Washington Sentinel

Condition of the Prisoner Tucker--His Conduct in Confinement.

Up to 5 o'clock yesterday afternoon, Tucker, the murderer of his child, was confined in the cells of the third district police station-house, in Court street, to which he was taken when arrested. He was placed under the immediate care of Assistant Captain Oswald, who had done all he could to alleviate his situation. A bed had been provided, and orders given that all his wants should be supplied. Captain O. had not spoken to him at all on the subject of the inhuman deed, which had led to his incarceration, nor would he suffer any one else to do so. The prisoner himself is, or affects to be quite oblivious of the whole of the circumstances; but conscious that he is in jail. He says he does not remember anything at all about how he got there, but he is very weak and sore. This is attributable in a great degree to the beating which he received when he was arrested--the policemen finding it necessary to use great violence, even to resort to their clubs, in the first place to rescue his wife from his infuriated grasp, and secondly to secure him in custody. He has received a considerable bruise on his right temple, and the left hand thumb is cut.
The sincerity of this affected total unconsciousness is much doubted; though there is little question but that his reason was unseated and has of late frequently been so. Yesterday morning he complained of pains in the stomach, and Captain Oswald gave him a dose of some medicine, with which he is provided for cholera cases, consisting mainly of paregoric, laudanum, or some other strong sedatives, and this, it is supposed, has enabled him to dispense with some accustomed stimulants which he has mentioned, but not asked for. He told the captain that he had been drinking very hard over night, (which, it will be remembered, was not the fact,) but that he did not know anything about the last part of the spree, or something of that sort. In answer to a question about his wife and family, he said the last time he saw her was at sea, and she and all his family were quite well. He also said he had used a good deal of opium lately, but, beyond the medicine above mentioned and some cold water, he neither took nor required anything to eat or drink until nearly five o'clock, when he said he should like some tea and toast. This was immediately ordered for him. He has mentioned his family, but apparently without any emotion, merely saying he would like to go home, and that he wanted to see his wife and get some clean clothes. In the evening he was removed from the police station-house to the county jail, by officer Russell.
The prisoner was born in Wayne county, in this State, and is now 43 years of age. He has been married three times and has six children, three of whom are living at Canandaigua, and three have lately been residing with him at Brooklyn, during the last two or three months, since he took the editorial charge of the Freeman. Two of them, the murdered child and one little less than a year old, were the issue of the marriage with his present unfortunate wife, whose maiden name was Ferris. Her mother resides in Michigan.
He is said to have followed several different callings, and was at one time living at Syracuse, following the business of a printer. He has also been a Baptist minister, at Vincent, Pennsylvania, whence he removed to Brooklyn, but his chief occupation has been in connection with the press, as a reporter and correspondent, generally attending the session of the legislature. Here his eccentricities were frequently remarked, and obtained for him the soubriquet of "Mad Tucker." He was generally addicted to intemperance, but would occasionally abstain entirely from drinking, and has even appeared as a temperance lecturer. At these seasons he would resort to the equally baneful practice of chewing opium, which he did to a great extent, and which habit he had of late resumed.
Mrs. Tucker continues under the medical care of Dr. Hallet, and is in a fair way of recovery.
The pistol mentioned in our previous account, had been lent to Mr. Tucker by Mr. De Nyse, (who lived in the same house,) on Sunday last, when he (Tucker) was going to attend some street-preaching near the city hall, and a disturbance was apprehended. It was then loaded with buck-shot. When Tucker entered the house on the fatal night, De Nyse asked him for this pistol, and he said it was up stairs. It was soon after he had left De Nyse's room that the screams were heard. Mrs. Tucker states that he sat up every night since the Sunday with this pistol in his hand, threatening to shoot her if she moved.

CORONER'S INQUEST
Coroner Ball yesterday morning empaneled a jury, and they proceeded to view the body of the child at the house. The examination was adjourned until Monday next.
We find the following in the Daily Freeman, of last evening, of which paper Tucker was the editor at the time of the commission of the crime:
The shocking case which appears in our columns to-day of J. N. T. Tucker and his unfortunate family, is to us at once afflictive, astounding and embarrassing. Some weeks since, Mr. Tucker made our acquaintance, and through the recommendations of men of character, we engaged him temporarily in the capacity of editor of the Freeman. Of his spirit, enterprise, and activity, we were soon convinced, and hoped that our relation to him might be continued, and be useful to ourselves and others. There were times, however, when his appearance alarmed our suspicions in respect to his abstinence, of which we frankly informed him, and received from him solemn pledges of sobriety.
Mr. Tucker was altogether a stranger to us, but since the dreadful occurrence of last evening, we are briefly informed of his history. He and his unhappy family are the wretched victims of the rum trade. Some fifteen or twenty years ago he commenced life as a Baptist minister--a man of good heart, powerful impulses, and excellent abilities. The temperance and anti-slavery excitement met him at the outset. He engaged in them with all his strength, and was not a little distinguished among the active agents of those enterprises. Some ten years since, we are informed, he connected himself with an anti-slavery newspaper at Syracuse, as its editor. Soon thereafter, his friends discovered occasional evidences of his use of liquor; nevertheless, from his talents and address, he maintained the confidence of very many of his friends, continued to preach, though independent of the Baptist connection, and was appointed clerk of the senate, which office, we believe, he held two or three years.
We learn (although the fact was entirely unknown to us at the time he came to our office) that of late he had become sadly victimized to intemperate habits. His pecuniary embarrassment, and the necessities of his young and interesting family, had a restraint upon his indulgence, and he occasionally shook off the tiger, strongly resolving to be himself. It was under the influence of such good resolutions that he made our acquaintance. We hoped to be benefitted by his address, learning, and abilities. But the demon had a firm grasp upon his strong frame, and last night drew him with murderous weapons upon his innocent wife and children.