BRIDGEPORT, Conn., Feb. 25.--At the resumption of the trial of Frank E. Bassett, for the murder of "Stuttering Jack," this morning, Mrs. Bassett entered leading the prisoner's younger sister. She glanced tearfully toward her son, who made no sign of recognition. Bassett was handcuffed to William Bucholtz, who is charged with the murder of the miser Schulte, in Norwalk. A third prisoner, John McAuliffe, who is under suspicion of having beaten his wife to death in Bridgeport, also sat in the prisoner's dock. Bucholtz and McAuliffe are awaiting the action of the Grand Jury. Mrs. Alexander, when called to the witness-box, threw up her black veil, and prepared to tell her story. Bassett was called from the dock, and seated himself beside his counsel. Mrs. Alexander answered State Attorney Olmstead's questions rapidly in a clear tone, that was in decided contrast with that which she adopted when she was cross-examined by Mr. Wilbur. She was alert then, and stood on her guard, snapping out her answers, or sneeringly repeating his questions.
    She testified that she had known Bassett over seven years, and had got acquainted with him in a house in Water-street, Bridgeport, where she kept boarders; they were never married, but they lived together as man and wife in the old factory in East Bridgeport, where the murder of "Stuttering Jack" was committed; they went to live there in May, 1877; Bassett remained at home and took care of the baby when she went to Dr. Young to learn where she could find a medical institute to which she could sell her body for dissection; Dr. Young gave her no encouragement; Bassett, on her return, asked what price was generally given; she told him that Dr. Young had said that $25 was the usual price; she asked Lizzie Cavanagh to go with her to New-Haven, and Lizzie agreed, saying that she would sell her body, too; they went to Dr. Sanford's office in New-Haven together; Dr. Sanford offered to give the relatives of Mrs. Alexander $25 for her body when she was dead, but he declined to pay the money in advance; he told the witness that he would pay her $25 each for any bodies that she might furnish him, and instructed her to inclose them either in a shoebox or barrel, with her initials, "L. E. A" marked upon it; the witness identified a letter written to Dr. Sanford on April 8, 1878, asking where she could "address a resurrectionist," for she knew where she could "reap a harvest" if she had help; this letter was written at Bassett's dictation; Bassett had mentioned her son-in-law, Thomas Boher, of Brooklyn, and her former husband, William Clague, as persons whose bodies might be procured; Dr. Sanford, using the other side of her note, replied that he had no dealings with resurrectionists, and warned her against the robbing of graves; she wrote a second letter to Dr. Sanford, also at Bassett's dictation; in it the Doctor was sharply criticized for not acting the "gentleman," when he had given her to understand that he would purchase bodies; the Doctor was reproved also for not having more "charity" toward the "poor," for she had told him that she needed money.
    Previous to July 12, 1875, the witness never knew or heard of "Stuttering Jack," "Jack Rufus," or Frank Weinbecker; she had asked Bassett to get her a barrel in which to send some articles to her people; on the Wednesday night preceding the murder Bassett said that he guessed that he would go and get that barrel; he was gone an hour, and there was a bottle of chloroform in the house, which she had when she moved into the factory; Bassett frequently used the chloroform for the toothache; on the afternoon of July 12 she sat sewing in the front store-room, as Frank came in with "Stuttering Jack," to whom he introduced her as his wife; they had supper, and she went into the kitchen, washed the dishes, and then returned to the storeroom to finish her sewing; she went to the door of the kitchen, and smelled something that made her sick; she asked Bassett what it was, and he told her that it was none of her business; Bassett was leaning over "Stuttering Jack," who was lying on the lounge; he called her a few minutes afterward to hand him the bottle; there was chloroform in it; she felt that something wrong was going on, and she hurried into the other room again; he told her to come back or he would put her in the same place where "Jack" was; she remained with him, and Bassett, pouring chloroform on the sponge, pressed it tightly with both hands to "Stuttering Jack's" nose, and then placed a cloth over the man's head; when the man was dead Bassett set to work to take the clothes off; he sat the body up on the lounge, and once, when it suddenly fell forward, he slammed it back, with an oath, against the lounge; he then went out and got the barrel; tying "Stuttering Jack's" knees so that they touched his chin, and the arms across the breast, he crowded the body into the barrel; he buried the clothing under the hen-coop.
    The next morning, Mrs. Alexander continued, he placed the barrel in a wagon, drawing the curtains down, and, with her and the baby, started for New-Haven; Dr. Sanford refused to receive the body because she had no certificate of death; Bassett meanwhile, sat outside the Doctor's office, holding the babe and the horse; she told him what the Doctor had said, and he scolded her and told her that she had bungled the job; they then drove out through the country until they came to a ravine; Bassett took her penknife and scraped the word "Bridgeport" from the head of the barrel, and then sent it crashing down into the ravine; on their return home, Bassett said he didn't get much for that job, at the same time taking out 75 cents which he had found in "Stuttering Jack's" pocket; he wanted her to take charge of the money, but she refused; Bassett soon after got a job to sail a sloop to Norwich, and she accompanied him; Bassett was arrested and brought back to Bridgeport; when she returned, soon after, she found that her house had been stripped of its furniture by Bassett; Bassett had frequently warned her not to tell anybody of the murder, saying that it would not be good for her if she did; she did make the remark to Frank Weincoop that Bassett had done enough to hang him.
    Mr. Wilbur then began the cross-examination. She was 44 years old, she said, and was born at No. 310 Grand-street, New-York; she was married three times, the first time in 1855; she applied for a divorce from William Clague, her second husband, on the ground of adultery, but she ran away before the decree was ever rendered; she was not positive that it ever was rendered; Frank Alexander, her third husband, after living with her about six years, ran away with another woman; she lived with her second husband only three or four years; she did not remember that she had written to her mother last, and lost her composure when such a letter, very filthy in its language, was produced. The witness further testified that she had once made the remark that the murder was committed on May 10, 1878, but it was a mistake; she did not tell Dr. Young that she could supply several bodies immediately; she did not give "Stuttering Jack" a glass half-filled with whisky, nor did she help hold him in his struggles to escape; he did not cry out murder or make any struggle at all; the chloroform had been in the house for a year and a half.
    "Stuttering Jack's" tongue was thick, and he appeared to be under the influence of liquor when he first came into the house with Bassett," continued Mrs. Alexander. "A waiter-girl at Harry Hill? Humph!" and Mrs. Alexander laughed immoderately at the question. "No, never!" she replied with emphasis. She was afraid of Bassett after the murder, for he told her that night that he would kill her at sight, if she ever revealed the story of the deed; the revelation of the murder which she made to Assistant City Attorney Holt was accidental--it slipped from her tongue before she was aware of it; she did not tell Capt. Weincoop that she was going to have satisfaction or revenge for Bassett's having sold her household effects; she knew Rosa McMahon, whom Bassett had brought to the house to wash, and who drank a glass of beer there on one occasion; the woman complained of its taste, and Bassett said it was the last of the barrel; she had not put any laudanum into it for the purpose of drugging her and then robbing her; she knew nobody by the name of John Horrock. Mr. Wilbur explained, when the question was objected to, that Herrick was a man by whom it was expected to prove that the witness was acquainted with "Stuttering Jack" long before the murder.
    Charles Geschk was the next witness. He saw Bassett in September, about two weeks before the body of "Stuttering Jack" was found, and was asked by him if he had seen anything of "Stuttering Jack" lately; he told Bassett that he had not seen the man in eight months. He admitted on his cross-examination that he had seen "Stuttering Jack" and Bassett together on July 4, but did not seem to comprehend that it was "eight weeks" and not "eight months" that he meant.
    Lizzie Cavanagh testified to having known Mrs. Alexander two years and a half; she went to New-Haven with her at her request; Bassett was present when the conversation took place in which Mrs. Alexander explained for what she was going to New-Haven; on their return, Mrs. Alexander told Bassett that she had not succeeded in selling her own body, but that she could get $25 for every body which she could furnish the doctor; witness was also present when Mrs. Alexander returned from her visit to Dr. Young and told Bassett of the result.

Source:

Unknown, "Stuttering Jack's Death," The New York Times, New York, N.Y., Wednesday, 26 February, 1879, p. 1.