The weekly pioneer and Democrat. [volume] (Saint Paul, Minn. Territory) 1855-1865, 1859-06-09
ton before the Justice, Mrs. BILANskY was
indicted BY the Grand Jury OF murder.

A trial OF ten days duration which result
I'd in her conviction, under the able man
agement Of District Attorney HEARD, elic.
tied . mass Of damning evidence against the
prisoner. pressed home with an irresistible
cogeney of argument, which rendered any
other verdict impossible with such y jsry.
Whatever the skill and learning OF the law
yer, or the ingenious and persuasive elo-
quence OF the advocate could do TO save
his client, was done by the able counsel Tor
the defence, J. b. BRlsBS Esq, whose sp-
peal 10 the jury in her behalf was one Of the
most brilliant ever made in q Minnesota
court.
But the youthful District Attorney showed
himself on this occasion fully match for
the best and oldest lawyers Of the State,
and developed powers as On advocate
and a skill in the conduct Of the case,
which astonished even his most partial
friends. The prosecution in the first place
proved the existence Of arsenic in the
stomach Of the deceased, as the cause OF bis
death. This part Of the case rested on the
testimony Of DIR. w. Il. MoKroS, to whom
the contents had been submitted by the
Coroner, aud who bad spared no pains and
trouble TO arrive at conclusive result.
From the impertection Of some OF the agents
employed in the first instance, the tests Of the
presence OF arsenic did not corroborale each
other SO satisfactorily US 10 justify III as
sumption Of absolute certainty. Subss.
quent examinations yielded more positive
results. In order to arrive at absolute Ger
tainty, DIR. MORTON finally took the contents
OF the stomach to Chicago where they we're
re.examncd under the supervision of 70
fessonal Chemist when the results Of Dr.
MORTON analysis were fully confirmed.
The able counsel for the defendant did his
best to impeach the testimony OF DIR. Mon
TON, by questioning his ability as an expert,
and for this purporse brought in DIR. YER
vAIs who did not succeed in slowing the
hllacy Of any OF the tests employed by DIR.
MORON, while his pretensions OF superior
scientific ability did not stand the searching
crossexaminations OF the prosecution. DIR.
MORTON is not professional Chemist, that
is to say, not devoted to chemistry as
speciality, but his thorough familiarity with
the analytic processes of chemistry. a.
shown in his successful conduct OF this case.
reflects the highest honor on his scientific At
tainments.
The presence of arsenical poison 10 the
stomach, proved as the cause Of death, it re-
manned TO show how it got there. The de-
tense argued that it was put there by the
deceased himself; that he was hypochoudri-
acal; always had al idea that he would die
in March, and so took poison to prove him.
self prophet. II indeed it was poison he
took at all. The prosecution argued that
prisoner gave the poison traced the inten-
ton to give it to the time when it was
proved TO have been purchased by the pris.
oner, showed that the allegation that she
wanted it to kill rats, wasa mere pretext, as
it was proved that there was not rat and
had been none about the premises showed
q motive to poison her husband in her rela-
tions with Walker; showed her capacity for
the deed 10 her advice to her servant, Rosa.
to marry an old man and then put him to
sleep--in her beartless conduct during the
illness OF deceased, and after his death, aud
various other circumstances pointing to the
same end. But the gis. Of the theory OF the
prosecution was, that no one had an oppor-
tunity to administer il but her. a. she pre-.
pared and administered all bis food and
drink with her own hands and, furthermore
would not permit the dishes used on these
occasions to be washed with the others
would not permit a competent Doctor to be
called when the dying man had consented to
see one, and did what she cond 10 conceal
his symptoms.
These were the main premises Of the pros.
ecutioD, as tar a. we recolIect in this cursory
review but they were supported by mas,
Of incidental facts, which We cannot now
repeat.
On the whole, We can scarcely recollect
10 the records Of crime. murder more
coolly planned, executed with more cold
blooded elaboration or calculated with =
more cunning reference TO Circumstances.
that would probably ward Oh suspicion.
Yet il Was murder apparently without any
adequate motive. 1t could DOT have been
ior nooey tor the man wss poor; nor TO get
rid Of matrimonial chains which we're 10
restraint on the inclina,ioos oil the murdere~.
Yet i, ia this very absence Of aoy explsna.
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