Year: 1875




bruised and dying in the bery Of OF the South End
churches in this city sabbath afternoon in May
last In company with The little miss, q charm
ing girl of eight years had attended the morn
ing service, their usual custom. In coming out
OF the church the aunt fingered in tha
yestibule for moment to talk with some friends
and when she about TO continue her journey
homeward little Mabel not to be found At first II
was believed that she had stepped out the sidewalk
search there, Well through OF the
church. did result in finding her. A few moments
persons in thought they heard
child from the church bcry and upon looking in thai
direction there observed flock of doves lowering
about the spire and bclry great and unusual commo
ton 1t at once surmised that little Mabel
had srayed up into the steepe and unable to hud
her way back and efforts were immediately made to
release her. When found she lying upon the floor
OF the oeiry with her head beaten to Jelly, and,
although she yet alive death ensued soon
after and without her moment return
ing TO consciousness to explain the circumstances and
author ofthe tragedy. There followed of course,


WILD ENcrEMENr THROUGHOUT THE cry,


and, mingled with the general horror, there the
hearticst sympathy for the widowed mother, who, by
the way, is now hopeless maniac in Il foreign cline
The Chief Of Police who happened live in the im-
mediate vicinity, early at the of the murder
and from such information he could hastily gather
sexton,
obedience to his suspicious he promptly took Thoma
w Piper into custody AS is usual in such cases. when
the community is excited and indignant, the
promptly convicted, so Tar as public opinion waa
concerned but 1t was reserved Tor cours Of justice TO
examine the carefully.


Alter the officers had taken Piper into custody they
resorcd 10 the customary devices 10 extort confession
and make out case against nm at AL hazards Ihls,
perhaps is not strange, Tor during the several years.
ofthe present police organization IL has failed 10
discover or work up 10 successful issue single one OF
the dozen or more atrocous murders which have been
committed III this vicinity and this their
peratlon got the best OF their judgment.


PRISONER AND


The trial. which commenced last week Monday)
and IS not yet concluded has formed the chief topic OF
discourse and speculation in the city and vicinity.
Only the famous Webster Parkman and Aey-Els
cases have attracted more popular attention than has
been directed toward this trial during the past week
Through the whole ordeal the prisoner to have
conducted himself IN such a manner as to Impress
spectators very vorably He IS rather intelligent
looking fellow, only twenty-seven years old,
and is a native OF Yarmouth Nova Scotia but has re-
sided in Boston during the past six years His
record to have been all right notwithstanding
he was once discharged IRON employment on account
OF suspected dishonesty


nE TELLS HIS own STORY.


During the trial Piper was permitted to take tha
stand and tell his story OF the affair. He gave ha
narrative IN unaffected straightforward manner,
and on the cross-exainination he failed to
contradict himself in single instance. Thd
points of evidence against him which hs
tailed to explain away were blood stainf
his clothing false statement that he had no key u
the bcltry when the cries Of little Mabel were heart
and effort which he made 10 dlssnade people from
Il
slight, and chemists differed to whether they wert
blood not, and Tor the possession or the key
the bcliry, it lifted another door, and the accused
claims that he did not know before that would un-'
lock the bcry door There witness named clover,
who testified Tor the prosecution that he saw Piper
jump of Of the church windows and aronnd
TO The front door just before the cries heard This
witness however, proved himself porjurer several
instances and his career in the past has been such
him to spend several terms in jail. None Of
his evidence Is generally credited but, on the contrary,
there strong impression that he himself is Really
the murderer


A SPEECH FROM PIPER


When the closing argument for The government had
been made to-day the Court as usual, informed tha
defendant that il he desired he could address the jury
in his own behalf though should he not do so there
would be no prejudice in hs case. To this offer tho
prisoner responded BY addressing the jury in the iol
I lowing words


Gentlemen | Just simply desire to say to you that
am innocent OF this great crime laid 10 my charge.
manner; neither did assault her in any way; neither
do know anything in regard to the way by which she
CHARGE TO THE JURY


Chief Justice Gray then charged the jury first re-
ferrng 10 the importance and responsibility OF thG
oath they had taken. The case before them the
only trial. and they wcro to consider no othe1
questions cases. except the charge OF the murdef
the prisoner connected with any other crime
to be wholly excluded from their minds.
The government was held TO the proof Of tho
charge in the indictment beyond
able doubt This was explained as being such .
conclusion can be reached by no other reasonable
hypothesis The evidence was briefly referred To, and
the jury to weigh IL aud give II such considerations
/ aS
sci 10 charge upon law points were read aud commented
upon they having reference 10 tho requirements OF the
defence in dsproving guilt and accounting Tor himself
ON the afternoon OF the tragedy The rules o law apple
cable TO circumstantial evidence were commented
upon and explained 1t was incumbent upon the gov
crnment prove every substantial or material fact m
the chain OF circumstances or the would not be
made Out. They where 70 consider what motive 4
any the defendant could have in the commission 0
this crime, and IL there any motive. The testt
mony TO the keys and the statements made by Pipei
in relation TO them as We'll his entire conduct
4 were
portance of each point considered, and how much
they bear upon his guilt or innocence Il
also Tor them To Jucge whether the
conversations with DR. Pentecost the officers were
consistent Inconsistent with the theory Of inno.
rmE BLOOD srors Asp SINGLE HAIR


found upon the coat OF Piper TO be analysed and
the statement and opinions Of the experts both sides
to be given proper weight They were also to decide
how far the testimony OF Glover would lead them to
the belief that Piper escaped from the tower, and
whether the conduct OF Piper at the Jail IN the cutting
Of his arm was an attempt a. suicide or
acler OF the crime was thcn explained, which
that Of murder in the first degree In concluding,
His Honor reminded the jury that their duty ended
with the hndng the verdict and no other preroga>
tive could be considered. They were responsible Tor
no results OF their verdict, aud could not entertain
'N'"' WAITING roR rHE VERDICT.


The gwen to the jury at about noon, and al


hour tonight there is little prospect OF
mcnt There great excitement aud much speculation
as to the probable verdict public opinion being about
equally divided an acqnttal or dsagreoment


DETECTIVES


II did not need the example displayed IN this PipeR
case establish the ineniccncy OF these miscalled
detectives OF Boston. Their previous record had
already shown their worthcssness and incapacy. The
slaughter o the Joyce children Buzzy Woods, tha
Kato Leehan MURDER the Bridget Langdergan horror.
the shooting oi man IN his own door in Dorchester,
the As Charles River butchery, the killing of Mi
Dennahy, the Pusiicr assassination and Of
other previous to thus bcliry affair amentabld
but positive proofs OF the ncapacity of these socacd
Boston detectives. In Of these numcrated
have they obtained the slightest clew to the
dcrers The Pomcroy case they had given up, and tha
murder OF Katie Curran would forever have been a
mystery II an Irish ahorer had not accidentally ionnd
her body in the cellar Of the house occupied by young
Pomeroys mother, and this discovery made altc1
the premises had been repeatedly searched
by tho officers Pcmbcrton, who hung
few weeks ago Tor the murder of Misf
Ea.t x..lo<3 -.