John Clark Setenced to Death for Murder
NEW YORK, N.Y. — The District Attorney moved the judgment of the court in the case of Joseph Clark, who was convicted of murdering Fourth Ward policeman George T. Gillespie. The defendant said he had nothing to say.
“but I did not intend to kill the man,” said Clark, “that is all I have to say.”
Early this morning, a crowd of people gathered in and around the passages leading to the court-room in the new City Hall, anxious to witness the sentencing of the men who had been tried for murder. The doors opened at 9 a.m. and the gallery, and space below the bar, filled with spectators. The prisoners, Ellen Doyle, Michael Mulvey, James Sullivan and Joseph Clark, were seated just within the iron rafting. At 10 a.m., the judges took their seats. Judge J. Mitchell was also on the bench.
“The crime for which you are now to lay down your life was perpetrated under circumstances which utterly forbid you to hope for any modification or remission of the punishment which we are now to denounce against you,” said Judge Mitchell to Clark. “The sentence of the Court is that on Friday Nov. 21, you be hung by your neck until you be dead, and may God have mercy upon you.”
During the trial, it was proven by Michael Sullivan’s testimony that on Jul 10, 1851 at about 1a.m., George T. Gillespie, in company with two of the police officers of the Fourth Ward in New York City, were on patrol duty at the corner of Cherry and Oliver streets in Ward. While so on duty they heard a noise a few doors up on Oliver Street. They proceeded to the place, which was nearly opposite 68 Oliver St., and found seven or eight sailors who were very noisy, and two of whom were apparently about to fight.
It was proven by other witnesses that there was a great noise and indications of a fight among the sailors when the two policemen came up and aked them to disperse; that some of them left, Clark and John D. Brown remaining. Gillespie tried to get the men to go home. While he was standing by the alley-way and Brown and Sullivan were in the alley, Clark came up and struck him on the head in a violent blow with a heavy metal piece, of the length of about four feet and a thickness of a man’s arm. Gillespie fell with his head towards the street, partially over the curb stone. Clark then returned and struck Gillespie, while lying on the sidewalk, three blows on the head with the same piece of metal.
Gillespie was taken to the Fourth Ward Station House and to the hospital, where he died the same night. His skull had been fractured on the left side, back of the ear at the base, extending from ear to ear.
“I don’t care so much for being hung as I do about eating a bad breakfast,” Clark said after the sentence, “for I had no intention of killing the man when I struck him.”
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