New-York daily tribune. [volume] (New-York [N.Y.]) 1842-1866, 1855-12-13
La " LNIELLIG.ENCE.
THE STANwIx-HALL TRAGEDY.
TRIAL OF LEW. BAKER FOR TIE MURDER
HT

cOScLCSioN or THE TRIAL-ARGUMEST FOR THE
PRosLcUTioN-CHARGE TO THE JURY.
FOURTEENTH DAY....wIDSFspAY. Dee n
The Court room was crowded this morning ia all OF
its parts Every foot of Standing sitting room was
occupied and the interest in the event Of the trial
was msLresily great many lesoing members of the
bar were present., beside numbers Of well Tn
citizens. At III o'clock Mr.. Whiting procsele led TO
deliver tie
ARGUMENT FOR THE PROSECUTION.
He said:
MAY IT PLEASE rur CoURT-GESTLEMEv OF THE
JURY: On the morning Of tho 25th OF Febru sry last
William Poole, at Stsnwix Hail. received 40 vo1nls,
one In the leg, AID the other in be breast tbs ball
peforslug the heart. lie survived these wounds ua-
Ill about the stu of March, when he died early 10 the
IRONING of that day. TIE wound which psne'raed
bis breast produced his death Or the 18th of March
enshrouded 10 the stars and stripes of his country he
was bone fiom his house Ia his grave He l-ft be-
hind hin widow and child. Thousands ofhis fellow
cuzeBe followed the lfsless body to the grave, and
teemDg tbOus snds ncd the through which the
funeral cOIt ge passed II glor morning. lch
NOT ing as this. All nature at saoe. Thus he
dR0 ard thus was he buried Is this fitting DAY for
the co1templaiion of he question OF how he
came 10 his death Is il a fitting day for US
to iGqaire by whose hand that oeath was To-
ficted, ard under what circumstances. We are
bGe administer justice rot vengeance, and in the
4
may sometimes be mstsk for vehemeuce, let Inis
audience Understand that this is no place .or tbs ex1
bitoI Of either admiration or eppl4uee. Aiie1 by t1e
truth If tie truth shall convioce you, If you with
me prepared to 60 into examination OF the evidence
in this case from il to elicit truth and after you snail
have established that tru b. and rejected all exraUeous
iLHuencee Esd then pronounced upon 1T, tue public
justice vii be Satisfied public justice viii be admin
lstere6; ltie will be no violation Of the law ViO
lson OF the o8tbs and the conscieDces OF honest
jury. But if you shal find out that truth and Jui
ale it, Lot p rmit 10 have its convincing Influences
upon your mind, judge o. the by sep arate aud
dstf Ct Issues except the real involved thsa sou
Will not only have violated your oatns, out you will
have uampled truth unCeT your feet, and pernisted
the guilty TO 60 unwhipped. The truth is not ways
self evident. Ii has to struggle often with asshoot
and error for its ascertanment aud the appreciation of
il human Institutions The result of this is TO
determine lot aloIe for this community for the eys Of
the whole country turned upon yOI The question
has cested 20 be one Of public justice TO lsr ake:
htss become question Of life and death to the pea)e
ful citizen IT hiss become q question whether Ye are
10 be governed by laws, or whether men may prow
about our streets at al hours of the nigh, engage in
drunken broils 90 from tipping shop TO tipping shop
armed 10 the teeth with bowie knives aud pistols firing
them of in utter disregard Of consequences, anu then
walk in the public courts and DAGGER the Court and
badger the Jury, until fiom terror the adnnis-
tration of public justice is TO do the bidding of men
who carry The stetto ana pistol. will not discuss
the question of the right of person TO go armed as
question OF Ia y, but as question OF morals. l deny
that man hss any such rlbht. Have we lot laws
for al who goes armed with pistol in his pOckst,
or-hke Turner who was sewed out OF Csltornis-in
his belt or in holsterl For the purposes of this
| will ADMIT that Baker had a right to carry pistol
for self defense but he 10 be held TO strict account
ability for its USE do not stand here the apologist
Poole In carrying pistol deny the right Ia any;
but while do this, | accord with the doctrine
that every man has right to defend himself, and
there is no power earth which can take that right
away. But he must DO IL with the instruments which
God gave bin. He must not slperadd aninvention OF
he 10 ha A uAaaQ I'm ard ma
member Of society. But we have laws which our
leaned hiend says ale of no use-that they are mere
mockery Why Because they are not enforced;
and al the same mOmeLt he asks you not to enforce
Law which will take the life of his client Does any
man mean to say that Poole could not have been put
under recogIizance not 70 ltreat Baker Could not
the counsel have into tits csse without ratucag
the character Of Poole Was not sufficient sssfa,
ton fer bis client TO take Pooes life No, IT was not
Where the necessity of IL Nowhere. III Baker
killed Poo,e in self defense, Whatever Poole had done
or said before Was Of no consequence. Inc Gem diff
Guilty was OF consequence Iheee SIDE ISSUES We're
DIG sen ed with an ingenuity to dfaw your aueau9n
from the real Issues and affect this result 1t Slu be
nv duty 10 yindicate the character OF w m. Poole
om yituperatiOn and abuse OF the counsel ana 10
prove that he stood higher III character toan Low
Baker All but eays the couueel, BAKER Is mere WIN
a smile Oh bis lips and seieDity OF counensnce be-
tokeI ir col scousLe.s Of Innocence. Bnl mere arc
men WHO csn smile AMI murd'r while they smile. IL
is on 10 other principle than that he gu poses fooe
character was so bad that he should have been eho
down by his client aud not only that-'he couose mas
Sivn several lamentations at the de.y of his client 10
eivtp the sbot He would have had him shol at
ne Gem ard at Stanwx Hall a few minutes earlier
than he did. The counsel took Poole rom Ine
crave IL was disgrace TO take hun from his
grave. At least he loved his country. lie
had ina, trait even if he hsd no Others. Bat
shall SHOW that Poole never did entertain an idea Oh
abandoning his country to rear character I'D o.ueI
lands which he could not rear At home. BAKER Wss
attached 10 the Emigrsnt- Office. While ponce
oaicer no was armed and the associate of Tur0er-he
outlaw the Iigsnd, armed aud oei'edi aa1 ne aud
Tnrn, at late hour of the night had an array Fltn
liver He was thus engaged 10 al assault upon uyer
7 care rot which was right and which wrong. From
la Fsytte Hall Hyet goes Gown 10 fIs'! o. Tue nuo
snd ntsceable Baker and Turner follow there, nave
an Alteration and draw pistols Hyer throws Turner
into The corner dsarGs Baker OF hls pistol ia
liver manole them Did he take their lives he
frt his pistol into the wal aud said, coud tske
Your life but will not lie goes TO the Cour5s
and complains Of Batter, AID Baker Is iapic'9l' euo
before he con es to trial. he is ready TO take the LIE Oh
an enemy Was l. 10. fearful thing Tor BAKER 10
take the life Of VIM Poole, so unprepaied Tor dean
suddenly, wihou, notice and antlcl psu0n, sIauuIps
with bis hands uplifed, sayCg, For Goa sahe, you
are Lot going 10 murder NE ana ID less taan nHl
A minnie a bal from the pistol of Lev. BAKER plefc's
his heart bio Lew Baker understand 1t was rear
fuI thirg TO die whep without reason or Jusnhcs'lou'
no took the life of William Poole where "es Ls"'
Baker a. G O'Clock that night by bus own witnees0'
Raker ia without excuse. JOHNNY Log, MS irien1I
elevated 20 much above Cy. Harris, Cy Soay, WI
lam Poo,e and even his friend Bsker-ths keepsr oil
Gambling .bouse-a drunksTd, who races VINO IS en-
Sseed in al of the rascalitet OF the day. VINO never
yoes 10 bed and never gets up-ne teiIs you too 'o
Baker al O'CLOCK, was az bis mouse P'aSIps
game OF crib5aSe. l oeneve "a '1 "a I'll ~
Wi,ns "a who came on the sand Intended 10 tsn rae
The trrth exctpt one witness, and he, shai prove,
s,s,. 4 what he believed to be untrue. Johnny Ling
ssIs nt G o'clcck Baker was psSlng game OF er,o'