Year: 1872




A Car Conductor Acquitted OF a Charge Of


Larceny-Alcged Wife Murder.


Before Recorder Hackett.


Most of the session was occupied yesterday in
finishing the trial of Charles l.. Ridor conduct or
on Grand street railroad car, who is charged with
being in colluson with three men in stealing $3.50
from Aaron Wolburg, passenger on the car. The
testimony was conflicting in reference to the occur
renee, and the accused showed previous good char
acter. verdict OF not guilty was rendered.


In the afternoon Assistant District Attorney Sui
livan moved the trial Of Mark Flanagan, indicted
for the murder of his wife, Catherine Flanagan.
There was no delay In obtaining jury, Mr.. Kintz-
ing the counsel for the prisoner, not interposing
any objections to the Jurors. 1t seems that the
prisoner and his wife and six children occupied
apartments in a tenement house at No.
the night OF the 10th of August last
the prisoner asked his wife for money to purchase
bedroom and he stabbed her in the neck with a
shoemakers knife, innicting mortal wound Mr..
Sullivan made touching opening to the jury
stating that more dramatic spe ctace than was
ever enacted upon any mimic stage would he
witnessed in the court during the trial. The pris
Oner was charged with the deliberate murder OF
his wife, and of the witnesses to establish the
crime would be the little son OF the accused


the FIRST witness examined py Mr. Sullivan was
old, who said that his parents lived in the tene-
ment house 405 East Seventeenth street; had four

was a shoemaker, and on the evening OF his
mothers death he was IN the room; his father


wanted on 10 g a she said n she
tore his vest, and then the boys mother told him
to 60 out on the fire escape and call up Mrs.
ing he saw his mother with a broom
trying to keep his father away; the witness
wsen wse he came IL he saw his father hneens
over his mother; she hallooed, "He has got q
knife; !" then the boy took hold Of his arm and
rfa IN kaau 1an a frnr IN wv fna
made q grab to take the knife which was In his
fathers hand, and in doing so scratched his own
ing to get up from the oor witness did not hear his
father say anything; they were In the furthest bed
time there was a crowd OF women doing something
to his mother he saw blood all down her waist
when she tried to walk INTO the Kitchen; this oc-
currence took place between Ave and six O'clock
and she died about six O'Clock; witness saw the
knife afterwards at the station house.


The boy was cross-examined at great length by
Mr. Kintzing and said that his father used to have
fits; when he first had them he used to have sew
eral in day; he would get very weak and could
dying; his father had ft two or three
When he eeS had at he tried to poison @ himself
by taking poison out OF a bottle; the mother used
to sit up nights to watch him; he was not drunk
when he had these fits; DR.. Smith attended him;
he had wound on his head little while before
the difficulty, and used to say that his head was
sick tn the Witness mother used to treat his father
kindly; his father used to work steadily up to six
months before the killing and after that only
occasionally he took the children out on Sundays
to the sixteenth street park; two or three times
the witness heard his father say, when he came in
from the street, that he thought some one was be-


In reply to His Honor, the boy said that ne had
seen HIS father under the influence OF liquor; saw
him strike his mother and call her bad names when
he would be drunk his mother used not 70 speak
when he would be cursing or fighting her..


In response to the counsel, the boy said that ne


X fS X SsJ aE @ fsass ps #2'esr after y com


John King. the brother 6f the deceased, was
called but knew nothing Of the occurrence. As he
was leaving the stand he said ne believed the prs.
oner was not insane, but that he was only playing
'possum; that the deceased was poor, defenceless
woman, and he ''abuseQ her to death on all occa-


Mary Graham, the landlady Of the house, testified
that she was called into Mrs. Flanagan's room and
saw Mr.. Flanagan standing over her with knife II
his right hand the witness got hold OF and shook
him; he looked at her very wildly; she pushed MIN
into the front bedroom and the deceased went into
the hall; Mrs. Buckley shouted that the prisoners
the deceased into the room, and she was all bleed
ing; she had wound on the right breast and
another small one below; witness put her down on
the floor, and neighb0r washed the wounds; the
prisoner came out OF the front r00m looked at the
deceased went to the closet SHELF took bottle,
himself; the witness followed him and brought him
into the back bedroom; Afterwards he came out,
looked at his wife, raised his f0G and kicked her
the boys went FOR the police, who arrested the
prisoner


the prisoner and his wife did not i've happily TO-
This witness was also Thoroughly cross. xamiDed