Burlington free press. [volume] (Burlington, Vt.) 1827-1865, 1859-04-29
THE TRIAL ENDED.

The solemn farce ut Washington is over.
The verdict Of " Not Guilty, was given
Tuesday afternoon, the Jury being out Tut
short time. and received with shouts and
cheer, by the assembled crowd. y report OF
the closing scene will be found in our tele-
graphic column.
1t has been a notable trial, remarkable for
the awful series of crimes which formed the
occasion of it. for tic way in which it has
been conducted. and for the amount and cX-
tent of public interest taken in it. No
other trial was ever so fully reported by telc-
graph, no other was ever watched SO closely
by SO many people far and wide throughout
the country before whom the varying events
| Of the trial, the details of the evidence and
the speeches of the counsel have been spread
in full, within few hours of their occur
renee.
The desire for notoricty which 50 many
persons believe to have been the main actu-
ating motive Of the accused, and which has
50 evidently influenced the course Of the
crowd Of lawyers who have defended him,
has been fully gratiied.
We leave it for those who are better qua
| lifted than we, to comment upon the mode
in which the trial was conducted. But one
thing must strike amy one as most strange
among the pcculnritics of ispcculiar trial,
1t is that while two weeks have been occu-
pied in taking testimony, the man who, after
the criminal, knew most about the crime
with whom Mr.. Sicklcs took counsel before
the transaction, who witness it from Il
nearer point than any one else, who doubt
less knows whether the pistol found on the
scene Of the aiiriy was used by ScklCs or by
Key. or by neither, who knows what was
the state of mind of Mr.. Sickl 5, both be-
fore the deed and after it, as he walked away
with him arm in arm-that this man, But
tcrworth, WAS not placed upon the stand.
EIch side proiesscl merely to desire that tn
actual facts of the case be laid before the
jury, and yet n ithcr puts a question to the
nearest eyewitness N-ither asks the
coolest, most intelligent and best informed
observer Of tn, whole transaction to TIL
what he knows about it, We do not know
| that it could have been done without VIOLA
ting the usagos Of the Court and tho forms
of law, but it seems to us that the Judge
would have been justified in refusing to give
the case to the jury, or that the jury might
well have rtius ID t. take it,untll thi, witness
had been called before them.
OF the verdict we may have another word
to say.
The trial has been, on the whole, less dis
gushing than it was feared IT would be, tie
Judge having prevented the inquiry into the
antcccdcnts of the accused and his victim,
which 1t Is supposed would have spread be-
fore the public horrible mass Of corruption.
The most di,gracciul feature of the cord is
the shameful confession of Mrs. SicEles.
The interest taken in the trial has not been
at all from any doubt as to its result. The
man has been on trial for his life without the
ightcst apprehension on his part or that OF
his friends that his life was in any danger.
1t has yet to be shown that democratic
member Of Congress can be convicted Of n
capital offence at Washington under any cir
cumstances, Under the peculiar circumstan-
ccs of this case, nobody has dreamed Of the
possibility of Il verdict of guilty. An ac-
quittal or "a disagreement of the jury has
been predicted from the FIRST and lis the re-
suit shows with entire correctness.