A WIFE TRIED FOR KILLING HER HUSBAND.

New Zealand Herald, Volume XXXIV, Issue 10347, 23 January 1897, Page 2 (Supplement)

A WIFE TRIED FOR KILLING HER HUSBAND.

HER LOVER CONDEMNED TO DEATH.

Lα Plata, Md., Nov. 28.—James J. Invin , widow will be tried on Wednesday 'fo alleged complicity in his murder. He lover, George Mattbewe, was sentenced to death for the killing last Thursday. Matthews , trial was highly dramatic Ho interrupted the judge while sentena was being pronounced to declare his guilt insisting that his victim's wife had nrgei him to the crime. He demanded that she be sent with him to the gallows, Matthews was a waterman; Invin i farmer. Allen's Fresh, tho scene 'of tin tragedy, is n desolate haralot in the soutl end of Charles Counsy. ftot long ago it: rough watermen lynched Joseph°CocUiiio for murdering his wife and her sister. The) did it to save the expense of a trial. Farmer Irwiu's wife was young and pretty. Her intrigues with thu stalwari Matthews had been notorious before the night of Sunday, August 2, when she says that she was awakened in the dark by the gun shots that killed her husband, who had been sleeping at her side. In Matthews' home was found' part of a Populist newspaper, the Now Charter. The wadding blown into Farmer Invin's head with the load of shot had not been destroyed. Ib was carefully smoothed out. It fitted identically into the ragged edges of a torn pago in a Populist paper. Soon after his arrest Matthews escaped from gaol. A reward of GOO.lols. was offered for his capture. Nothing was heard of him until a few clays before the date fixed for his trial, when he surrendered to the old coloured gaoler, from whom hehid escaped. He said that he had been hiding in the woods near his home. The trial lasted three days. The jury was out eight minutes. When Judge Briscoo asked Matthews whether ho had anything to say why sentence of death should not be pronounced, ho replied: "It was a trap to catch mo, made by a woman. She used to tell mo that her husband would kill me. You can condemn mo and turn that woman loose if you will; but you might as well turn the devil right out of hell as to let that woman go." In his cell, Matthews made a long confession within hearing of Mrs. Irwin. He described in detail how his fair temptress' and her sister, Mrs. Bourne, had wrought him to tho desperate mood that led him" to murder tho husband. Thoy had plied him with threats and caresses. Matthews had advised Mrs. Invin to leave her husband if ho did not treat her woll. She refused, saying it was just what tho husband wanted her to do. The women told Matthews, ho swore, that Iran had declared his purpose of going to Matthews' house at night and blowing his brains out while he was aslejp, Matthews replied : "If that man's heart. , as dirty as th.it, I'll get him before ho gets me. Ho will never have the pleasure of killing me." The murderer said that the farmer's wife cried: "I swear to God that it you don't kill him he will kill you the first shauce ho gets."

"It was about midnight when I reached Irwin'e houso," roads tho confession. " I made aa much noise ns I could, for I wanted to givo him a ohiineo for his life, I even knocked around chairs, but ho did not wako up. He was lying on the eido of .the bed nearest me. The lamp was turned low rho four-year old child was lying asleep on the fljoc Mrs. Invin was buck against tho wall, on her side of the bed. She did not say anything to mo nor J to her before or after the shooting. Sho know I was there. Irwln had the back of his head toward mo. I raised the gun and placed it within nn inch of him. I put it down and looked at him. It was such u cool way of killinit a man! Then I thought of what eho told mo,' It's no more Lhati he would do to you,' and I lee him iiavo it, Ho nover stirrod. Something told mo to kill the woman. It Aoemoil to bo wrestling with me and talking to me. It hold mo°to the spot. I managed to drag myeelf away, but all tho way to my boat it was lellin" me to SO back and kill her, I walked to" Westwood by the public road, but did not moot anybody. When I reached there I heard Mrs. Irwiu ecreain for help, 'as had been arranged." ■ Mrs. Irwin aroused much sympathy by her demnro appearance when arraigned to plead. She emiled girlishly and made light ot the terrible ohargos. Hor neat gown°of black displayed a figure like a model's. Her big grey eyes gazed around the court room with n curious interest beneath wavy masses of light brown hair.