Herald of the times. [volume] (Newport, R.I.) 1849-1856, 1854-05-04

nj ElIzabethlown Ky, on The 18th INST,
for the Murder Of Mr.. Ii. G. Butler n
school teacher at Louisville. The cir
cumstances Of the tragedy were report
ed fully al The line OF the occurrence,
and are doubtless Impressed upon e
miudS Of all our readers. From the
various reports communicated by cor
res esyondents OF The Louisville and Gin.
cinnati papers, We CLEAN The following
account oil the progress ol that trial
The defendants belong 10 one Of the
most wealthy and influential families in
Kentucky, and their defence is evidently
being made with all The power that
wealth can afford. Their counsel are
the Hon Thomas f. MarshaIl, aud the
Hon. John J. CrIttenden, perhaps the
two most eloquent lawyers IN the state.
The prosecution is conducted by the
states attorney, with the aid Of Mr..
Carpenter, OF Covington.
On mollon OF .he prisoners counsel,
Judge Kinche oe granted severance,
and orc cered Matthew +. Ward to be
tried first. The jury seems to have
been emPannelled with great difficulty.
Or sixly.three men summoned fifty -one
had formed an opinion. Every man
lha, would say he had formed no opln-
ION was accepted, and there was no
challenge on either side.
The Court prohibited the publication
OF the testimony until the conclusion oil
the trial hut the substance ol it is thus
reported in The Louisville Courier:
The first witness examined was T..
w. Knight, pupil OF Mr.. Butler, aud
son OF IL. w. Knight a stove merchant
oN Market street. Painful efforts were
made to embarras the youth and render
his statements contradictory. The Sc
cond was VIM. Worthington, son oil Mr..
Worlhington, late OF Mississippi. Mr.,
L. H. Marshall lnterrogatcd tins young
man, who was Il scholar Of Mr.. Bullers
and an eye witness Of the whole trans
action. He was excessively ardent IN
his endeavor 10 render nuga,ory the
evidence oi young Mr.. W., and al last
made a bold aud ayowed attempt 10 m
pair lhs credIblllty OF the witness, 10y
lmpeaching his memory or ycraclty-he
wiS not particular which.
During the examination, Mr.. Mar
was replied 10 10y Mr.. Curpen er.
The third witness wasJ. Speed Pirtle,
son oi Chancellor Pirtle, IA bright and
intelligent lad ui thirteen years. He
told a straight forward story, and was
IN no way Jlsconcerted 10y the iortuous
cross-eXamlnaton.
The fourth witness was Minor II.
Pope, son OF William Ii. Pope, Esq.
He had been suffering IRON an attack of
sickness, and was scarcely able TO be in
attendance As before Tie police court,
his testimony was explicit and conciu-
sivc, despite the battery ot cross ques-
tons.
During the examination OF some OF /
the boys, Judge kucheloe was forced
to request that the attorneys ior the de- 7
II nee should exercise more lculency
toward the youthful witnesses, and
when MesSrs. Caldwell and Wolfe had (.
both lndnged in cross examining young
Knight, he ordered that aiter~ard the .
should be confined 10
but one attorney.
Mr.. Mau. Ward looks very i'll, aud .
supporting hlulself Oh crutch .
ana leaning on The arm OF Trend. HIS
la:c Is very pale, with slight hush .
high upon each check. His department .
in Court was that o! IA langud, mental /
ly and physically enleebled person.
throughout whose entire system disease .
had rutilessly rayaged. 1t was but .
occasionally during to-day that he held .
any conference wliL iis attorneys. He /
seems content with their SKID IN mar
agu e case. The other prisoner, Ro. .
bert J. Ward, Jr., had an all OF non.
care--abou, him.
The evidence o. the pupils ot MIR.
Butler, in spite OF severe cross.exam- 1
nation, is mentioned as positive, aud I
remained unshaken,
The correspondent of the Cincinnati H
Enquirer says:
FIVE witnesses for the staie--all pu-
ills VI Professor BuIler-were eXamln-
ii during the day. Their testimony
vas rather contradictory AM incon.
lslent on some points. The first VIII
less OH his examination IN Chief, detail
ID fully the couversat Oh between Butler
md the accused, when the latter visited
he school house but on The cross.ex-
animation admitted that he heard only II
NO or three broken sentences OF II, and
lad supplied the deficiency from what
le had heard since.
Professor Butler had punished "A little
'rolher OF Ward day or two previous, \
md the prisoner visited the school.
Iouse to see hun about the matter
llgh words passed IN their interview,
Ind the mooted question Is which vi the
,a.t.es struck the first blow. Thus lar,
10 blow on either side has been clearly II
,roven, though some OF the Witnesses
hink that Ward struck Butler win his |
ell hand, and they ali state that just
eiore the pistol was fired, Professor
Butler sptang or stepped forward and
AID his hand oa War0's shoulder. Que
{ the witnesses speaks oi the parties
eng "cilnched" before the pistol wac
red.
The reports in the various Kentucky n
apers are evidently colorcd by party
plrlt, but there can be only one opln-
on on the subject among dlslntcresled
ersons. We shall continue To note the
rogress OF the trial.
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THE RiGnT or MINlsrsRs.-The Rev.
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