The Malley Trial

The last week bas seen the end of the three most remarkable criminal proceedinga of the year, in the hanging of Guiteau at Washington and the acquittal of Peoples in this city and of the' Malley boys in New Haven. The trial of these young men for the murder of j Jennie Cramer lasted through more than 10 weeks, and although lt did not turn out that there was ground for conviction for murder, enough was sliown to prevent their receiving mucü syinpatuy for the conflnement and expense to which they have been subjected. Edward O'llalley, a dry gooda clerk in New York, who had a knack at arranging-goods showily in the window, went up to New Haven 30 years ago, dropped the Hibernian prefix from hi8 name and opened a sort of cheap dry goods store on Chapel streek He flouriahed amain and grew rich. In time he built a house, bought horses and dogs, and set up for a gentleman. He had a son who aired himself in the slore on occasion, drove a fast nag, swclled around as brainless young men with money are apt to do, and squandered his cash freely on late suppers and disreputable women. Etiward's success in money-making attrated to him the usual number of poor relations, and a son of his broter made the second of trat pair wmch go down to fame as "the Malley boya." These young men came to kDow Jennie Cramer, a pretty Germán girl who sometimes sold cigars in her f ather'8 shop. There was no great social disparity betweeu the Malleys and Jennie, for although they had plenty of money to spend, their associates were none of them in the higher walks of life. It was Hot sti-ange that the girl reckoned herself as good as they were, and received their attentions very much as she wouli those of some neighboring cigar-maker's son who could couimand a norse and buggy for an occasional drive. Along in August of last year Mr. Edward Malley and his family went out of town for a day or two, leaving the boys in posse3sion. They improved the opportunity to bring up a friend of theirs f rom New York who went by the name of Blanche Douglas, and the trio induced Jennie to accompany them to the Malley mansion one evening, where they spent a time in eating and drinking. Tüe prostitute and Jennie both remained till morning, and when the unfortunate child went home her mother reproached her with bringing disgrace upon her family and she went forth never to return. Her dead body was found floating in the water a day or two afterwards, and the Malleys and Blanche Douglas were indicted for murder. The verdict of the jury supports the theory of the defense that she committed suicide. Accepting the result of the trial as just, sof ar as the killing of Jennie is concerned, there vet remains theshaineful fact that the young meu and their depraved companion are morally responsible for Jennie Cramer's death. The crime of 3eduction is unhappily, not uncoinmon, and resulting suicides are not uncoinmon either; but a eonspiracy of iwo men and a woman to reduce a girl to prostitution is not only uncomuion but as shameless an undertaking as the imagination of men can conceive. If anything could add to the repuliveness of such a proceeding it would be the fact that the chief offenders chose to turn their own homes into a house of assignation.