Year: 1867

EXECUTION OF MURDERns- Bridget


Durgau, the murderess of Mrs. DR.. Coricll,


was executed at New Brunswick, n j., on


Friday. She met her death without emo


ton, whiskey having been administered to


her IN large quantities to keep her nerves


quiet. She left confession behind hsr, in


which she states that she killed Mrs. Coriell


that she might take her place as wife Of The


doctor. Her account of the transaction
was as follows:


! lived At DIR. Coriell's about four months


Mrs Coriell was very kind to me. | never had


any quarrel with her. She was q very pretty


woman. At about ten o'clock on the 25th Of


February last Il viii not be positive as to time)


Mrs Coriell was lying on the lounge in the sit


ting room. Before lying down she complained
OF not feeling well and said she would not re-


tire, but would throw herself on the lounge, and
wished me to sit up to take care If little Ma


me. who was lying in the cradle in the small


bedroom. As Mrs. Coriell was lying apparent
ly asleep, I came out of the kitchen with the


bread-knife in my hand that was exhibited on


the trial, and picked up the kerosene lamp on


the table, not lighted, and coming up to her


struck her with the lamp on the neck She


started up in besildered manner and imme-
diately went into the tmall bedroom adjoining
the sitting room, and | followed after She
was sitting up at the side Of the bed, and as
came near she grssped the knife out Of my
hand. turned round and picked up another
knife with q white handle that lay upon the ts-
bic in the bedroom, concealed by q tsblecloth
which had thrown over it. The knife / had
placed there, having found It IN one Of the
drar in httro ~, tba hall r
turned upon Mrs Coriell and pushed her back
on the bed, and with this vhite-handled knife
struck her repeatedly. The other knife had
fallen upon the floor, 90 she could not use il,
and did not use il that night, and cannot tell
how it became bent. She made all the resist
anee she could, defending herself with the pill
lows. After striking her very often as she lay
on the bed, and supposing she was dead, pick
ell up little Mamie out Of the cradle and went
with her into the sitting room, and sat upon the
lounge for few minutes. | then rose and
went into the kitchen, having Mamie in my
arms, and washed my hands in the iron pot Of
water on the stove. | then came back into the
sitting room. went into the bedroom, and found
that Mrs Coriell had left the bed and gone out
Of the house. | Immediately went cut and
found her going along to the gate in front of
the house | told her to return. She said moth
ing, but went back and as she was passing
through the sitting room she stopped down and
kissed little Mamie, who was standing by the
lounge where had placed her when | went az
ter Mrs. Coriell Mrs. Coriell then sat down
on the floor between the sitting room and the
bedroom /; and while she was there | took the
small ehild's chair. which was exhibited on the
trial, and struck her two or three times on the
neck. | never bit her on the neck, as was said
on trial. then drew her into the bedroom and
laid her down on the floor. | then came back
into the sitting room. | then took Msmie's dress
and took fire and liz It Mrs. Coriell was not
in the bed, but on the floor. | did not change
Slsmie's dress, but carried her out Of the house
with the same clothes she had on when | put
her in the cradle. There no truth in the story
that told Of two men coming to the house on
the night of February 25th last The men.
Patrick Doyle and Michael Hunt, and the girl,
Anna Linon, that accused Of the murder. are
innocent. | sm only guilty. There was no de-
sire nor attempt to rob. The murder was for
another purpose. | killed Mrs. Coriell thinking
that might take her place. This was the mo-
tive. The idea Of killing Mrs. Coriell did not
come upon me suddenly that night. have
told 8 true story. am sorry. and hope that Col
will forgive me.