The Evansville daily journal. [volume] (Evansville, Ia. [i.e. Ind.]) 1848-1862, 1854-04-17


The Hardin Circuit Court commences IFS
April term on Monday next. The trial of
the WAHDs for the murder Of Butler, It Is
said, will be the first business to occspy the
attention OF the Court The issue OF this
trial will be looked to- with intense interest,"
by a very large circle Of community. Inc
evidence elected on the primary examination
has pretty conclusively satisfied the puohc
mind with regard to the merits Of this imPor-
tsnt-cass and we believe a verdict Of 9"aty
has already been dspassonately pronounced
by public opinion against the accused-that
they were the wanton and deliberate muir
derers of an inoffe nsive, upright and christian
man, who in the legitimate pursuance Of his
high calling had only offended their false and
arrogant pride.
I I'VE learn from the newspapers Of that vi |
cinity, that the Hon. J.J. Crittenden has Voc
lunteered his legal services to defend the
Wards. The Elizabethtown Register, pa
paper in that circuit, in speaking of the
proffered services Of Mr.. Crttenden, says:
"This fact speaks loudly for Mr.. Ward.
All who know the high moral worth OF MI.
Crittenden, and his great purity of character,
will at once concur with US In The opinion
that Mr.. Crittenden would never volunteer TO
defend bad man, much less murderer.
This extract was copied by the Louisville
Journal, and with what propriety we leave for
the public to settle. Both the papers have
severely chided other sheets for expressing
any opinion upon the subject, and stoutly in
sisted that "proper sense Of proPriety''
would dictate that the whole matter should
be lett to the proper judicial authorities to be
determined. saIEs eHEgf q ag sftsf "a
Has their "nice sense of propriety" for
saken them, that they should now, upon the
very eve of the trial, send out the opinion to
the very community from which jury is to
be selected, that Matt. Ward "is a good man
and no murderer?" This case involves great
principle, the dearest of all that affects hui
man life and personal safety-the punish
ment of the highest crime known to our
criminal code; the vindicaton of law and
justice; the guilt or innocence Of the accus-
ed-all enter deeply into this case. The
killing of Butler, as it appears upon its face,
was deliberate, premeditated and advised
homicide, and even should he escape punish
ment at the hands of Kentucky judicial
tribunal, that verdict will be recorded by pub
lie sentiment against the perpetrator of the
deed. rt ts h-z er 1i
! The voluntary services of Mr.. Crittendcn,
with the assurance of two newspapers, (and
one the acknow lodged leading journal of the
West) that che would never volunteer to
defend a bad man, much less a murderer
does not "speak we'll for Ward" as those
papers aver. 1t 10 only an acknowledgment
that it is desperate case, and requires 81.
gantic efTor: 20 carry it safely through. Per.
haps Mr.. ClitteEden wonld have just as soon
volunteered his services in behalf Of some
poor, obscure and "good man." but we in
cline to the opinion, that poor, uninfuen-
tal mans case, under similar circumstances
, with the same weight of testimony bearing
, upon his guilt, would not have been deemed
by Mr.. C. worth defending at all. He would
. very probably and properly have advised
, him to "plead guilty" and supplicate the
; clemency Of the Court.
Is this volunteering to be considered .
deed Of charity on the part of Mr.. Crtten
den! Such could scarcely be inferred, fo1
: Ward and his friends are amply ublo to en-
ploy and pay FIR his services if they wantet
them. There is some buncombe expected
by this voluntary service! -.
Not only Mr.. Crittenden's reputation ant
talents, but the potency Of the local press il
invoked in behalf of this "not bad man ant
much less a murderer" The chief question
which appears to US the Court has to deter
, mine-is whether it will legalize the deliber
= ate murder of its citizens without provoca
ton, when in pursuit Of their lawful calling
" The aggregate increase of circulation
: of the several issues Of the New York Tri