Rhode Island American And Providence Gazette

A Desirable Jury.—A man named Michael McGarvey, was tried in Philadelphia, a few days ago, for the murder of his wife. The evidence showed one of the most brutal outrages ever perpetrated. The monster commenced beating his wife with a large cart whip, and continued torturing her for several hours. He tied her to the bedpost by the hair of her head, and beat her with the whip until he actually cut her throat. In the blows eight wounds were inflicted on the head, either of which was mortal—several persons came into the room, during the outrage, but no one interfered. The poor young woman died in a few hours. There was no pretence that she had in any way provoked this brutal conduct from her husband. The Jury who tried this case, conducted in an extraordinary manner, and the papers hint that they decided on hanging or not hanging by a lot. At one time they came into court with a verdict of murder agreed upon, but without delivering it changed their minds and altered their verdict to Manslaughter. If this is murder in the second degree in the opinion of a Philadelphia Jury, what sort of torture must a murderer in the first degree inflict on his victim? This verdict is calculated to bring into contempt the boasted trial by Jury. The Chief Justice as will be seen from his sentence, estimated the offence properly. He thus addressed the prisoner. Michael McGarvey—You have been convicted by a jury of Murder in the Second Degree. You have been most wonderfully and mercifully dealt with. The evidence was amply sufficient to warrant a conviction, which, had it been pronounced by the jury, would have deprived you of life. You have escaped by a miracle. Be grateful, then, to that Providence which has so wonderfully interposed to preserve your wretched existence. If the deepest remorse does not pursue your future steps, then must you have indeed a conscience impervious to all feeling of shame, and of repentance. Your treatment of your unfortunate and murdered wife, was a disgrace to human nature—there was nothing to impeach the propriety of her conduct. She was mild and confiding: you have acted towards her like a devil in human shape. The imperious duty of this Court is to give you the highest punishment which the law admits. Had the jury dealt with you as you deserved: had they given that verdict which would have entailed death, death you should have suffered! The sentence of the Court is, that you, Michael McGarvey, be confined in the Penitentiary for the term of eighteen years, one of those years in solitary cell, to be kept on low diet, and the remaining seventeen years to hard labor. The prisoner heard his sentence with a stupid indifference. We watched him narrowly, and did not observe the motion of a muscle. He was immediately led from the court, across Independence square to the Penitentiary, accompanied by peace officers and an immense crowd.