The Jersey City news. (Jersey City [N.J.]) 1889-1906, 1900-04-05
NEELEY TRIED.
Defense Will Try to Show
Cause for Jeal-
ousy.
MAY ALLEGE INSANITY
State Prepared to Refute This
Plea by Expert Testi-
mony.
MAY ALLEGE INSANITY

William L. Neeley, the, colored man Who
in a fit of jealousy shot and killed ms
wife Mary L., when she was returning
from a ball with a colored man named
Gamaliel Brewster, in this city, early on
the morning of December l last was
placed on trial for his life before Judge
Blair and a jury in the Court of Oyer and
Termfner this morning. The prisoner is
represented by Lawyer William H. Speer,
Jr Prosecutor James S. Erwin appears
for the State.
When the trial began the prisoners s
counsel interposed a number of objections
He questioned the right of Judge Blair
to sit alone on the case and contended
that the jury from which the special pam
ell to try the case had been selected, was
illegally drawn, in that no venire appear
ed in the record.
County Clerk Fisher and Under Sheriff
IIeavey were called to testify that the
jury had been properly drawn and sum
moned, and Judge Blair overruled Mr.
Speers objections and granted him the
exceptions he asked.
The following trial jury was then
selected with but little trouble:-Everett
Koehner, George Deven, Edward Johnson,
Conrad Darling, Mark Frey, William
Bauer, Robert Wilson, George Divers,
John E. Jones, John MCGOWAN, Henry
Shields and John Sachau.
Prosecutor Erwin in his opening address
said that the State would endeavor to
show that the murder was deliberate and
premeditated On the night before the
shooting, Thanksgiving night, Neeley, who
is employed as a longshoreman, went to
his work and Mrs. Neeley went to ball.
She was returning home with Gamaliel
Brewster about four o'clock the next
morning when near the corner of Church
street and Jordan avenue she was met by
her husband, who had been in waiting
for her for several hours, and deliberately
shot her to death. Two shots were fired,
one of which penetrated her heart, caus-
ing instant death.
Architect Louis H. Broome was called
to identity maps which he had made of
the scene of the shooting.
Policeman Peter l.. Murray testified.
81 asked Neeley who shot the woman"
said the witness, 'and he said, L did be-
cause she was unfaithful.
The cross examination of this witness
by Lawyer Speer indicted that the de-
fence will be momentary insanity, caused
bv the dead woman's alleged unfaithful
ness The State has evidently prepared
to meet such a defence for among the in
terested spectators in the court room
were DR.. John D. McGill and DIR. Corning,
the expert on nsnervous diseases, who gave
testimony in the Clifford lunacy proceed
ings.
OFFICER Murray, in answer to Lawyer
Speer's questions said that Neeley after
the shooting semed dazed and bewildered.
On redirect examination the witness
admitted that Neeley was not very much
excited when he answered the question
as to who did the shooting.
Amanda Smith who had also been at
the ball in question that night, testified
that she had known Mrs. Neeley for two
years On her way home the witness met
Mr. Neeley who asked where his wife
was. She told him his wife had left the
ball with Brewster before she started
from there. She described the shooting.
Mr. Speer endeavored to show that the
relations existing between Mrs. Neeley and
Brewster were such as to arouse Neeley's
jealousy, but the Court refused to allow
such questions under cross-examination.
Mr. Speer drew from the witness that
Mrs Neeley left her home with Brewster
fully two hours before they reached the
ball and also that they left the ball room
over an hour before she, the witness, did.
Mr. Speer also drew from the witness that
she met Neeley before Brewster and Mrs.
Neeley came along Where Mrs. Neeley
and Brewster spent the time between
leaving the ball and the time of the shoot
ing witness could not say. Miss Smith
was still on the stand at recess.