G‘ If you vvant the best goods for theleastfinoney read. the advertisements in the Gazette. r qr vnig ”voL‘.‘ v11. NO.1768. NORWALK, CONN, WEDNESDAY EvENING, DECEMBER 15.1897. @5 Recognized 33 the family paperthe Gazette’s i advertising columns ivill . prove its value to: yen. PRICE ONE '- CENT. BDINA‘Y’S ownsmnv. WANTEII‘TII BE IIIIIIEST BIIT TIIE WEEKS FAMILY III- PLOIIEII IIIII TO BE A TIIIEF AIIIIII. mo NOT-SHOOT FABMEB NICHOLS. HAS BEEN A CRIMINAL FROM THEDAYS OF HIS YOUTH 510 THE PRESENT. Charles A. Boinay, the alleged slayer of George Marcus Nichols, took the wit- ? ness stand in his own behalf yesterday. It was believed he would not be called until to-day, but for some reason his counsel changed their plans. He was the first witness called by the defence. Boinay was anxious to take the stand as soon as possible. He has- been sit- ting in the court room day after day since the court opened, impat1ent un- der the blows dealt him by the mem- bers of- the Weeks family, including his own wife. He was anxious to have his storyreach the jury and the public as soon as possible, so that he could show up those who have deserted him. It had‘been intimated that when Boi' nay took the 5witness stand, he would - reveal the methods of the whole family. The spectators were not disappointed. He told of his repeated attempts to lead an honest life and how the mother of his wife begged him to return to the “work at‘ which he could make money‘ more easily. He pictured the entire family as «tainted with endless crimes, with the exception of his young wife. Boinay was true to the girl he led to the altar, more so than she was to him. He spared her in his story of the family’s dishonesty. Du1 mg the lecital of his life Boinay was almost as cool as when he was in his seat by the side of his counsel. His face was flushed somewhat. At times he would scratch his beard nervously, but his voice was strong and his man- ner free from excitement. He was in». different to the big crowd in the court 5 room, and seemed lost in the story upon the telling of which his life de- pended. . Theerowd was very great. There were many ladies present. As the air with oppressive, Judge Elmer ordered the room ventilated. The women com- plained of the draft to Sherifl Heisler. _ He communicated their complaint to the judge. “Well, let them get out.” he said. ' Then he called the ofiicer back and ordered him to close the win- d0ws. The women are deeply inter- ested in Boinay’s story. There was a hash in the court room when the state’s attorney announced that the state would rest. One could have heard a pin drop when Attorney Lynch called the name of Charles A. Boinay. It was a complete surprise to those present, as it was not expected that Boinay would take the stand until the end. When his name was called by his attorney, the prisoner sprang to his feet lightly. His face was flush-53d and he had the appearance of one anxious 'to begin. He was escorted to the box by J ailer Scofield. Every eye in the court room was on him. He ac- cepted the oath administered by Clerk H aviland with his right hand extended high in the air. As he took his seat his eyes swept over the room and then settled upon his attorney. trifle nervous and coughed occasional- ly, but other than this he appeared in- The crowd waited with im~ He was a different. patience for his story. ' When it came, it was an interesting one. After recording his full name, At- torney Lynch asked him to go on and l‘relate to the jury, his life from his \ . ‘ fused to pay me. childhood to the present time. His voice was clear and strong. BOINAY’S STORY. “I was born in the town of Great Barrington, Mass, ,on April 2, 1864," he began. “Shortly after my birth, our family moved to Bridgeport, Where we remained for several years. I left home at the age of 14 because I was unable to stand the brutal treatment of my father. I went to Poughkeepsie, N. Y. I did not know any one in that city and hung about the place fora week or two trying to get employment. Iwas unsuccessful. Being hungry, I stole some oranges from in front of a grocery store. This was my first of- fence. I was arrested and sent to the House of Refuge on Randall’s Island in New York. I remained there for 23 months when I was boundont to a far- mer in Southland, L. I. with him four months. I remained There was no one on the place but an old lady. She ........ . ing to eat but butter milk and meal. I left there and went to'Port J eiferson. ,At that place I shipped as a cook on thesteamer Banner. I remained aboard the steamer for about three months and then returned to Bridgeport. I found employment at Frary’s cutlery factory in East Bridgeport. I must have work- ‘ed at that factory about four months when I returned to Great Barrington to visit some friends. remain. or three years. From there I went to Canaan and worked for my cousin. I was there about four months. I was to get $10 a . month for my work but my cousin re- I tried-by all means to get the money but was not success‘ ful. As long as I could not get it from him, Ithought it no more than right’ that I should pay myself. So I stole $65 from him and ran away. I went to Brooklyn and was arrested there on the day of my mother’ s funeral. I was taken back to Canaan and arraigned on the charge of theft. I pleaded guilty and was sentenced to 18 months in the prison at Wethersfield. I was released from that institution on the day before Grant’s funeral. I don’t the exact date. ’ I went back to Brooklyn and work- ed in a glass factory. I was there about a year when I went to East Lee, Mass, and after working in that town for Mr. F. L. Cook for about a5 month, I went OVer into New York state in Columbia county and worked for a number of farmers. 5 remember It was while there thatI fell in with a gang of men who were crooked. While under the influ- ence of liquor, we robbed the barn of the man for whom I worked and stole feed with which to feed the cattle of one of the gang. Later we did several jobs. I had been in the state one year but I was immediate- ly charged through the newspapers I was arrested. and by the public with being the author of every crime committed in that vicinity for the previous five years. “I was sent to the Clinton state prison .at Dannemora for a term of 11 years. This was in 1887. that time with being directly implicat- in one robbery and one burglary. I was charged at I was . the position of hall man. While there I secured employment and decided to ; I was in that place about two ' ‘5 that Ihad dec1ded to lead a Christian the Weeks family then. released on October 2, 1895. When I first entered the prison, I Was put to work in the shoe shop but later rose to Then I took to music. I learned to play the clarionet and was soon admitted to the band. I later became bandmaster and was also assistant librarian. Up to the time of my imprisonment, I had been to school but little. Iattended school in Bridge- port and some in the country and then 5 I had some schooling nights in Brook- lyn. In the prison I studied under the Rev. Harrison W. George, who was on duty there. He was a professor of Greek in New York. He began to teach me the bible and I became quite a student. It was while studying in prison that I was seized with the desire to become a missionary. “When I was released I went at once to Brooklyn. Then I learned that my home was broken up, my father hav‘ ing died when I was in prison. My little brother too. I went to Huntington to see Mrs; Bassett (his present mother-in-law) to see about securing a home for the little fellow. Mrs. Bassett’s mother and my father I remained was homeless, were brother and sister. in Huntington several days and then returned to Brooklyn. From there I went to Salisbury, Ct., where I secured employment with Jeremiah Bushnell under a assumed name of Charles Ma- son. I did not wish to be known as the same man who had been sent to prison from Canaan.‘ After several months in Salisbury, I went to Brooklyn and played in an orchestra, but there was no money in it. While in Salisbury I receiveda letter saying that one of my brothers who had charge of the boy, whom I had previously taken to ' Mrs. Bassett’s, had been treating the lad cruelly. I beat my way to that city on freight trains and took the lad away. I had no money and as I wanted to get ‘ back ”"16 'I'Huntingto’n“ -- with“=zh5im5, I‘ “thought the brother who had caused the trouble should pay the fare. There- fore I pawned some of his goods to get‘ the money. “I remained at Huntington for some time then. I left there on May 2,1896. During my stay there, the family told me of their poverty and it Was suggest- ed that I return to the old life as there was more money in it. The whole family made the suggestion with the exception ‘of the girl whom I after- wards married. I told Mrs. Bassett life. I would not steal for them or any one else. Both Dave and John want- ed me to go into different jobs with- them, but I refused. I remember on one occasion, John wanted me to visit the barnyard of Mr. Brinsmade, a neighbor, and steal some turkeys. I told his mother of his intentions and instead of rebuking him, she said: ‘Don’t do it John. If you can’t steal anything better than turkeys, don't steal anything at all.’ “Later I made the family acquaint ed with my intentions to become a mis- sionary. bible together. to me with passages which she could not reason out and I would explain them to her. and she encouraged me. I was certain- 1y determined at that time to lead an honest, upright life, When I left ther e She would- often come in May, 1896, I found a home for my brother with Benjamin Hurd in Mon- roe. I went back to Huntington during March and worked for William Hal- leck and Clifi Bassett. During that time, Mrs. Bassett’s husband, Maggie’s father, died and I made the arrange- ments for the funeral. After this the family were in pobr circumstances and my mother-in-law urged me frequently to-return'to the old life and steal. I told her I would not do it. When I left, she said, ‘I wish you would make a “raise” semewhere and send me $100 to pay the funeral expenses.’ I left‘ there and went to Albany and then to Richmond where I secured employment with the Rev.“"T.¢-’C. Luce. Mr. Luce knew of my past and assisted me in my efforts to become amissiOnary. While I was in prison-I had corresponded with Maggie and I discussed the' I told her of my ambition , I lived with 5 Mrs. Mary B. Selleck of Catskill, N .Y., about missionary work. I was also 1n communication withCarrie Judd Mont- gomery' of theBeulah mission in Cali- fornia. that I could go .to that state on my re- Arrangements were made so lease, but as nothing came up I never did. During my stay at Mr. Luce’s I corresponded with several mission schools.” Boinay saidthat his wife joined her mother in the request to him to give up the missionary idea and that there was more money in “poaching. ”_ Boinay said he finally yielded and did several jobs. 5 York state. He said that Dave told him in April, ‘96, of several people whom he could easily rob. The pris- oner refused to join him in theundertak- He told of the robbory of John He also told of the shooting attending the stealing of the eggs of James W. Tut— tle in Botsford, during which Mrs. Booth was shot. ings. Beach Nichols’s house in Nichols. Continuing Boinay said: “The next night we started for G. M. Nichols’. John Weeks went ahead to see that the coast was clear, that no one would see us leave the house. The neighbors supposed we had gone. At the chestnut tree, John said: ‘Good- bye, I hope you will have luck.’ “When we got there the lights were out, so we decided to stay hidden in the barn the next day and make obser- vations. At night we came out and looking in the window we saw an elder- We went back into the barn until midnight. Then we went to the house. We tried the cellar door first. Dave got hold of the fra'mewood and the doors and lifted on them while I pried out the bricks and ly man and his sister. I went into the cellar and Dave remained outside. I tried the door leading upstairs, but could not mortar. (CONTINUED ON EIGHTH PAGE.) (CIDCGIWCIEWWCMQC @ @ (.11) For old and new ' ninety-eight. For, . 11.211629275611611 necerfoz‘led in its Both popezs will 1. seesaseeeeseeeeeesseeeeseseesec f‘fi Commodore John H. Ferris’ steam launchJ‘Eva L” has been taken out» of commission and placed in winter quar- ters. The Ger-mania Ssegerbund mortgage ers threaten to foreclose. Quite an amount of interest is due. There were three real estate sales in Norwalk last week. The mortgages amounted to $200. Charles H. Wood of East Norwalk, rana rusty nail into his right hand Monday, rendering the member unfit forwork. He is now home doctor-ing it Several parties from this city will in- dulge in a dance at St. John's hall Broad River to-morrow night. C. B. L. Officers. The Catholic Benevolent Legion elected the following officers last night: John McMahon, President; James Mc- Sally, Vice President; P. .J'. Kearney, Collector; P. F. Buckley, R. S.; John Henry, Treas.; William Hylaud, Audi tor‘, P. 'Buckley, , Marshall; Thomas 'Montgomery, First Guard; P. McSally, Second Guard; Rev. J. T. Winters, Chaplain. V'A 5 “Advertise in THE GAZETTE. t 5 . He committed robberies in New open it. I found two bottles of onion. fr NOW is the Time sobScr/fitz’ons for flu? WEEKLY GAZETTE and New 1 ark .Weakly Trzbzme for the year (a) Farmers and Villagers. throughout Foz‘rfiold— County, and for more than fifty-six years the Tribune lzos foil] fully labored for their pros— parity and happiness. , receipt of only one dollar. to the GAZETTE, Norwolk, Coma. has not as yetbeen lifted and the hold- ., MUST PAY UP. The Council Instructs the _ Mayor to Issue Warrants Against Delinquent Wall Street Prop- erty Owners. Further Benefits Assessed Against Owners for Paving the Street. A hearing in the matter of the assess- ment of benefits and damages in the repaving of Wall street was held last evening, at the Council room. But two interesting parties were present when, at 8:20 the Mayor called the meeting to order. The hearing was called for 7:30, but owing to the stormy weather the Mayor gave way as to time limits, in order that all inter- ested should have an opportunity to be heard. ' John O’Sullivan claimed that his property by reason of the so called im- provements had been damaged and in extonuation of his claim said. that the entrance to his building on the Smith street’ side had been damaged. He, however, recognized the fact of a gen- ”eral improvement of the street fronting his property. Samuel L. Weed asked as to the amount of the assessment in front of the Mrs. Sophia Weed property, and as to whether it was by lineal or square feet. This question was satisfactorily ex- plained by Engineer Wood, and. the hearmg closed. An adjourned meeting of the Council. was then held. 5 A communication was received from rGeorg e C. Lockwood asking f01 awith- d1 awal of his petition asking for a curb and guttei line in front of his propelty acceoecocecoceermcomaeeeeetuaocog (a) 3 (Q (9) S5 subscribes to sand to their years the GAZETTE has weekly visits 2‘0 1725 homes of be sent f0 any address upon Address all orders tion in the courts. granted. His prayer was ages by reason of the Wall street im- provements. fioédedwith water, and that he had suffered a great inconvenience by rea- son thereof. 5 . He remarked, "You assess me bene- fits and you ought to do something in the way of damages.” The prayer was tabled. auditor be appointed to audit his books, and that the same be reported at the next meeting of the Council. A resolution embodying a list of as- sessments as against the property own- ers on Wall street for the repaving of said street was presented and ordered printed. The same will be found in full in another column. The Mayor was instructed to issue warrants for the collection of unpaid claims in the matter of the widening of . Wall street. } The Mayor requested that the severr,1 \ mmwoeoewwpwcoccecaccommodate5 1°” m H' E‘ Ferris’ (65* on Wall street, he recognizing the fact: that the matter was already in litiga-z John O’Sullivan claimed $350 dam-f He said that such iIn-: provements had caused his cellar to be City Cleik Lockwood asked that anf al committees file all of their bills for , adjudication at the next and final meet- ing of the board. ~ _ The Council then adjourned until 5 Monday evening, December 27th. —Photographic supplies at Riggs DI ug store. 014 tf v '- SUED BY NORWALK MAN. A fluestionl of Integrity between Coley and Babkin. A. Babkin, of 355 Water street, Bridgeport, has been suedby Henry B. Coley of Norwalk, for a debt owed Coley by Callam He1 rmann, con- tracted about two years ago. He asks $150 damages. It appears that Hermann, who is em- ployed by Babkin at a salary of $12 per week to buy cattle, had contracted this debt about two years ago, and the suit is brought in the name of Henry B. Coley vs. Callam Herrmann, alias A. Babkin, while Herrmann has only been in the employ of Babkin about two months. An attachment was placed on two steers, which Babkin had bought of Samuel Comstock, one of the Boinay trial jurors, and which had been paid for. Mr. Babkin says he is not Callam Hermann, but that they are separate and distinct persons, and he does not intend to stand by the debts contracted by his employee two years ago. The ' suit is returnable to the town court . of N01 walk December 20th. Chamber- lain & Hull will look aftei the inter- est of M1. Babkin. AMU§EMENT3. The Fire Patrol. The “Fire Patrol” was presented last night at Hoyt’s Theatre to a. fair sized audience, the inclement weather considered. Miss Hillman was at her best and delighted the audience with her clever acting. The comedians, McAulilfe-and Deacon convulsed the house with laughtei between the acts with theii 1nd1v1dual jollities and _ the original manherpf springing them The company is an excellent one from‘ first to last and the scenery- used is eit- ceptionally fine. The play on the bill ' f01 Ito-night 13 the “Special Delivery.” V Recent Deaths. Mrs. Sarah J. Youngs, wife of Henry; M. Pr owitt of East Norwalk, died this mornmg in the 86th year of be age. Her husband and two sons. J. Thorn- ton and Cha1 les Prowitt, survive her. The funeral will take place on Monday. The deceased Wis an earnest Christian, a loving helpmeet, and doting mothei. The community as well as her family lose in her death a woman among all women one of the best. Mrs. Patience Gedney, widow of Jef- ferson Gedney died this morning at the ' home of her sister, Mrs. John H. Kim-' mey on West avenue aged 75 years. She was'a woman who not only enjoyed. the respect of those who knewher, but engendered a never to be forgot-ton love. AA‘. 7 Tire Club Tourney. In the pool tourney last night at the - Norwalk Club irooms William Olsen . (90) defeated W. M. Betts (85) the lat ter scoring 53. A. H. Baldwin, (100) The players to-night are George Curtis and Victor Selleck. ‘ Broke Her Ankle. While at the residence of Dudley E. Hoyt on Roton Hill, Monday, Mrs. S. E. Walters of New York slipped and fell in alighting from a carriage, and broke her ankle in two places. ‘3'7 Too Fresh. A prize rooster came to South Nori- walk on Monday frOm the Danbur y poultry show, and while strutting about the tracks at the depot was struck and, _ instantly killed by an east-bound 100-” motive. AA " Goes to llaly. Michael Lubrino has been awarded ‘ the contract by the selectmen f01 drain- ing the pond between Second and Thi1 d avenues. The other bidders were . Frank Leonard and Salvator Chariot. A -_ ‘ The Weather. Rain this afternoon, clearing to- night, fair Thursday, cooler. DEATHS. SMITH—In Bridgeport, Decembei 13, Birt Smith, aged 41 yea1 s, 10 months. STEELE—In Bridgeport, 5Dec. 14th, Elizabeth C. Steele, at the residence of her daughte1, Mrs. William H Stack- pole, 622 State street.
Norwalk Chronicler