Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1856-07-30
EV ENING STAR.
LOCAL INTELLIGENCE,


TIE JARBoE CAsE-Third Day.-After We
went to press yesterday, Mr. Bradley followed
the District Attorney, for the defence.
Mr. Bradley commenced by expressing the
determination to be very brief, but his feelings
getting apparently interested as the subject
opened before him, he continued for an hour
and half to address the jury with a sponta-
neous, impetuous fow of eloquence, which
took the hearts Of the audience by storm, and
brought tears to the eyes Of stern men, ''albeit
unused to the melting mood
This was a case, he urged, which did not
appeal to the mercy of jury, and required
but little argument addressed to the under
standing. Ii required no heightened speech
TO vindcate one who stood forth as the aven-
ger of sisters wrongs @. In burning words
the speaker went on to brand the conduct of
that seducer, who entered the domestic Eden,
the cheerful homo, and by that happy freside,
like the serpent, beguiled the woman--no, not
the woman, the child of sixteen years-until
she threw her whole soul upon him, and all
hsr hopes Of happiness were conferred IN him.
+ ON this young girl, trusting In him with
child like simplicity, and towards whom he
stood in the relation of husband-for though
their vows had not been plighted at the altar
they stood together before Heaven as man
and wife-he stold the priceless jewel of her
fame.
Mr.. Bradley spoke Of the eloquent testi
mony given by the last witness upon the stand,
MRS. Jeffers,) with whose daughter this young
girl had bt IN intimate, at whose house she
had been frequent visitor, and where also the
aggressOr was a visitor. That witness had
told, in the most touching and eloquent Ian
guage he ever had heard from the witness
box, how, when the stories of the situation Of
the young girl were started, she had asked
the deceased if they were true; how he de-
MED the charge how, when the stories were
revived again, she went to visit the young
girl, and found her sick with pneumonia, and
with all the symptoms that she was about to
become mother; how, when she questioned
the poor betrayed girl, she acknowledged her
shame with burst of overpowering grief;
how she (the witness) saw Nally, and endeav-
ored to excite bis sympathy by describing the
orphan-like, homeless condition of his victim |;
how, to the touching prayer of the betrayed
one, that if he would only only marry her and
save her poor old father from disgrace, she'd
be his slave, anything, or, if he desired it,
she'd never ask to live a day with him, so
he'd only marry her, he scornfully replied
&" he'd never marry her."
At this point, Mr.. Bradley's voice became
tremulOus with emotion and he was observed
10 be in tears, as was large portion of the
audience. Changing, with electric sudden
ness, from this mood, Mr.. Bradley brought
down his clenched hand with force that
made the massive table spring from the floor,
as he enunciated, in trumpet tones, the sem
timent that the law Of nature was stronger
than any law of society, and if he were to
die tomorrow, he'd do to-day as the prisoner
did Gan enthusiastic cry of "good'' by
some one in the audience, in response to the
speaker, drew the attention Of all to the quar-
ter from which 1t proceeded, and it was some
moments before order was restored
Mr.. Bradley narrated the circumstances
Of the shooting, and urged that when the pris-
oner approached the deceased on the 18th of
May, but for the fact that the pistol of de-
ceased required moments time to cock, be-
fore it could be used, the deceased would have
destroyed the brother as well as the sister.
lie contended that the prisoners mind was
anhinged at the time Of the transaction, and
referred to various cases, amongst others, to
the late DR.. Hunter, Of the Navy, who be-
ieved he was teapot, and to Mr.. Wood, who
believed he was the Christ, for the purpose of
illustrating that man may be perfectly sane
on all subjects but one
Mr.. Bradley spoke Of the miserable redress,
we all dispise, which the law gives in such
cases, to wit-that the prisoner could have
sued the deceased, in the name of his father,
for damages through the loss of his daughter
services
Mr.. Bradley entered at length upon the evi.
dence going to show that the prisoner acted in
seif-defenee, and closed at twenty minutes to
three o'clock
Mr.. Carlisle, who followed for the defence,
labored under the disadvantage of addressing
the jury so closely upon the powerfully effec-
tive plea Of Mr.. Bradley; but by the insinu-
atiDg address peculiar to Mr.. c. he soon nan
aged to place himself in rapport with his au-
dlence, and to maintain their undivided atteI-
ton.
He said, in opening, that he was not there
through any of the ordinary incentives to the
exercise Of professional skill. At the bare re-
cital of this story the advocate was swallowed
up In the man. He did not feel that he was
here defending a criminal. For the first time
within practice Of twenty years be had ap-
preached the p, oner's box without repug-
nance. Depicting in glowing language the
aggravated nature of the provocation, he con-
tended that the prisoner In this deed was de-
Tending the best interests Of society, instead
OF invading them. In repeated instances, on
the same great question, is there guilt in this
action, Jurors have agreed to open the prison
doors and let the prisoner 20 free, as a terri
Die warning to the guilty. The offence OF
the prisoner was no offence against the law of
nature, nor did it invade any Of the laws of
society. Its effect was merely to give terrible
sanction to the law that the daughter who
nestles in our bOsoms shall be secure from
the arts Of the seducer. If there were ever a
case where jury should welcome as celes-
ial visitor, doubt, as to the guilt of pris.
oner, 1t should be this case
Oar first mother in the Garden of Eden,
pure herself, and with everything pure around,
even there the tempter entered, and even she
fell. God only knows who, under all circum-
stances, will De proof against all temp tations
He asked that the jury should show, by their
verdict, that here, at least, an honest mans
home is safe against invasion.
Mr.. Key, concluding, placed the law and
the evidence before the jury with the same
perspicnity and force that characterized his
closing pleas in the late important trials. Ad.
init, be said, all the provocation-all the woe
depicted by the counsel for defence-and yet
the law, he urged, would say to the man thus
operated upon - hold thy hand" Admit, all:
was the broken casket mended by the death
OF Nally? Did it restore the virtue of the
unfortunate girl? Are not the woes of the
father just as great? This was the common
sense view Of it; it was the law of God and
the law Of man.