Virginia free press. (Charlestown, Va. [W. Va.]) 1832-1916, 1834-05-22

"hethcr George Stebhing be Tho
"'"roerof or not, place my >.ll here and IN
S' UPON ~ that her murderer lived ,n ~.
neishborhood. tNr. Woke. enl.ry,dnn,,
proof that Miss e.. was killed by some MR.,
"hoin she knew Gentlemen Of the iur, 40
say that the murderer lived IN the no,yIi,o,
"ooo "here The murder was perpe tratrd ard
We say that George Sssbbing a, th. man - a.,
violated Evoiina Cunningham, and c.o,,D
Cunningham. ''''''s
I'VE are Obliged to omit a part Of I'm.
speech. Tor want Of room
var. ,'aic, counsel for the prisoner, arose
and addressed the court aud Jury. IN The fol.
lowing manner:
u has never fallen TO my lot, gentlemen OF
The jury, To defend n case Of so h,rh n yr,d..
as VA, present II II not only a case of mur-
ue', OUT facts DO true A. stated, the most
aggravated murder ever committed ON M,
lace OF the globe. If George stebbinz ho
guh'y oil that murder, do most sincer,l,
"sh mat he may receive the penalty due L.
such crime. You arc 10 deoide whether bo
guilty OF what ~ LAID TO his charge. You
~iiI take the whole evidence in con,,d,r,-
non you Will not take into confederation an,
outdoor impressions. lf you believe n. 4.
your bounded duty to convict TIN. man ,ub-
NIT TO your decision, bat II. on IN. coot,ar,
you have reasonable doubt OF has guilt. II =,
your duty, AZ juror entrusted with the M, Of
iciiow being, To save him from the destruc
lion with which he Is threatened D,r,nr on
years practice, have never known pr,sscu.
.ion 10 he carried on to so great an extent
" piessed The high and mighty powers Of our
country 10 constitute an Inqui.ItoriaI rourt
who sat in Judgment on George s,.bh,nr
when George Stebbing was not present e,,her
In person or 10y attorney
iher motives may have been good eon-
ihued Mr. Gale, for aughi know 10 the con
ou'' gentlemen at tho jury. tbi, has
o"iy q shai mailer To do with the question IN
manu- u Is the innocence or guilt Of the pr,-
soner NJ the bar that you are now To oon<i-
der. Thirty-six witnesses have hen nrn-
dnced aud yet the two chief point, ON which
inc prosecution rests, are handkerchief and
ring. suppose the hsndks re hief Is admit
.eo 10 De That oil Evelina Gum ingha am might
no NOT nave got Possession of a an MANY d,f
,ercnt ways, without being the murderer
suppose he had found the handkerchief in
ne "oods-'hs Is the first story he told, and
therefore most likely To be true-wouId The
murderer be so devoid Of sense as to ,bou,
the handkerchief, the proof of his 1uiIt a.
soon aiter the murder But let a. take the
facts OF the murder itself MIR Coal swear.
'hat he look up rufiianly man on the road
VINO forced himself into The gig; that as soon
as MISS Cunningham came ia sight, the man
got OUT aud laid himself down at no great dis
of. -seee
Mrs. X. Peters and Miss Jennins. saw tha
same man, and under equally su,piciuu, cir
euhs'ancesi they saw HIM come out Of thu
WOODS near The same place an hour after
wards. Gentlemen, that man who came out
o, 'hc'woods was tho murderer of Mis-, Cum
nin4ham; Of that there eau be no earthly
uouo'- i mail endeavor TO sustain Air Coal
IN his testimony, aud to show that after a
lapse OF nine years, Major PurpeIi was a,
llkely 10 be mistaken or foryetfi,I n, Ar
Goal What Involvement could Mr. CoaIhaYe
mad TO swear falsely Now I care not wh,ro
o'eooine was before his eparture for q hairless
Town. is man bound 10 be ALWAYS at homep
MUST ne be seen by every member Of hi, IA
miy! winch Is most likely To be- the guilty
man, the ono no came out of the wood. oT
Stebbingi II Is clear, il must be ne,(,c,Ix
clear, That Aliss Cunningham was sal. and in
good health when the man first saw her
sVeboing could not have overtlkeu EyeIina
cunningham, and dragged her OF tie road.
without ing seen by this man That Stab
oihs mas told strange tales about the hand
aetehici freely admit. He seems 20 be a
lttIe Sauieied 10 the narration Of improbable
crcumstahces. But It was doubles, no moro
Than ldid talk. will remark a little uoon
the fihg' aud the remarks are To show that
mat ring ought not 20 have the siirhtrSt hc.r-
ing upon the case. Stebbinx sold n IN N 80
named Hunter. Hunter told Stelbin, IT,,
lac intended TO file tie letters of the rims
StrhbinS answered, George, YOU are fool
" were 10 your place, would not Gle OUT
.'o etters zoe ~ doliars.' u he had flied Out
inc letters himself, admit Il " ould hov. b,.n
Just ground for suspicion; but instead oc
thai, he objected TO having the letter, 6l,d
out al ali. am sensible ia at the R,ntleuao
wiz contend That u ~ plan made up be-
tween 1eorgo Siebbing add Rebecea len
nii'gs' 20 screen the sad Slebbinx. Mr.. An.
sehne Pcters says Rebcccs found the rinr Or
sd'H sue iouhd a. did not observe any thing
remarkable In tho expression Tbey vent
on some distance before they saS SI.bhi,.-
at all. siebbing buys the ring aud sell. n q.
gam advising the man to " hon he sell. n
no' 10 I've on the letters. Mrs Peter the
Misses Jennings, aud MIR. Coal haye al been
worn, add their testimony ~ favor Of St@b.
O'n5s Innocence are a. strong as proof, Of
'o'! hr3t. There - one Circumstance tn
winch would cali vour attention The ts,ti-
Inoby OF Stebbng himself II the trial Of John
' onhefs. IT'S oath there eorroboratss lilo
testimony of Nrs. Rebeera Peters and Han
nan Jennins'. Taking all these things INTO
G on.ideraiion, gentlemen of tie Jury. I feel
conitieHt that otcbbing will and must DO ae-
quilted.
Mr.. Chambers. on the part Of the State.
next addresscd the court aud Jury
D'i"tc approach The fsrt, which 70 To
sustain Tho charge against George Steb1ibg.
wiil cndoaror 10 do justice To- another class
Of people not iHd,efsd bat srrarHsa fIlero
De defended tie conduct Of the levy court
The county commissioners, exc. In searchin9
out tae faoi. connected with the case Ws
regret hai, IN consequence Of fatigue and m.
deposition, ~e we're unable a. take down n
large portion q Mr. Chsmbsrs' spesohl
a. y very true that
Lvel'na Cunningham. AZ far % We tno~
her. 90 innocent sud sntu0us woman. Nth
ont impeachment without tie voice q one
human tehs sgtinst her. vas dragged ffon
lh0 public rosi. violated. snd murdered
The Whole transaction VS. entelored IN nv.
tery 90 ops knew sught or could tell augtt
about % bat George stebbing. q appesrt
from his own confession. Wss an sye--yfias -
~ The set Iis told witness hat lie 49,,
Iiss Cunningham khlsd u would haze 49,.