Year: 1879

TACLE FOR A CHILD.


BRIDGEPORT. Conn. Nov. 8, 1879


The trial Of John McAuliffe for the murder OF Mary
McAulife his wife, in February last. was begun this
! morning before Judges Culver and Loomis twiilpe
| remembered that the unfortunate woman was FOUND
on Sunday afternoon February q lying insensblein In
| pool of blood in her bedroom. with deep cut
above her left temple which had bied profusely
| and from which the blood was still flowing. When
the police officers reached the house they found the
victim was still alive. but died few minutes after
ward The family living on the floor above heard
| ouarrelsome words between Mrs. McAuliffe and her
husband about noon which lasted little
time The noise ceased and they thought nothing
more about it until about four o'clock. when
McAulide's son. aged about ten years. up and
asked them to go to his mothers assistance. In
answer their questions the woman said her hus-
band gave her a blow and she had lain there
since. They at once sent word to the
police station and after the officers
rived ut the of the tragedy. The hus-
band came in from . neighborfng saloon and was
rested When told that he had killed his wife he
said he didn't scare a damn" he glad if he had
and would willingly spend the money necessary to
bury her. subsequently. however. he denied having
struck his wife, and said that she must have got
hurt by falling out OF bed. caseknife
found in the room. and 1t is supposed
that this was used by McAuliGe. the
blade was found to exactly fit the wound found on
the unfortunate woman. McAuliffe and his family
occupied two small rooms. which Were rather dingy
and scantily furnished and both he and his wife
given to drink and quarreled quite frequently.
The next morning the prisoner said he
was married to the deceased about twenty
years ago; he had three children-two girls
and boy-one of the former being in the Girls In
dustrIa School ut the time. He said he had no fault
to find with his wife except that she would drink.
He said he did not remember much about the affair.
but denied striking his wife, He admitted. however.
that they had frequently quarreed ana that ne had
given her black eye short time previous. This.
he said. was nothing.


M'AuIIrFK's CONTRADICTORY STATEMENTS
He denied having made the statement that he was
glad that she dead. He said he earned SO
week. and claimed that she. drank it all up. He
ton of the bedclothes about her. ana he
thought she must nave cut her head on
he did not go near her. but thought he might as
well let her alone. she might fall out again if he
put her back in bed He said she had been drink
ing and was intoxicated that she could not take
of herself. He said he was glad she was
dead on account of her excessive drinking. He
admitted buying quart Of whiskey and said
they drank it together that day. assisted by man
named Riley. who came in. He claims that he did
the floor. but thought she must be- as he saw the
blood. He seemed quite cool and calm while telling
agitation or excitement. At the hearing before
the Coroner the little of the accused
testified that his father drunk the day that
his mother was killed; he said he into the room
where his mother lay and asked her who hit her. he
said he could hardly understand waa. she said but
neighbors testified that McAuline and his
wife quarrelled very frequently. and especially
every Sunday. The Grand Jury, after taking testi-
mony. brought in true bill against McAulife. but
his trial has been put off from time to time until
now. The prisoner is being defended by Mr.. w. G.


TESTIMONY OF DRs. sHArrucx AND HUBBARD


The court opened at half-past ten O'Clock with .
small attendance. The prisoner brought in
some little time previous, looking somewhat i'm
proved in appearance since his long confinement in





a jury. The frst witness called was DR.. L. A.
see Mrs McAulife. the deceased he found her
lying on the bed. which was saturated with blood;
he also found blood spots on the foor he examined
the womans I'M uries and found wound on the left
side OF the head. just over the temple. which
bleeding quito profusey; he thought sho suffer-
dies to stop its flowing; he said she died in about
half nn hour after he arrived; he did not hear her
say anything while he was present.


Dr. Robert Hubbard was next called. He testified
that he made postmortem examination Of the
body of the deceased, assisted by DR.. Cumming; he
examined all parts of the body liable to death;
he found abundant causes in the intestnes and abb
aomem. t IN a the nature OK ulcers ulcers sufficient
the body to be quite free from blood; he
also found bruises on the arms and hips; the wound
on the head was seven-eighths OF an inch long and
and half inches from the outer line Of the
left eyelid the left side; 1t clean cut. and
had the appearance OF being made with a pliable,
round pointed instrument; he said he shown
ordinary case knife at the time he made the post
mortem. which he thought to be instrument
likely cause such u wound; he was of the opinion
that the wound of itself was hardly sufficient to
cause death from hemorrhage in a person of ordi-
nary health; he should say that owing to the condi-
ton in which he found the deceased in the post
mortem that the loss of blood from the wound was
the immediate cause of her death.


Cross-examined he said any of the ulcers which
were found in the ntestines would death
when perforation touk place. there rule to
the time person would live after perforation had
taken place; he had known where a person had
lived thirty hours after; he thought this q
markable one; surprised that the deceased
had lived long she had he thought the ulcer
alton in this case was OF long standing. and
counted great degree for the Of blood in
the system: he said the hemorrhage of the wound
on the head could have been stopped at the time by
very simple means.


IMMEDIATE CAUSE OF MRS. MAuIIrrE's DEATH.


Officer Arnold next called to identify the cloth
ing OF the deceased aud the bedding taken from tho
room in which she was found. oil OF which
saturated with blood.


The articles being identified by the officer were
examined by DIR. Hubbard relative to the
amount of blood which came from the wound
consideration the facts OF the amount shown on
the clothes and the amount Az stated being found
upon the floor he should say there was no doubt
that the hemorrhage was the immediate OF the


Cross-examined he said. looking at the case from
Hypothetical view she came to her death from the
injuries she received; he said it possible for q
person to tall with knife in the hand and have
inflicted similar wound but in that case he said,
the knife would be found in the hand or near the
head.


meant by the expression he used in the morning by
finding Mrs. McAulifie in state of coma. He re-
piled "I meant in state of insensbity, this be-
ing caused by great loss of blood"


DIR. j. X. Cumming testihed:-Thcre was nothing
revealed in the postmortem examination that the
deceased to her death in any other than
hemorrhage from the wound in the head.
John McAuliffe Jr., the nineyear-o son OF the
prisoner, next called, and after being questioned
at length as to his knowledge of an oath. said
that when he went out his mother getting break
fast; when he returned his father was fixing the |
pipe with table knife; his mother in the
bedroom, and his father told him to go in and |
her; he found her bleeding at the |
IN N
and went up stairs after Mrs. Baker and then went
alter the doctor his father then went out. and the
next he of him was at the police station; he |
asked me IL my mother dead told him that
she was; he said his father said more to him |
about her; he could not tell what time it was in the
afternoon when he came in from playing. The wit |
ness very much affected and cried at intervals
during his testimony.


The Court adjourned till nine o'clock Thursday |
mOrning. Tho cXi1nuce Will ilrnluLLlN he all