Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1900-07-23
ETERNITY BY ELECTRICITY
JOSEPH MULLEN, WIFE MURDERER,
PAYS PENALTY IN THE CHAIR.
The Man Had Chance to Escape
Death. but Believed He Could
Escape Conviction.

NEW YORK, July 23.-Joseph Mullen was
electrocuted in the state prison at Sing
Sing at sos this morning. He murdered
his wife in this city on June 4, 1893.
If Mullen had accepted the offer of the
district attorney of New York and pleaded
guilty to a charge of mansaughter in the
second degree, with a provision for a sem
tence of five years. he would still be alive
and would have to undergo Imprisonment
for only year or so, allowing for the
usual Communication of sentence for good
behavior But Mullen thought he could not
be convicted and he refused, first, to a
chance to plead guilty of murder in the
second degree, and then, as stated, the offer
to plead guilty to the charge of manslaugh-
ter in the second degree. These opportuni-
ties were given to Mullen because for some
time after his arrest the district attorney 5
office was unable to secure sufficient evil
der in the first degree. although there was
never any doubt IN the minds of the Off
Gals as to his guilt.
Continued to be Defiant.
Mullen continued defiant and declared he
could not be convicted on any charge. and
that he would walk out of the Tombs
free man and leave the country. But while
Mullen was in this mood the district at
torney's office got hold of the most damag-
ing evidence, and the prisoner was at once
put on trial for his life
Mullen was accused of having murdered
his wife. Johanna O'Brien, shortly after
midnight on June 4, 1885, at 331 West 18th
street, New York, where the woman was
employed as a servant. policeman who
passing heard repeated reports of
revolver. and looking through the iron gate
at the basement door he saw the woman
seated CT the floor with her back against
the open hall door and Mullen standing by
L, L, Stil
looking through the gate Mullen lurched
forward and fell across his wifes body
The policeman gaining admission to the
house found the woman dead. with bullet
wounds in the right breast and neck. Null
len had been shot in the mouth. He was
taken to a hospital, where he soon recoV-
cred.
A Fatal Memorandum.
At the trial memorandum book belong
ing to Mullen was produced. in which he
had written the following:
Il am doing this dreadful thing because
l love my wife and she will not do what
want her to. She has been away from me
eighteen months and I have asked her to
go and look for place with me as man
and wife and she won't do it. So l thought
that with my own hand l would end her
life and mine in each others arms
1t was this note that convicted the pris-
oner.
MuIlen's Defense.
Mullen, in his own defense, said that he
and his wife had agreed to die together
their first plan being for Mullen to shoot
his wife and then himself He said thai
he had not the heart to carry out this
plan. and it was finally agreed that the
woman should do the shooting. This plan,
Mullen declared, was carried out, the Wo-
man shooting him first and then turning
the weapon on herself. In explanation OF
the note in the memorandum book, he said
that he had written ii at his wife's sugges-
ton, the idea being to save her from being
held in case he was killed and she was not.
Mullen was convicted of murder in the
first degree on May II, 1859 the jury being
out only few minutes.
Mullen was thirty years old and was born
in ireland.