The New York herald. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1840-1920, 1850-04-02


meat 10 appoint q time for the exesstion. Tn.
tone Of the public press IN Boston may indicats
that the verdict Of the jury in the trial Of John w
Webster, was just and true one. Public opinion
however, in tins quarter, - expressed BY issell.
gent persons, by no means conforms 10 this view o
il. Wbsiever may be the persuasion a. to The
guilt Of Webster, out Of al considerations of Law
the fact that he has been convicted spon veal
legal Tounds, 10 generally acknowledged. Ii
cases of larceny. burglary, and highway robbery
it is customary for prisoners be estlled 70 the
benefit Of any reasonable doubt; and it 10 SOUND
law for Judge TO charge that whatever may b
the array If testimony, If the government fails to
mske out It's case fully and completely, the soquit
tai Of the pr-oner is just and proper. Now, If We
have had faithful report OF the trial, we cannot
perceive that the RESPONSIVENESS of any doubt a
to the cuIpsbiIiry of Webster has been urged,
either upon the part Of his counsel, or on that oil
the Chief Justice in his charge 10 the jury.
A great portion of the defence, and the whole o,
the charge, are characterized by predications Of
guilt OF some KIND or TO a certain extent. Indeed,
Chief Justice Shaw's charge Is not confined to the
rules Of law upon evidence; but he proceeds to
argue The csse upon a presumption Of guilt-sug-
gests possibility Of doubt as to the identity of
the remains, or OF doubt Of the prisoners guilt,
but summarly directs the jury to find a verdict
which he doubts not will be true one. This IS
equal to some OF Lord Abnger's charges 10 cases
OF political ofienees--such - that made at Leees-
ter Castle, few years ago, wherein he convicted
The prisoners, by charging that they could not be
Innocent and that The verdict of guilt must neces-
ssrIy follow.
Though the trial, throughout, was we'll managed
in most respects, IN mercful and just copsidera-
ton OF The prisoners position 1t was wholly want
ing. Had his counsel been willing to defend him
on the ground Of Justiiable homicide, openly and
Sbkly, and not by mere intimation, a very diffe.
rent i,sult would have appeared. Even the benefit
Of doubt might have been extended on such
ground. On the direct charge of murder, with
malice py,prss, the case was very differently
treated. Justice was not tempered with
mercy, ana every circumstance and all kinds
Of testimony were admitted, 10 make out
a clear case for The prosecution. Yet all those
circumstances and facts are by no means so con-
elusive as to the prisoners guilt az is desirable
when man 10 accused Of so grave and hideous
crime for there sre many OF them that could have
been conirived by any one disposed to throw the
buriben from himself upon another This will be
apparent when we call TO mind the plans prepared
by Coolidge, at Watervllle, two years ago, to
throw HE swn Sin upon the shoulders OF his pupil
He commiited the crime, called in his pupil, locked
The doors upon him. and by exciting his fears or
cr dul,ty, forced him to become an accessory after
the tact. For long tune, from q variety OF cir.
cums,snces, the pupil suffered in the public mind,
though ne had no part in the business which was
net forced upon him by the popularity Of his post
top, and by his high opinion Of his instructor.
Yet that pupil could have been convicted by cir
cumsisncss, and by the weight Of Coolidge's own
testimony, had he carried out the hints occasion
ally maze by him against the innocence Of his
pupil In such a case, had the pupil been put spon
trial. would he not have been entitled to the bene-
fit Of doubti
Now. We do not mean to express positive,
irrepeslsble opinion upon the guilt Of Webster.
All we contend for is, that the evidence of his
guilt has not been SO clearly established ~ the
public. fom the verdict, had . right to expect.
TIE evidence legally, does not satisfy us, or the
intelligence cf The community, that he, and he
aions, De lt ,he fatal blow. il might, or Il might
hot, have been his work-provd~d we are tally
SATISFIED thai DIR Psikmsn was killed. aud killed
wnh,D the wallis ot the Medical College and ua-
der the view OF all The circumstance and fActs,
we are surpr,ss that he should be convicted, aud
that, too, WITHOUT any expression ct doubt, or re-.
ccnlmendssion to the clemency OF his judges.
Tsr IRISH PooR-THE IRISH DIRECTORY.
! What has become OF the s35 ,000l We hear nc
more of the lrsh Alliance. II was en- abortion
without vitality, falling still born to the earth-the
future d,s'lby Of all such humbugs In this city
Tie eyes Of the lrsh population here, aud oil
| Amencsns friendly 10 Ireland, are opened by the
financial operations OF the Irsh Directory, who. by
m,sps Of the sgitaiion an 1913, fooled t35 600,
contributed by the people 10 make OF aid revou-
tirn IN lr,lsnd-a purpose to which IL never was
spples What has become of this large sum Of
money! B,,hop Hoghes has got back his 500,
subscribed 10 purchase a shield for Ireland" and
between 5000 and $4,000 OF the gross amount
has been tqusnder~d or appropriated under the
head OF exp, nses. ID. ductlng this expenditure,
the Directory have q balance on hand Of $4,000
What have they done with that DO they in.aa to
Keep ~ A short time since, young man-one Of
the oct deserving and valiant Of The Irish exiles-
spplied the Directory even for temporary assis-
lance; OF, rather, some gentlemen applied on has be-
half That young man never received a cent, aud
TO our c,riain knowledge, he was IN perIshng
ccbdinon in New YoIk. Asa last resor, he had
to tske refuge On Wards Island; while t25 600
Of the Irsh fund lay IN the hands Of Robert En-
met, Horace Greeley. aud the other Sirv,sam-
none u The Directory. II Birhop Hughes was
.nutec To- his 600. every other rubscr her has ss
reed = ceim sr hrs "icrcship" Why are not their
4 subsc'ia"rs retained slso1 What night have
Mesrrr. Emmett AID Gieel-y to the money! What
ri, hi have They to thu interest the use o u
IL s new htHrly two years spce IL was collected.
IL ~ not prttend' ny any p~r-on thai u has bern,
or can be-, si,ii,d To tse objects for whics n was
ottuiEeo The only hone-t course left IL To return
" a. the subscribers. most of whom have earned II
by ihe swest 81 their brow. MANY OF them. In the
ebthusissm 81 the msm' nj, contributed Tar beyond
v hat th~ir circumstsncss lusths d. Come, Messrs.
directory, opgorge the t25.000.
TBK Fosnsr Divoscx CAsE-ANorHya ExcuL~
rArosr sTAnNESr We publish elsewhere IN
our columns, to-day, smother exculpa,ory state
mspt, from DR.. Rich, proprietor Of the New York
Gymnasium, IN reference to the forres, case. Mr..
- -la