Daily national Republican. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1862-1866, 1865-07-18
THE SPEECH OF JUDGE HUGHES,
Mr., VOORHEES, WILL SPEAK TOMORROW
Miss Harris Not in Court To-Day
THE CASE TO BE CLOSED TO. MORROW
AFTERNOON.
District Supreme COurt----Criminal Term
ASSOCIATE JUSTICE wYLrB PRESIDING.



the Jury Of the high and responsible duty resting
upon them in the consideration Of this case. He
detailed the circumstances Of the accused coming
all the way from Chicago, meeting the deceased,
concealing herself aud shooting him down The
defence had not only set up Insanity, but they
endeavored to attack the memory Of the deceased
He next commented upon the letters which had
passed between the accused and the deceased
He referred to the letter Of January 10, 1862 and
read II to the jury. He said, since that time only
four letters passed between them. He then took
up the assignation letters, contendng that they
were not written by the deceased, and he did
not arrive in Chicago until after the date Of the
first letter.
Mr. W. referred to the testimony Of Mr.. Bur
roughs, stating that 1t was truthful aud ire
proachable, though the defence had assailed him
so. What DR.. Burroughs had done was only
what brother would do for a brothers. widow
and orphan. lie conteuded that the whole cause
Of the homicide was Jealousy, and nothing but
Jealousy prompted her to commit the act. lie
reviewed the evidence at some longth, and called
the attention Of the jury to tho testimony OF DR..
Fitch. lie asked the quest'on-"Did DR.. Fitch
treat her for a disease Of the mind' No; only
for physical disease. - lie called their atten-
tion to her shedding tears. "What Of thaR
Don't young ladies often shed tears when their
lovers have married some one elseH Again she
attacks Il lady with u carving knife; attempts to
go to the lake shore before morning ut another
time attacks Miss Dcylin with brush these arc
all the indications Of insanity set up by tin de-
fence He Contended they were only symp-
toms oil hysterla, Whlch medlcal nen had testl-
fed to. sho goes to lawyer to sue Burroughs
for q suit Of breach Of promise of marriage. She
states to him that she has but one object-the
vindication Of her characte"
Mr.. W. referred to the depositionSpf Mr.. Davis,
OF Chicago. She said the did mol ant to 90 to
Washington because she did not know what she
might do II she met him. lie referred to this as
indicating Jealousy
We now como down to the time Of the actual
commission of the decd. When she came to this
city had she gone to the office Of Mr.. Bradley and
stated her case as stated iu Mr.. Bradley's hypO-
thetical case, and asked his advice, wodld ho
have thought her perfectly sauo2 Would he
have sent for Dr. Nichols to see II she was insane
before taking II fee from her or taking charge Of
her caseg
Until some five minutes after she committed
the fatal decd-nrcd the fatal shot-she gave no
evidence of any cause which had actuated her to
do 1t. She shot at him the second time, and then
deliberately walked away, attempting 10 mako
her escape into tho street What Ia there about
the commission Of the decd 10 make you think
she is insaney DR.. Nichols says one or the rca-
sons for his opinion is that she did not take tho
first opportunity to commit the act. Is that evil
doncel Is there any evidence to show you that
when she opened the door tho deceased was In u
position where she could shoot himl Was the
fact that she threw herself upon her knees, toe
her hair, and wept-is this evidence Of insanity?
What is woman's nature made OF that such an
act as done there that day would not call forth
tho greatest horror. We come down to the timo
that she was confined In jail. That same in
consistency did not depart from her at that time.
We have had a very pathetic sentimehtal and af-
fecting account Of her conduct In jail by o-e
whose kindness Of heart we all know. OF cour1o
she said and did many things which would
make feel for hor, but she said nothing %
convince you that she was insane subjec. .
paroxysmal fits Of insanity. Tho counsel hS
very iugeniously endcavored to put us In 20
sitiou antagonistic to the physicians, but we
would not accept It,
We have only now to examine the Hypothetical
case framed by Mr.. Bradley. In the first place
the great keystone OF their case Is that thoro was
a great moral shock. We, | think, have shown
that there was no disappointment In love, and
that the marriage. engagement, II any ever exist
ed, was terminated somo eighteen months before
the commission Of the deed Have we not shown
that her disposition after this was cheerfulG
Again have we not the testimony Of Dr.. Young,
who had every opportunity OF seeing tho prisoner
every day, that he did see Der every day, and SAW
nothing to convince him that shO was Insane.
Have we not everything to show that she was
only subject to fits OF hysteria2 The conduct in
jail could not make an old, an experienced ply
siciau think that she was deranged.
Again: is there at any timo any proof to show
you that there was any physical disease which
caused the commission Of this mOst cruel act 7
Miss Mcwllliams says she was sick previous to
her visit ttJWashingtou, tJ which delayed her coming
here.
history Of any great criminal, you will hnd that
| from tho time the orimo enters their head the
struggle is not against It, but always looking tC
| the execution of the crime. They ST. uggle aud
struggle until finally they reach the bloody shore
upon which their Victim stands. So 1t was in
| this case, when she says to her attorney that
her whole love was turned to hate, and that her
| sole obi lcct was to Sindicate her character. AL
| though, as Macl o h, sho hears voices and So,
visions which do not exist, 1t is only the Nom
ory OF her deed that visits her and tho stlngs OF
her conscience which give her pain.
| You know, gentlemen, that in almost every
nature there is fiery passion, OF hatred, Of anger
| A : al
| to break the barriers 1t Is the, fear of punish
ment that makes the pathway Of society secure.
| 1t is to you to look that the laws are executed
and Justice satisfied. Though there may bo sym
| pathy far won tnhood and pity for her youth
| there must be punishment for her crime.
| Mr. Wilson closed at fifteen minutes before one
o'clock, having spoken about two hours, during
all Of which time he was listened to with much
interest At tho conclusion Of his speech the
Court took recess until one o'clock.
At quarter past o'clock the Court reassem'
blcd when Judge Hughes commenced his argu.
ment on the part of the defence. He said:
May 1t please the court and you gentlemen o
juty II Ii essential to the discharge Of the very
| responsible duty which devolyes upon you in the
trial Of this cause that you should wcll under.
| stand the issue you have to try Under this In
dictment II the evidence for the prosecution il
satisfactory beyond reasonable doubt, you
might hnd Miss Harris guilty of murder or man
slaughter. To this indictment, gentlemen, she
has pleaded not guilty, and this puts tho United
States upon the proof Of every fact material Il
the case We propose to meet the accusation
fairly. Now, gentlemen Of tho jury, this killing
was either u deliberate and premeditatod murder
or 1t was no offeuce at all. This, then, is th'
issue which you have to try.
The accused Is 4 woman. II was the pleasure
Of the prosecuting attorney to comment on tn I
object. lie warned you against sympathy, even
against mercy. He warned you that this par
tculaT female was u female SO black with cIim'
that she had excluded all claims to sympathy
lie, with great emphasis, pronounced this thu
most atrOcious murder upon record. 1t Is no
because the defendant Is woman that we cXpec
an acuulttal at your hands. She has neithe
wealth nor station, nor kin folks, nothing t.
make her friends except her misfortuues and he
good conduct. Her parents have been separated
from her through the acts Of this unfortunate
man whose life she took. II Is not for that W.
ask you TO acqut her. But we ask you to acqui
her because she Is Innocent
When the prosecuting Attorney, In order to in
duce the court to give instructions old aud eX
plodod doctrines which have been eXhumed an,
introduced and when we see behind the prose
cutiOu private vengeance, such prosecution sci
dom falls to be unsuppO ed by law or evidence
She comes here by the power of the Government
| II Is the duty OF that Government TO enforce tn
laws The representative of the commonwealth
should come here uninduenced, aud he prose
cute his causes in tho spirit Of the law
guilty persons to escape than for one innocen
DersOn to suffer Before one word had been ut
tered against tho character Of the deceased h
boldly Introduced him In this discussion an
said he was man who lived aud died withuu
a stain upon him.
The opening address of the learned prosecute
was II total failure; II showed that ho was mllu
1. .f..E