Democrat and sentinel. [volume] (Ebensburg, Pa.) 1853-1866, 1857-05-20

! hrm his assumption that the razor WAS no;
proved. Mr. Banks closed With general ap.
| peal to the sympathies of the jury His plea
was also very ingenious and very eloquent,
but not very convincing.
Mr.. Stokes for Commonwealth concluded
the argument in the case. He opened as fol-
lows
50 On this bright and beautiful May morn
ing, 50 genial and cheerful here, in peace and
safety, we approach the last scene in the in
vestigation of bloody tragedy. acted in cold
last January, when Dr. Norcross, helpless and
| innocent. was murdered with atroeious cruel
ty almost unexampled in the annals of human
depravity.
'' For the Commonwealth, at the instance
OF the aged father and mother and now unpro-
teeted sisters of the slaughtered victim, 1 am
to make the last appeal to your judgment and
consciences, that truth may be vindicated that
justice may prevail, that the guilty may be
punished, and that, as the result of all, the
defencelsss may be protected. For to acuuit
the guilty is to give impunity to crime, and
unless crime be restrained, with firm will and
steady hand, all the security of person and
property Tor which human government is in
stituted is withdrawn Then the strong man
may possibly protect himself, but the feeble
In body, weak women, helpless children. the
unprepared, the unsuspecting, the defence
less-the sword of the law being sheathed, or
at the mercy of the merciless, by any ruffian
whose interests or passions prompt him to Vi
olence.
But while justice should detect crime and
punish criminals, she must march with maies-
tic steps towards the great and beni6cent end.
Let us in this case and always. proceed with
calmness and caution, for We are unfit to min
ister at the holy altar of law, if we are not
free from prejudice and passion-resoived oa
the right, and a terror only to evil doers"
Mr.. Stokes then proceeded to parrate the
finding of the body of Norcross, to prove the
corpus delicti, after which he gave history of
the case, blended with argument and a review
of the evidence. He commenced at Dunleith,
and got as far as Altoona by noon On the
re-assemblng of Court, be took up his argu-
mnet where he had left off, and confined him
self for q while to the particular means sup
posed to be employed in the killing of the de-
ceased. From this he proceeded to the different
points where McKim figured until his arrest
meath the blows of Mr. Stokes. He wound
up with the following beautiful and elegant
peroration -
and ascertain if there be safe guide in this
land, both as regards the crime and the orim-
mai. You, gentlemen of the jury, are for
the purpose of this investigation, the States
collected will. Government is ordained by
God. His commands, therefore, define your
powers and your duties. If the prisoner is
guilty, you countenanee his acts. and stain
your souls with the same crime, if, regardless
of the blood which from the ground calls aloud
tor vengeance, you are so weak or wicked as
to disregard the Divine law, and refuse to ex-
ecute the Divine decree
g And surely your blood of your lives will
1 require, at the hands of every mans broth
er will [ require the life of man. Whose
sheddeth blood. by man sball his blood be
shed; for an the image as God made he man.
On this infalliable teaching you may safely
rely. 1t is not the simple commandment that
murderers shall atone for their crimes by their
lives, but eternal justice defines the offence as
the highest human malignity-oppositio to,
and ..Sa riiurt TO ucInce and destroy the image
of God-the blotting from present existence
the closest resemblance to Godhead. 1t is
direct opposition to God himself, not simply
violence to man, but hostility to the immor-
tai soul which is the image Of its Divine Gre
ator.
|" If the prisoner be guilty, here is an in
fallibie guide in the conclusion of your duty.
The evidence is circumstantial The BIZ
bio furnishes you reliable rules for its applica-
tion-there is no wisdom in this world which
is not found in concentrated essence iu the
Holy Book. When our Courts declare the
law on these great subjects which sound the
depths of humanity and concern the safety of
society, they only repeat in diluted and prac-
tical form the Divine philosophy. Be sure
your sin will find you OUT was threatening
of vengeance upon Israel, if they should fail
to obey God in inHicting military execution
upon the guilty and doomed nations of Ca
naan. 1t Is a lesson to all men in all times
The prisoner is now on trial for disregarding
1t. You hereafter, and before higher Court
will be called to trial if you now disregard it.
Guilt is cowardly. The wicked fee
when no man pursueth, but the righteous is
as bold as q lion.' stsoH
90 God. the On.ni potent nsagistrate. is cog
nizant of the most secret crimes, and can dis
close them by pointing with the slow-moving,
but unerring finger of Providence. He can
speak By facts as explicitly as by cords. Cir
cunastantiaZ eridence is the testimony of Gods
Providence. The eyes of the Lord are ev-
cry place beholdrng the evil and the good
= IL Will be Tor you to determine by your
verdict whether you will yield to the combi-
nation of presumptive circumstances with
which in this case, God has enlightened man
revealed by Providential disclosures and
detections The savage scene which was seen
by no human eye on the 10th of January,
swhen a ruf6an and traitor. stimulated by
savage selfshness poured out the life-blood
of an innocent victim, bis helpless and con6-
ding friend.
. Take care, however, that your horror of
the crime does not lead to injustice to the
criminal. Guilty or innocent, he is equally
untitled To n fair and fnlI ann.;da-.4; &C III