, 1865-07-17

miss mARx HARRIS.

MONDAY, JULY II. 1906.
MISS mARY HARRIS
The testimony eiveE in the trial Of Miss
Mary Harris, for The murder of A. Judson
Burroughs, seems almost conclusive Of the
following facts: 1st, that Burroughs bad BE-
cured her att' ctions, and was engaged TO be
married to her I'd. that he did not seduce
her, nor endearor TO seducc her, atd that she
is h6rsel euilless of any crime but that Of
homicide; Sd, that some other person did
cndeavor to scduce her, whom she mistook
for Burroughs; 9Th, that she did not follow
him to Washington for the purpose Of killing
him, but 10 vinoieate her OWL character from
unjust aspertious, by an action against him
for breach Of promise 5th, that the killing
Of Burroughs was IN net Of unpremeditated
frenzy.
That the sympathy of the public has been
en The side Of Miss Harris throughout her
inpgast nmcnt and trial, has been sufficiently
manifest f1om the beginning. THIS sympa-
thy tas proceeded from tie belief that the
young woman had been wronged By Mr,
Burr pghs, not meely in failing to keep
her tight to be esteemed v1ftunns won1au-
that be had pracaecd upon her pure afec-
tons, It'd her into the paths oi vice, and
hLany alardonea her to the devil and his
angels. II such had been the facts, surely
the fate which overlook him would
have been altogether appropriate.
society cannot be too summasily
rid of all such beasts Of prey, and If there
arc no brothers or fathers to execute the
1ceeEea.y hlce, 1t is most fitting that the
victims themselves ehould do 80. But there
is 10 evidence that Mr.. Burroughs Was guilty
Of kuch conduct. Against the presumption
OF such crime on his part we have the pos.
iuyc ard reiterated testimony ot Miss Har-
1iehetsclf, and not m iota OF proof that he
had evrr committed an ippropsiety with her,
or sought to do 50. Those who have inter.
cstcd themselves in her behalf in Washing.
ten SIC thoroughly persuaded Of her virtue.
AZ TO The letters signed J. P. Greenwood
Inviting her to an designation IN this city.
the following facts mil tate against the pre-.
sumption that Bur. .onghs was the writer Of
the letters: lst. Miss Hnnis, when she re-
cclvcd the FIRST letter, exclaimed, "Who can
have written ouch letter TO ne~' evidently
not recognizing The handwriting, although
she had bcen in constant correspondence with
BURT ughs for three years; I'd. The intimacy
cSssting between Burroughs and Miss
HsrrA was such that no letters would have
been necessary TO enable him to pro.
cure an interview with her; whatever
he could accomplish by letters, he could &C.
compliah moro easily and surely bY Waiting
her In pe1son q letter might be used In erl.
dcnce against him aftesward, but persona,
interview, In the absence Of with esses, could
not; 1t Is 1idiculous 10 suppose that Bur.
rougbf. after having been on such terms With
Miss Harris as to be seen frequently BY Miss
Devain. holding her in his lap, would have
recourse to anonymous letters for the pur.
pose OF gaining an interview with her. Sd.
The Rev. Or. Burroughs. brother of the de-
ceased, q man Of the highest standing
In this community, testifles positively that
the handwriting Of these letters is not the
handwriting of his brother. What Is the evi.
dence relied upon to show that Burroughs
was the writer Of the Gr enwood lette1ss The
alleged statement Of the post of1:e CLERK to
Miss Devlir amounts to nothing, because he
docs not know Burroughs, and does not fully
Identify the photograph-thinlB that the
whiskcts are not the same and the clothes not
the came. Moreover, 1t Ia 1T the post office
clerk who gives this testimony. It lis Miss
Devlin, who repeats 1t, as nearly as she can
seco)lect, some two years after the occur.
renee The alleged statement of the woman
who kept the asslgnatlon house is moro
worthless, If possible, than the other, because
1t Is part Of her trade to protect her patrons
and 10 Put inqu's tive people on the wrorg
scent. Moreover the test 1nony Is at second
hand. and given long after the event. The
The testimony Of Miss Dev1tn herself merely
amounts 10 this, that she has seen some OF
Mr. BurroupEs' Letters and she thinks the
handwriting IL the eame. 1t is sufficient to
cay that her opinion ON this point is entitled
10 less weight than that of the brother Of the
dsS. nsed.
The observation Of the R@y. DR.. Burroughs
that he presumed tie deceased eutettaine d
.dt az OF marrying Mss Harris. until his cir
cpmstances were 60 changed that he was IN.
able to educate her, when he abandoned the
idca," seems altogether the most rational
theory that has been advanced as to the rela-
tions edsting between them. What
degree Of culpabiity attaches to the
Violation Of a marriage engagement,
when accompanied by no criminal at
or intent. We do not inquire. Such
things happen every day, producing more
OF less heart ache on the one side OF the 9th
er. Or couffe Mr. Burroughs ought not to
Lave excited love to which hs could not
respond BY hopolz''le marriage. The cores
;ondence between the pa ties shows, as far
IS letters can show, that he was quite warm.
~ attached to Mss Harris. His subsequent
ms7iaEe to another shows that his attach.
mcnts were not OF the most lasting charac-
ter. Believing that he had been guilty Of no
criminal act, We must conclude that
he hes paid penalty for violating his
marriage engagement, altogether out Of pro-
q wife and child, and other near relatives, to
whom his reputation is, ofcoufse, dea1. Now
that Ihe testimony has established with to1-
e1abls certainty, his innocence Of the charge
Of seduction, It will III become the friends Of
Atlss Hnrrit TO hold to that theory, eepe =ialIy
as it involves both the virtue and the yeraclty
OF the young Lady whose cause they espouse.
There is one perron connected with this
lamentab,e tragedy yet uuwaipt Of justice
TIE testimony shows that Mist Harris did
not become frantic over her disappointment
IN love until kha leceived the letters inviting
her to tn assienation, ana became convinced
thSt they were written by Bur
roughe. The unknown writer Of these
lclterh--:tc would.be seducer Of q
licndl.ss, virtuous Esrl-wln 30 to his
grave with the blood OF Judson Burroughs
ulpn him. Such uncleau animals are gen.
orally destitute Of an3 human Telling, but II
this one has stray spark Of conscience
as4ut him, he has, ere ttts, received shock
which nsy well aena him 10 his knees, and
nake him cry alLud 10 God to have mercy on
his iuja1 ons soul.
THE ILLINOIS CENTRAL.
Stockholders in the Illinois Central Rll-
road Company. who know the newly elected
Pres! .cut, Jbus n. DOUGLAS, Esq, OF this
ci ;, wlli feel That the vast interests con6d*d
I, his bands will be wisely dealt with. Els
conteded ability, his rare clution aad, more
than ,hcsc, his ind < sble {uteg lty and long
sel vice in the Company, as Attorney, Dlrtc-