NEW YORK – A drunken sailor was given the death sentence this
morning for the murder of New York City policeman George T. Gillespie and will
be hanged on Friday November 21, 1851.
Witnesses say on the morning of July 10, Joseph Clark was
seen taking part in a drunken feud on Oliver Street. Soon after, Gillespie arrived at
the scene to break up the fight.
After the police arrived most of the sailors left, but Clark
and John D. Brown remained. When Gillespie tried to get the two men to go home,
Clark came up and struck the police officer on the head with a violent blow.
Continuous strikes
After Gillespie fell to the curb, Clark continued to strike
the police officer a further three times.
Gillespie was taken to hospital where he died the same night
from a fractured skull.
Judge J. Mitchell said “The deadly assault which you put
upon him was not only unprovoked by him, but was conducted by you with a
cruelty beyond measure revolting…”
Clark insisted he had not meant to kill Gillespie, despite
the continuous blows to his head.
The prisoner showed no remorse for his sentence, likening it
to eating a bad breakfast.
The only words Clark said, “I did not intend to kill the man, that is all I have to
say.”
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