The Evansville daily journal. [volume] (Evansville, Ia. [i.e. Ind.]) 1848-1862, 1859-04-02
The sfenhsns WHO riurtier.

The leading points in the Stephens case,
SO admirably set forth in the charge Of Mr..
Justice Roosevelt, are so far out of the COM
mon history of crime that it will be one of
the leading causes cele6res in the history of
American Jurisprudence. The prisoner was
saboring man, in moderate circumstances,
regarded by his employers as a faithful and
honest servant. He was leading member
of sect noted for the pious fervor of its
converts. He was, in his way of life, an
eminent and respectable man. His wife died
after an illness of several weeks. One year
after her death her remains were exhumed
by the authorities. Acute scientific analy-
ses sustained the hypothesis that she came
to her death by poison. A jury has, in fact,
decided, after protracted and altogether a
fair trial, that this poison was administered
by her husband, in order that he might pos
sess the more comedy person of her neice.--
He attempted first to seduce the young wo-
man last named then resorted to absolute
violence, and afterwards blackened her char
acter through the foulest and meanest of all
channels-an anonymous letter.
Well, all this might have been, and yet
the man to-day have stood as well as he did
two years ago. but justice overlook him,
his crime. The brother of the girl he had
impulses, assaulted the sedueer; prosecu-
ton followed, and during the examination
of the collateral issue, the charge of murder
was made by the girl. 1t was regarded
lightly. Every one knows how much reli-
ance can be placed upon words spoken UNI
der such exciting circumstances as those in
H. al, he oll Dat 1,
eeution was pressed on the side of Stephens
and the charge was reiterated by the Bells.
The elimination of the body was determine
ed upon, the friends of Stephens believing
it would exonerate him. When the case
finally came to trial it was not oyer and
above strong for the prosecution. There
were many little circumstances against the
prisoner, but the chain was not entirely COM
plete. The respectable character ofStephens,
the necessary technicality of the very finely
drawn, though scientifically clear, c hemical
testimony, the studious efforts to discredit
the evidence of the chief witnesses on the
part of the State, all went in favor of the
prisoner, and seemed to point towards no
verdict, and perhaps one of acquittal. But
in the course of the trial the defence proved
too much, and added important links to the
chain of circumstancial evidence which
weighed down upon the prisoner. And he
was convicted, first, through prosecution
he had set on foot against Robert Bell, and
second, out of the mouths Of his own wit
nesses. The cloak of religion, which is as
sumed now -a-days by almost every scamp
who hopes to escape the punishment of his
sins by assuming a pharisaical piety, avail
ed him nothing. His offence found him out
through his own acts, and he owes to them,
chiefly, his position as a condemned mau
to-day. @l-
Assuming his guilt, which appears clear,
his crime was one of the most horrible
known to human nature. Day after day,
night after night, he witnessed his wife's
sufferings he heard her groaus, as the pois-
on, by him administered, consumed her vi
tails; calmly and steadily he repeated the
doses, and finally, with well assumed sane
timoniousness, followed her to the grave dug
with his own hands. For such as he there
is no sympathy-no mercy The crimeonce
traced clearly home to his doors, his punish
ment should be swift and terrible 1t is one
of the few cases where the good effect ofcx-
emplary punishment is indubitable.