Year: 1872

LAW TAKING ITS COURSE.


WASHINGTON, Oct. 81, 1877.


George W. jenkins, q young muatt0 OF about
twenty-five years Of age and lately employed as
cook at q fashionable private hotel, was hung In
the Jail yard of this city to-day for the murder OF
his wife, Lavinia jenkins, good-looking, bright
mulatto woman, twenty-one years old, to whom he
had been married about i've years and by whom he
had two children, aged respectively three and
half and two years. The murdered woman bore an
excellent reputation for chastity and industry but
her husband, besides being exceedingly quick tenn
pered was Of an insanely jealous disposition and
somewhat addicted to intemperance, which caused
him to ill-use his wife. The latter separated from
him eighteen months after marriage and supported
herself ana children by sewing during the separa-
tion.


SIX MONTHS BEFORE HER VIOLENT DEATH
she reoined her husband and was regarded In the
neighborhood as an excellent wife and mother.
Both she and her husband were members Of vari-
GUS colored societies. and they had both belonged
to one Of the leading Methodist congregations, but
the murdcrer's connection had become severed,
while his wife remained a member.


The tragedy occurred on the morning OF the nth
OF May, on street, close by the Arlington Hotel,
and in the square where Major Russell, OF the
Marine Corps, cut his throat, in 1854, and young
lady named Coins jumped from a window and
killed herself during 1T OF insanity three years
later The weapons used were cooks knife and
butchers cleayer, by which, conformity six fear
ful wounds were innicted upon the face and throat
Of the victim while still abed and in her night
dress. The criminal fed the house, and


THE BODY OF THE DEAD WOMAN


lay for three hours more in the bloody pool fed
r1,iI
dren near her, till her brother-n-aw, Robert
Jenkins, passing the house and hearing the cries
Of the children in the back part, inquired the
cause and was told by the elder that their father
had gone away and their mother was up stairs
dead, with her throat cut The startled man ran
at once to police headquarters to tell what he had
heard, and word was at once telegraphed to the
nearest precinct to take charge Of the house and
to all stations to be on the lookout for the mur-
derer, who was, however, supposed to have got out
OF the city in the hours Of grace between the deed
and its discovery.


At the Coroners inquest the little girl Of three and
half years said in reply to the questonsput to her,
that her papa killed her mamma in bed, and
pointed to the cleaver as having been used, she,
herself being in the room and witnessing the act.
Other evidence went to show the borrowing Of the
knife from brother hotel cook the night before,
and OF the cleaver for the alleged purpose Of OPEN
ing box, on the morning Of the murder. 1t fur
ther appeared that jenkins had been ar rested
little over month before, on complaint OF his
wife, for threatening her ife and that three nights
before the murder q policeman passing the house
overheard one Of two men sitting inside say
that he


s'wOULD CUT HER D-D THROAT"


The next morning the officcr asked the deceased
the meaning Of what he had heard the night pre-
vious, when she said that she supposed they were
referring to some OF their old girls The omcer,
II George W. would Xii her, to which She answered
that she did Lot know what he would do when he
got mad The coronsrs Jury found that the he &c: de-
es so Sss Fl ass aSd e ,ss ken
y I c7 ESs na s sbs s mSc Country msn
without avail, But about dusk on the day follow,
committed, entered police station and, giving
his name to the sergeant In charge, announced his
voluntary surrender to justice: He was taken to
headquarters and put In the hands OF the detec-
tiyes for examination; he maintained that the
whole affair was blank to him-that ne had been
saw the bloody corpse OF his wife before him: Then
he left the house, and only remembered that he
dercd thence over M to Meridian Hili and pondering
upon his crime as sunset came on, he resolved to
surrender himself While in jail awaiting his trial
the prisoners conduct was that OF


INDIFFERENCE CONCERNING HIS CRIME


or his fate. He always maintained, when ques-
toned, that he knew nothing OF the occurrence
that had brought him to his then situation. His
trial began on the Sd day OF October the Assistant
District Attorney T an ate1 20 come ,me
mitted In the District OF Columbia, but reminding
the Jury that they mere to try tns case rs wnoy 6s
with the prisoner all through the trial. he asked for
verdict free from fear, favor or affection. The
testimony for the prosecution was substantially
that given before the Coroner's Jury, with the add
tion Of that OF the policeman who served the war
rant upon jenkins for threatening the life OF his
WIFE and to whom he said that he expected he
would kill his wife yes, unless he left her. The
opening defensive argument urged upon I. tne Jury
tive-t0 look not at the hand but the heart OF the
doer. Several witnesses were introduced for the
purpose Of showing that at about the time OF the


THE ACCUSED HAD BEEN ACTING STRANGELY
nd ID an the
tinal argument for the prisoner. and was followed
by the prosecuting attorney. The Judge charged
been bee able to resist the temptation to commit the
act. he was guilty OF murder; but Y they believed
find him not guilty by reason OF insanity, The
jury were absent ten minutes, which interval the
prisoner passed with hls children who were taken
out visibly afYecting the now condemned man,
upon whom sentence was deferred for q couple OF
light cigar. on being arraigned for sentence he
replied to the usual question OF the Judge that he


af the e 81 e s ne


"IF 1T Is POSSIBLE TO SAVE MY NECK"


said he a hope you will do so; but II not, let Gods
will be done. will be satisfied" The Judge then
sentenced him to be hanged by the neck until dead
on Thursday, october 81, between the hours OF ten
in the morning and two In the afterno0n-tne In
novation upon the old traditional usage that has
set apart Friday as the hangman's day exciting
more interest IN the court room than the SEN
tence, which was but matter OF form. The prls-
0ner was not affected by either circumstance put
bidding goodby to some relatives OF his murdered
wife, he lit the Inevitable cigar and retired from
the presence ofustlce. During the interval between
his sentence and Its execution he became resigned
TO his fate, cheerful In hts bearing and hopeful OF
his future. Under the influence Of pfous people,
both ministers aud laymen, he bent hts thoughts
upon religion, and strove to prepare himself for the
momentous change from life TO death. he per.
sisted In hts innocence OF any intention to commit
the horrid murder, and on that evidently built