EXTRAORDINARY TRIAL OF A LADY FOR MURDER.

Evening Post, Issue 230, 25 November 1865, Page 2

EXTRAORDINARY TRIAL OF A LADY FOR MURDER.

The New York correspondent of the Manchester Examiner writes : — The trial of Miss Harris for the murder of Mr. Burroughs, has ended in the acquittal of the accused. The facts are briefly these : Two or three years ago this Burroughs paid the most devoted attention to Miss Harris, then living in Burlington, lowa, and succeeded itt gaining her affections completely. On the trial letters were read which he had written to her, all breathing the most ardent love, and showing that, so fur as outward forms were concerned ut least, Miss Harris had no cause to complain of want of devotion on the part of her lover. Among those letters were two which, had they been written by Burroughs, would have proved that he had all the time been paying his addresses for his dishonorable motives. They requested Miss Harris to meet him at a well known assignation house in Chicago, to which she had then removed her residence. Sundry facts produced the impression upon her mind that Burroughs had actua'ly written these letters, but the proof of the fact offered on the trial was exceedingly defective. There was several friends whom Miss Harris consulted, who assisted in deepening this impression. Inasmuch as she had never dreamed that the man she had loved so deeply could have gained her affections for dishonorable motives, the discovery she believed she had made overwhelmed her completely. All intercourse with him was broken off ; and when she heard a few weeks later that he had married another, she vowed that she would be revenged, and she set about preparing for this in a manner which showed that she was very methodical in her madness, to say the least. Purchasing a pistol, she practised with it day after day ; and when she felt confident of her skill, she set out in pursuit of Burroughs, whom she knew had taken his wife to Washington, where be had secured a position in the Treasury bureau. . Reaching Washington, Miss

Harris informed herself regarding the habits of Burroughs, and determined to shoot him as he was leaving his office in the afternoon. Taking her stand in the shadow of a clock which was in the pissa »eway, she waited his coming ; and when he had parsed her, she deliberately stepped from her hi ding- place, and drawing her 1 piafo?, a\ot him in the back of ths bead, killing him almost instantly. Whatever may be thought of the provocation she had, an unprejudiced mind would certainly decide that there was but little proof of insanity in all this. That line of defence was, however, almost the only one that could be adopted ; and the defence worked it up well, an 1 with all the more ease because the Judre had evidently made up his mind that Miss Harris must be acquitted. He deliberately abetted all the. attempts of her counsel to a inoy and irritate the attorney for the Government ; and as that gentleman did not seem to be blessed with a very great degree of self-possession, his task was com^arat'vely an easy one. As the trial progressed matters kept getting worse and worse, until the following undignified scene transpired just as the case was coming to a close. The District Attorney having impugned the motives of a maiden lady, who testified for the defence : — Mr. Bradley denounced the assertion, and said no gentleman would use such language. Mr. Carrington said that he would do his duty. Mr. Bradley said he would not sit quietly and hear an unprotected woman insulted ; the man who did that stepped beyond the bounds of his duty as counsel. Mr. Carringtou said that he woutd return the insult. Mr. Bradley : Here's a chip on my head, now knock it off. The Court here called the marshal to stop this quarrel, and remarked that he would not permit the character of Miss Delvin to be assailed in this manner. Mr. Bradley said that he introduced th c witness and knew her to be a lady of, the highest respectability. Mr. Carrington said he was not aware that he (Mr. B.) knew her. After Mr. Carrington had concluded his argument, Judge Wylie said to the jury that the law had been laid down by the Court. Feeling satisfied that they understood it, he would now submit the cause without any further charge. I hope you have made up your minds, and will soon render your verdict. At four o'clock, the case was submitted to the jury, who retired to their room. At ten minutes past four o'clock, the jury entered the court-room, and were called by the clerk Mr Middleton, who asked— " Gentlemen of the jury, have you agreed upon your verdict P" The Foreman, Mr. Thomas Schrivener, answered — " We have." Mr. Mi.ldleton — "Look upon the prisoner at the bar. Dj you find her guilty as indicted, or not guilty ?" Mr. Schrivener answered, in a loud, clear voice—" Not Guilty." A tremendous cheer arose, and the greatest delight was manifested. Everybody was attempting to shake hands with Miss Harris. She was kissed by Mr. Bradley and a few caught her hand, but she iinmedi itely fainted, and was taken from the court room in the arms of Mr* Bradley. Miss Harris was taken to the ante-room to avoid the crowd, and, after recovering her composure in a measure, she was conveyed from the City Hall in a carriage, accompanied by Miss Delvin and Mr. Voorheys.