Crimes and Punishments.

On Sept. 22, 1875, Charles McDevitt, a peddler, sixty years of age, living in Upper Darby, was tried for the murder of James Fletcher, of Haverford. On May 21st McDevitt was ordered away from Fletcher's house, was put out of the gate, and his bundle was tossed over in the road to him. "Throw my stick over, too," he said to Fletcher. From this a quarrel resulted, and during the scuffle the peddler stabbed Fletcher near the heart, killing him almost immediately. The jury convicted McDevitt of manslaughter, and he was sentenced to imprisonment for one year.

James Sheridan, a hired man on the farm of Samuel H. Hibberd, of Haverford, was killed Dec. 6, 1875, under the following circumstances: Six young men, accompanied with dogs, were gunning on Mr. Hibberd's farm, where persons were interdicted from trespassing. The owner of the place took a double-barreled gun, and, going to where the parties were, shot one of the dogs. This brought on a serious difficulty between the trespassers, Mr. Hibberd, and his hired men. In the struggle Sheridan grappled with John Baird, and the prosecution strove to show that Thomas Cromie, who had a gun, fired the shot killing Sheridan, or that Frederick Troup had deliberately shot him from a lot adjoining. The case was tried March 10, 1876, the jury retired on Saturday night, and on Monday afternoon returned a verdict of voluntary manslaughter. The court sentenced Frederick Troup, John Baird, and Thomas Cromie each to three years' imprisonment in the county jail.

On March 8, 1876, Josiah Porter, a colored man, was tried for the murder of Joseph Murray. The supervisors of Ridley were repairing the Lazaretto road, just above the Queen's Highway, and Porter, Murray, and a number of other men were there working. Some difficulty occurred between the two men respecting a shovel, which Murray took from Porter and then threw it back. The latter seized the shovel, and as Murray turned to walk away struck him over the head with it. Murray died several hours after receiving the blow. The jury found the prisoner guilty of murder in the second degree, and he was sentenced to ten years' imprisonment in the county jail.

On the night of July 29, 1876, Lewis Kershaw , a police officer of Chester, arrested three young men in South Ward, and while he was taking them to the lock-up several persons interfered, and James McGinley broke away and ran, pursued by the officer. The latter overtook his prisoner, a scuffle followed, during which the officer's pistol was discharged, the ball lodging in McGinley's side, wounding him so severely that he died before morning. The grand jury at the September court ignored the bills of indictment against Kershaw which were laid before them by the district attorney.

John Duffey, charged with the murder of Thomas Conner, at Rockdale, on the night of Aug. --, 1880, was tried Sept. 27, 1880. The commonwealth sought to show that Duffey and William Frame had had a dispute, and a short time afterwards, when at the Rockdale depot, where there were a number of persons, Duffey fired at Frame, the ball striking Conner, a young man in no wise party to the difficulty, killing him instantly. The defense alleged that in drawing his pistol it was accidentally discharged, and there was no intention on Duffey's part to injure any one. The jury convicted him of involuntary manslaughter, and he was sentenced to nine months' imprisonment in the county jail.

On Sept. 23, 1881, Patrick Kilcorse was tried for the murder of his wife on the 4th of July previous. The prisoner had quarreled with his wife the night before, and she had sought shelter in an outhouse, where she remained all night. In the morning the neighbors heard a heavy blow, and going in found Mrs. Kilcorse lying on the floor, blood trickling from her head. It was proposed to send for a doctor, but the prisoner said, " No, d---n her, let her die." The jury convicted Kilcorse of murder in the second degree, and he was sentenced to twelve years' imprisonment in the penitentiary.

On June 7, 1883, Dennis Green, a colored man of Chester, was tried for the murder of James Clark. The defendant struck the deceased on the head with a blackjack, on the night of the 23d of February. Clark, after receiving the blow, went home, and was found dead in his bed the following morning. The jury convicted Green of murder in the second degree, but recommended him to the mercy of the court. He was sentenced to ten years' solitary confinement in the penitentiary.

William H. Collins, on Sept. 26,1883, was arraigned for the murder of his wife, near Lee's Dam, at Leiperville. The prosecution sought to show that on June 5th the accused, an intemperate man, had beaten his wife, also of intemperate habits, and had stamped on her with his feet, inflicting such injuries that she died the same night. Collins was convicted of murder in the second degree, and sentenced to twelve years' imprisonment in the penitentiary.

Manners And Customs - How Inhabitants Of Delaware County Lived In Former Years.

Houses. - The progress of a nation is traced not in the life of an individual, who, from some personal or fortunate circumstance, was elevated for the time being above his fellows, but is found in the narrative of the daily lives of the people, whereby we learn how they were sheltered, fed, and clothed, and the