DASTARDLY DADS FROM THE ARCHIVES (Brooklyn, New York - 1861)

Dad JAMES MARTIN cuts the throat of his 13-month-old daughter Alice out of "jealousy" and "spite." Note that in the 1860s, very little is said about the child in this account, who tends to be referred to as "it." In addition, opinion at the time seemed to be that a father who killed a child must have had some sort of organic illness or insanity, so a lot of the testimony seems to designed to elicit observations consistent with that belief. In fact, Dad's first explanation--spite--was probably a truer description of his motives.

http://query.nytimes.com/gst/abstract.html?res=9B03E2DB133FE034BC4C52DFB766838A679FDE

From the New York Times, January 14, 1861.

BROOKLYN NEWS.

Murder.

A MAN CUTS THE THROAT OF HIS OWN CHILD AND SURRENDERS HIMSELF TO THE AUTHORITIES.

At about 12 1/2 o'clock Saturday night, Officer CASLER, who was on duty in the office of the Deputy Inspector of Police, in the basement of the City Hall, heard a man enter the passage-way leading to the office, and went to the door to see who the visitor was. He there found a man--who gave his name as JAMES MARTIN--in a somewhat excited condition, who was in search of the Police Office. Officer CASLER asked him to walk in, which he did. Upon entering the office he said that he had murdered his child, and he had come to "give himself up to the law."As the man made a respectable appearance, the officer told him that he did not look as though he would do anything of that kind, whereupon MARTIN drew a bloody razor from his pocket and exclaimed, "Yes I have, and this is what I did it with." He grabbed MARTIN'S hand and found that too covered with blood. MARTIN then told him he resided on Bergen near Powers-street, and that jealousy caused him to commit the deed. He also said that he had a quarrel with his wife and killed the child out of spite. He subsequently said that he did not know why he killed the child--that he loved it dearly. The officer locked him up and then visited his home. Upon rapping at the door, Mrs. MARTIN opened it. He asked her if the child was injured. At first she denied all knowledge of any injury having been done, but the officer pressing into the room and insisting upon examining for himself, Mrs. MARTIN acknowledged that the child was dead, and took the officer to the bed where it lay. He gave directions not to disturb the body and subsequently notified the coroner.

Our reporter visited the scene of this shocking occurence yesterday. The house is a three-story brick building, located on Bergen-street third house East of Powers'-street. MARTIN owns this building and also another on the rear of the lot. The lower story of the front house is occupied by MARTIN and his family--a wife and four children. The upper stories are occupied by several families. Upon entering the lower apartments, Mrs. MARTIN and her three remaining children, the oldest about ten years of age, were sitting in the front room, which was very neatly and comfortably finished. From this room a door opens to the corresponding room at the back part of the house, used as a kitchen. On the right, as you enter, is a door leading to a hall bed-room, which the three oldest children occupy. Crossing the kitchen, and to the left is a door which opens into a small bed-room in an extension of the house. This last room was usually occupied by Mr. and Mrs. MARTIN and their youngest child. Going to the bed-side and pulling down the clothing a sickening picture was presented, the murdered child lay there in its gore and in the same position in which it died. An examination disclosed three deep gashes in the child's neck. The first slash made with the razor is about six inches in length, and extends from nearly the right to the left ear, following most of the way the chin bone, but terminating a little lower than that. The next slash with the weapon was commenced two inches below the first and terminated at the same point. The last and fatal plunge was made just above the collar-bone, and, undoubtedly, caused almost instant death. The child was eighteen months old, and was named ALICE MARTIN.

At 12 o'clock yesterday, Coroner HORTON went to the house with a Jury and held an inquest on the body. The following named persons were sworn as jurors:

GEORGE P. BRADFORD,
W. H. Jones, Wm. Robinson, James Otis Bridges,
Elijah H. Cole, Joseph D. Griffeth, Gotsfield Kubber,
After viewing the body, the following testimony was taken:

Jane Martin, sworn--Resides in Bergen, near Powers-Street; have been married to Mr. Martin, the prisoner, about eleven years; I have four children; We resided in Atlantic-street before we moved here; have lived in Brooklyn twenty years; was married here; have lived in this house about ten years; my husband owns this property; have heard my husband say that he fell in Atlantic-street before we were married; he commenced acting strangely one year ago last Christmas; he put his hands on his head and squeezed it, and bathed it in cold water; at the same time, he said it felt very bad; he then got out of bed, at about 5 o'clock in the morning; when he was in that way he would not say anything, but I could always tell when he was in that way, because his eyes got large and glassy; at first, he had these spells very seldom, perhaps not more than once a month, and at last two or three times a week; these fits would last him half an hour or more at a time; I would then go off and get out of his way; when he was in these fits he would say that he would kill the children first and kill me afterwards; he has made these threats on several occasions; he was at work yesterday, and came home about 7 o'clock in the evening; he appeared pleasant when he came in; he only went out after that for a pail of water; that was about 9 o'clock; he was not gone more than a minute; he commenced acting bad at about 10 o'clock; we were sitting in the front-room; everything was pleasant as it could be, and all at once he got bad; he was quiet for a few moments before he broke out; the first he did was shut his fists and call me a ---------; on these occasions he always made motions with his fists; I told him I was not what he called me and went out; went out because he had told me always to have him arrested; he did not threaten the children or myself last night; I did not find an officer; Saw no one--only went to the outside of the door: when I came back met my husband at the door going out; he did not speak to me and I did not speak to him; when I was outside I heard the child scream and came right in and went to the child; it was dead when I got to it; it was the "peculiar scream of the child which caused me to come in;" I was afraid that he had injured the child because it gave a peculiar scream and stopped so suddenly; I staid with the child, and soon after a man came in (Officer Casler) and asked what my husband had been doing; don't recollect saying to the officer that nothing was the matter; the children were all in bed; went to look at the other children to see if they were all right; he always seemed to think more of the deceased than the other children; he has told me that none of the children were his--never said so only when these turns were upon him.

This witness wept freely during her examination, and seemed to fully realize her situation.

Isaiah Casler sworn: I am a policeman; was on duty at the City Hall last night; at about twelve and a half o'clock I heard the prisoner in the lower passage-way; I went to the door and asked "what he wanted there;" he said he was looking for the Police Office; I told him to come inside; he said he had murdered his child and "wanted to give himself up to the law;" I laughed, and told him I guessed not--he did not look like a man that would do anything of that kind; he said "Yes, I have, and that is what I have done it with"--drawing a razor from his right hand pocket; I grabbed his hand and said, "in God's name what did you do that for?" his hand was all blood, and the razor was covered with blood; he said jealousy was what made him do it; I asked why he killed the child if he was jealous of his wife; he said he had a quarrel with her and killed the child; think he said "out of spite." He said, "why should I do it, for I loved the child dearly" and added, "for God's sake lock me up, I cannot bear the thought of it." I then locked him up. Half an hour afterwards asked him where he lived; he directed me to this house; told him I would go and see how bad the case was; he said "do go for God's sake;" came to the house here and rapped; Mrs. Martin came to the door right away; asked her if Mr. Martin lived here. and she said yes: asked her what the difficulty was; she hesitated, and replied, "nothing;" asked if Mr. Martin had cut the child's throat; she said. "oh no, oh no;" I told her there was not use in denying it--that he had given himself up and I had the razor; she said. "oh, I can't--you go and find Mr. Martin's brother and he will tell you all about it;" she said the brother lived in Bergen-street; asked her if he was unkind to her? she said "oh no; he was a kind, good husband;" I told her I had no doubt of it, for he did not look like a man that could do anything of that kind; if he did do it he must have been insane; I told her I wanted to see the child, and walked up to the mantel-piece, took the candle, and she remarked, "Oh, for God's sake what shall I do;" she seemed to feel very bad and began to cry, and told me the child was dead: found the child dead in the bed where it lies now; went back to the Hall and saw the prisoner, and told him his child was dead; he appeared to feel very bad and said "My God, why should I kill me child." This morning he told me he had a quarrel with his wife last night; he was jealous of her; that the difficulty between them had lasted for some time; he said he did not know whether the child was his or not; in answer to a question, he said his head had been affected once; he said he felt bad "but my mind is all right;" he was sober when he came to the Hall; he was much excited however.

Wm. Martin, sworn--I reside at No. 44 Hicks-street; am a brother of the prisoner: I am a printer, and work at No. 29 Beekman-street, New-York, in business for myself; my brother was a bookbinder, and worked for Lambert & Lane.

Dr. George C. Bail, Police Surgeon, sworn--This witness testified that the child died from excessive loss of blood, the result of the wounds in the neck.

The case was submitted to the jury, and after a short deliberation, they rendered the following verdict:

"That ALICE MARTIN came to her death at the hands of her father JAMES MARTIN, by having her throat cut in three places, supposed to have been done with a razor on the night of the 12th of January, 1861. "

JAMES MARTIN, the prisoner, was born in England, but has lived many years in this country. His wife was born in Ireland. He is a bookbinder by trade, and has worked for Messrs. Lambert & Lane, New-york, for about twenty years. His appearance is such as to lead one at once to take the more lenient, if not equally unfortunate view of this case, that the act was committed while in an irresponsible condition.

He stands committed to await the action of the Grand Jury.