The daily exchange. [volume] (Baltimore, Md.) 1858-1861, 1859-01-10

We do not deem it proper to comment on the
testimony reported for our columns, in the case of
the State against MARION Crops so far as it relates
to the guilt innocence of that individual He
is entitled to fair hearing and the spirit of the rule
which segregaes juries, in capital trials, from all
the rest of mankind would seem to forbid approach
to Them through newspaper article, as well as
through an oral address. There is no impropri-
ETY., however, in taking notice of matters of an
other bearing-incidentally brought out in the
course of that trial-and we invite attention TO the
following fact, elected from Sergeant McCoMAs, of
our city police, in his cross-examination by Mr..
WHITE, the counsel for CRopPs:
Cross examined by Mr.. Whyte-(The pistol found in
Rgdon's house shown the witness WITNESS don't
think he that pistol before good deal
like it, saw one at the Middle district watch house like it,
but thinks the at the watch house longer witness
don't know whether this is gun cut off not witness
can't swear he it before the pistol witness the
who requested witness give John English; witness
took the pistol and left it at Erasmus Levy's tavern for
John English; this icas before the election.
Whether this be a genuine cat let out of a real
bag-an unconscious betrayal of ''the secrets OF
''the prison house''-a reluctant confession wrung
from an unwilling witness by the rack of cross
examination-or "trihe light as ar'' magnifed
by the jealous mag nation of partisan inclined
to defamation and Misrepresentation, into some
thing serious, we leave the public to decide. To
us, we confess, it has the appearance of remark
able revelation If it be not actually an enamel
pated cat, it has an extremely feline, not to say
feonious look.
We have reason now to lament that we know
nothing of the relations between Capt BRAsHEARs
and JOHN ENGLISH Esq They may have been
may still be-bosom friends. ENGLISH may have
lent BRAsHEARs the handy little truncated or raced
gun, or pistol to shoot robins-which were very
plenty about that time and Mr.. BRAsHEARs, after
having fine sport, might have been returning the
fowllng piece to his chum. Or, perhaps, it was
Mr.. ENGLISH who wished Ito go a-gunning," and
the polite Capt. BRAsHEARs sent the filsee by the
Sergeant with ''ls compliments, and hopes he
twill have a good time ~ This is extremely
probable-because all know how abundant
birds were, just before the election, and what
capital tool is thing like that described by Ser
geant McCoMAs, when properly loaded, to do exc
cution upon a flock of robins, or, for that matter
-bipeds of any sort. This is one explanation
of the matter.
Or-as there was great reason to apprehend that
most formidable and dangerous conspiracy had
been formed between the 'infuriated Irish' the
ignorant Dutch" and the t'bigoted Papists"-to
violate the sanctity of the baobox, and overthrow
our model MAYOR, at the last election by violence
and traud-Capt. BRAsHEARs may have felt it to
his duty, as one of the guardians of the city s
honor and the cty's peace, to arm our leading,
chivalrous and reliable citizens in their de-
fence. Mr. WHITE was too shrewd democrat to
elicit The message with which the envoy between
these loyal men was charged, or we should doubt
less have heard-to the confusion of Mr.. W. and his
party-the solemn injunction to the virtuous Mr..
ENGLISH to use that weapon only in the cause OF
law and order-an Injunction let us add wholly
needless considering the elevated character of the
citizen to whom it was addressed. That is an
other and very plausible suggestion.
A third explanation, consistent with the very
charitable views we are disposed to take is-but nc
we must really beg the favor-the first one We
have ever asked-of our neighbor, The american
to cause an article to be written in the same weir
of Cock Robin literature and Sanford and Merton
philosophy, which has distinguished its late edi
torials, on the duty of putting the best construc
ton everything In that article let it set fortl
the most plausible and virtuous explanation o
the fact now discosed-that a Captain of our NUM-
cipal Police sent a dangerous weapon to one of thu
most notorious rufians of the city, just before thu
memorable election of the 18th of October. 1858
The american has already expressed its opinion
that the result of that election showed a s'ds
graceful completely" between the authorities ant
the rowdes. Whether it will choose to consider
the revelation of officer McCoMAs as tending t.
strengthen that opinion-or will adopt one of ou
mild theories or suggest still milder one of it
own-remains TO be seen. We do not despair O
having an extremely moral and edifying artic
from our neighbor on this subject.