Both he and a customer testified that they had seen Merrick pour
some powder into the wine and give it to the woman in the buggy.
The prosecution alse showed that Merrick was having an incestuous
affair with his niegce at the time of his wife's death. Merrick's
defense was that the body was not that of his wife, He said that
he was in the habit of,renting buggies to some ressurectionists
whose names KKAX he did not know and he sought to show that the
bodies were those of victims of a grave robbing expedition, His
conviction was appealed to the Indiana Supreme Court on several
grounds, the primary ones being that the indictment was faulty
in that: it did not specifically state that Julia was "a human being"
and that it charged him with murder both by poisoning and by a sur-
gical operation, The conviction was affirmed and Merrick was hanged
in Indianapolis on January 29, 1879, He went to his death stil]
maintaining that the body was not that of his wife and his. last
words were: "When that drop falls and my life goes out, may peace
be still! I wish to say no more," His neck was broken. by the fall,
63 INDIANA 3273 lL McDADE 33 NATIONAL POLICE GAZETTE, 10-5~'78
(6-1); 10-19-1878 (11-3) (woodcut likeness Sh age Taye dospiciare
/ (10-1); Feb. 8, 1879 (2-3). :
(10-1
Both he and a customer testified that they had seen Merrick pour
some powder into the wine and give it to the woman in the buggy.
The prosecution also showed that Merrick was having an incestuous
affair with his niegce at the time of his wife's death. Merrick's
defense was that the body was not that of his wife. He said that
he was in the habit of, renting buggies to some ressurectionists
whose names HA he did not know and he sovght to show that the
bodies were those of victims of a grave robbing expedition, His
conviction was appealed to the Indiana Supreme Court on several
grounds, the primary ones being that the indictment was faulty
in that: it did not specifically state that Julia was "a human being"
and that it charged him with murder both by poisoning and by a sur-
gical operation, The conviction was affirmed and Merrick was hanged
in Indianapolis on January 29, 1879, He went to his death stil]
maintaining that the body was not that of his wife and his. last
words were: "When that drop falls and my life goes out, may peace
be still! I wish to say no more," His neck was broken. by the fall,
63 INDIANA 3273 1 McDADE 3; NATIONAL POLICE G, y -5=178
(Bal) 10-19-1678 (11-3) (Woadeut’ Likeness’ on page 13); 10-91-1878
Ware Oe
Both he and a customer testified that they had seen Merrick pour
some powder into the wine and give it to the woman in the buggy.
The prosecution also showed that Merrick was having an incestuous
affair with his niegce at the time of his wife's death, Merrick's
defense was thet the body was not that of his wife, He said that
he was in the habit of, renting buggies to some ressurectionists
whose names MHAK he did not know and he sought to show that the
bodies were those of victims of a grave robbing expedition, His
conviction was appealed to the Indiana Supreme Court on several
grounds, the primary ones being that the indictment was faulty
in that-it did not specifically state that Julia was "a human being"
and that it charged him with murder both by poisoning and by a sur-
gical operation, The conviction was affirmed and Merrick was hanged
in Indianapolis on Jamary 29, 1879, He went to his death still
maintaining that the body was not that of his wife and his, last
words were: "When that drop falls and my life goes out, may pea:
be still! I wish to say no more," His neck was broken. by the fall.
$3 INDIANA 3273 LMcDADE 3; NATIONAL POLICE oe
(6-h); roids (373) (woodcut likeness on page 1’ eres
3 Fel =
aeceters oni woe tatrh Sy bef,
(EDP Plrs hs ———— ita
Gah ate 8, tay Gah
MERRICK, William
Merrick, a white man, was the proprietor of a livery stable in In~-
dianapolis,.Ind, Early in 1878 he was sued for bastardy by a woman
named Julia with whom he had been having an affair for several years
and, to compromise the suit, he married her. Merrick made ho secret
of his dislike of this arrangement and his hatred of the woman who
had forced it upon him and he was heard to threaten to kill her on
several occasions, Around eight o'clock on the night of Sept, lh,
1878, when her confinement was due at any time, he persuaded her to
accompany him on a buggy ride from which he returned alone, On Sept.
22, her nude body and that of a newly born infant were found by two
fishermen among some logs and brush near the bridge of the Morris
St. extension and the body was.quickly identified as that of Mrs,
Merrick, The baby had been surgically removed from her wound AXERR
#KK while she was in her death agonies from the administration of
strychnine, Merrick, who denied that the body was that of his wife,
was arrested and charged with the murder, At his trial a druggist
testified that he had purchased ten cents worth of strychnine on
Sept.13 and a saloon keeper whose business was near the Bpee where
the body was found testified that on the evening of Mrs. errick 8
disappearance he had sold Merrick two glasses of whiskey for himself
and a glass of blackberry wine for his wife who was in a buggy.
MERRICK, William
Merrick, a white man, was the proprietor of a livery stable in In-
dianapolis,.Ind. Early in 1878 he was sued for bastardy by a woman
named Julia with whom he had been having an affair for several years
and, to compromise the suit, he married her. Merrick made ho secret
of his dislike of this arrangement and his hatred of the woman who
had forced it upon him and he was heard to threaten to kill her on
several occasions. Around eight o'clock on the night of Sept. lh,
1878, when her confinement was due at any time, he persuaded her to
accompany him on a buggy ride from which he returned alone, On Septe|
22, her nude body and that of a newly born infant were found by two
fishermen among some logs and brush near the bridge of the Morris
St. extension and the body was quickly identified as that of Mrs,
Merrick, The baby had been surgically removed from her wound AXKEK
#KH while she was in her death agonies from the administration of
strychnine, Merrick, who denied that the body was that of his wife,
was arrested and charged with the mrder. At his trial a druggist
testified that he had purchased ten cents worth of strychnine on
Sept.13 and a saloon keeper whose business was near the Spot where
the body was found testified that on the evening of Mrs. errick’ 8
disappearance he had sold Merrick two glasses of whiskey for himself
and a glass of blackberry wine for his wife who was in a buggy.
MERRICK, William
Merrick, a white man, was the proprietor of a livery stable in In-
dianapolis,.Ind, Early in 1878 he was sued for bastardy by a woman
of his dislike of this arrangement and his hatred of the woman who
had forced it upon him and he was heard to threaten to kill her on
several occasions, Around eight ofclock on the night of Sept. ll,
1878, when her confinement was due at any time, he persuaded her to
accompany him on a buggy ride from which he returned alone, On Sept
22, her nude body and that of a newly born infant were found by two
fishermen among some logs and brush near the bridge of the Morris
St. extension and the body was, quickly identified as that of Mrs,
Merrick, The baby had been surgically removed from her wound
WHE while she was in her death agonies from the administration of
strychnine, Merrick, who denied that the body was that of his wife,
was arrested and charged with the mrder, At his trial a druggist
sees that he
e]
the body was found testified that on the evening of Mrs.
eee he had sold Merrick two glasses of whiskey for himself
and a glass of blackberry wine for is wife who was in a buggy.
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