The Lambertville press. [volume] (Lambertville, N.J.) 1858-1???, 1860-05-09
AFTERNOON SESSION.

Court adjourned to o'clock Thurs
day morning.
AFTERNOON SESSION.
OPENING OF THE DEFENCE.
The case was opened for the defence
by Mr.. Shipman. He stated that as
he was to address the jury at length
in summing up the cause, he should
con6ne himself within narrow limits.
He asked the close attention of the
jury, and stated the responsibility rest
ing upon him. He said that the pros
ecution had pursued the prisoner with
all the power with which they where
clothed--even throwing into the jury
box "trifes light as air."
Never haa witness been brought
TO the bar under circumstances more
unpleasant f; scarcely were the eyes of
bis deceased wife closed in death, be-
fore rumor, with her Thousand tongues
was wispering suspicion in every ear,
and proclaimed it from every hilltop !;
persons calling themselves gentlemen
would insinuate themselves into his
cell, and often would give utterance to
representations the unfounded, and
the result of such things as these was
visible in the opinions expressed by
the susceptible gentlemen who were
summoned as jurymen. Even his
friends were mistaken in their kind
hess they were continually harass-
ing and confusing him by endeavoring
to draw from him facts Of which he
had no knowledge, and now deta lied
as witnesses all the incohorent remarks
of a boy in years, doubly afflicted and
embarrassed by the death of his wife.
He alluded TO number of points in
the opening of the State, which they
had failed to make out, as indications
of the manner in which the prisoner
had been hunted down by the State.
He stated that the evidence pro-
duced by the State was Of the most
shadowy uncertainty, and unenviable
kind of circumstantial evidence.
He urged before the jury that the
burden of proof lay upon the State and
that the prisoner had right to sit
down with folded arms without being
put upon his defence until the had
made out case against him, which
excluded every other hypothesis -
That there was no portion Of evidence
produced by the State which was not
easily reconcila le with the innocence
of the prisoner.
The hypothesis upon which they
would defend the prisoner was that
which had already been brought out
by the State-that of Selt-deStruction
by the deceased woman; that the de-
clsration OF Mr.. Harden were literally
and substantially true. Harden had
no earthly motive for commission u
this crime against God and man and
against himself; he had sworn to love
his wife and did love her; that be
treated her with kindness and affection
SO far as circumstances would allow ;
he took every means of making hel
happy at the time of his wedding :
wrote to his father month before
hand to make every preparation foT
the home bringing and neglected no
means of maxim the occasion one oil
enjoyment to her. Contrary to the
attempted proof of the prosecution, he
had desired her TO come to Mr.. Ram
sey's to live with him had been there
frequently and visited with her through
the congregation. He was diligently
preparing to go to housekeeping. =
The appearances Of neglect and disre.
spect shown by the prosecution were
partly false and partly owing to the
unremitted employment Of his time in
the avocations of his calling.
She was lady Of sad and melan.
choly disposition, given to solitary me
diation and extreme depression o.
spirits.
A burden Of sorrow was continually