |