Cleveland daily leader. [volume] ([Cleveland, Ohio]) 1865-1873, 1865-12-04

MS OA1A
cupied most of tho forenoon on Saturday
with impanelling a special jury in the case
of the State Us John W. Hughes, indicted for
murder in the first degree. We gave in our
last issue a list of thirty-six men of the
county, whom the sheriff had been COM
manded by a special venire Jaeias to sum-
mon. OF this number nine jurors were Sc
lected when, the panel having been exhaust
ed, the court ordered the sheriff to call or
challenge from the b~ystanders a sufficient
number to complete the panel. The jury as
finally impanelled is composed of the fol-
lowing men:
Moses Hunt, Brecksville,
William Barr, I"
Buell. Stearns, 0lmsted,
Jesse H. Luce, Orange,
Henry Fish, Brooklyn,
William C. Snow, Parma,
Marius Moore, Dover,
John G. Hasserott. Cleveland,
Thomas Garfield, N~ewburgh,
joseph Slaght Cleveland,
Lawton Ross, Brooklyn,
Alfred Kellogg,
& This jury was duly ~impanelled, sworn
and earnestly charged by the court to re-
frain from conversation on the subject.
Judge Andrews and NJ. S. Castle, Esq, ae-
lively assisted in the impanelling. The
Jurors were instructed to be on hand at ten
o'clock next Wednesday morning, at which
time the case will come on. 1t was set for
this (Monday) morning, but was deferred in
consideration of the fact that the principal
attorney for the defense, who, as was IN
derstood by defendant and by one of his
counsel, had promised to assist in the de-
tense, had just declared that, such was the
state of his health, he could not possibly
attend to the case, and that it had
not been as thoroughly prepared as was de-
sirable.
When it was announced that Judge Ran
news services could not be counted on, as
they had confidently been, VIM. S. Ker-
rush, Esq, defendants original attorney,
~endeavored to get a p~ostponement of the
case TO the next term of the court. But the
court, although disposed to exercise all
lawful clemeney, could not consent to a
postponement after Wednesday morning.
In a moment of depression, the defendant,
DR.. J. W. Hughes, who had been brought
into court, arose and made a few remarks,
stating that, as he had just learned that two
prominent members of the bar, who had
given him to understand that they would
defend him, now decline to act in the ca
pacity of counsel, and as be was friendless
and unable to employ an attorney, and
withal did not wish to put the court to the
trouble of giving him a formal trial, he was
ready to enter a plea of guilty to the indict-
ment found against him, of murder in the
first degree.
The court stated that such a plea could
not now be legally accepted, and that the
trial must proceed.
DR.. Hughes again addressed the court,
and touched the sensibilities Of his auditors.
He said that by a long career of dissipation
he had brought himself into the position he
then occupied. He stood before the court
charged with the highest crime known to
our law. He acknowledged committing the
deed, although he had no recollection of
doing it, as it was executed in a moment of
drunken frenzy. But he bore no malice to-
ward the girl, and the taking of her life was
not wilful, deliberate murder. Nevertheless
if the court should adjudge him worthy of
death for this offense, he was willing to die5
and should he expiate his crime on the gal
lows, he hoped his fate would serve as a
dreadful, e~ffectual warning to all to refrain
from entering on such a career of dissipation
and criminal indulgence as that which had
brought him to his present position. He
said that while he had lived under the Brit
ish government, he had served with fidelity
in Her Majesty's army, and that under our
government he had, during the late war,
discharged his professional duty in the
military service to the best of his ability.
And now, if by a deed done in a moment of
insane madness, induced by beastly intoxi-
cation, he had merited death, he would not
interpose even a murmur to the execution
of the extreme penalty of the law.
The above was the substance of his re-
marks, which were made with the grave
deliberation and apparent sincerity char
acteristic of the man, and which did not
fail TO excite, in the hearts of all, genuine
pity for the unfortunate, intelligent prisoner.
The thought of the dreadful situation of the
man, added solemnity to his otherwise very
impressive words. And then the magma
ton supplied elements which lent a high
dramatic effect to the scene.
NJ. S. Castle and R. E. Knight, Esqs., con-
sented to serve as counsel for the accused,
and they, together with William S. Ker-
ruish, Esq, will conduct the defense.
Charles W. Palmer, Esq, will conduct the
prosecution, assisted by Albert T. slade,
Esq.
When all the business connected with the
above case had been transacted, the court
addressed itself to hearing the following
divorce cases:
John P. Lamb rs. Minerva A. Lamb
adultery. Decree granted. Messrs. Adams
and Garfield, plaintiffs attorneys.
GotthelfGlaser Us. Sophia CHASER; adultery.
Decree granted. c. L. Fish, Esq, attorney
for plaintiff.
Catherine Shrider ys. Frederick shrider
wilful absence three years and gross neglect
of duty. Decree granted. A. I. Slade, Esq,
plaintiffs attorney.
George Huber as. Anne Huber; adultery.
Case held over. ". E. Tousley, ESQ, plain
tifHs attorney.
Samuel buyer vs. Mary E. Dqyer; adul-
terry. Decree granted. L. j.. Rider, Esq,
plaintiffs attorney.
Elizabeth Wright Us. Edwin L. Wright
habitual drunkenness, three years gross neg
lect of duty, and adultery. Decree granted
on the two first charges. NJ. S. Castle, Esq,
plaintiffs attorney.
A motion for a new trial in the case of the
State Us. Thomas Aiken, found guilty of as
SAUL with attempt to commit rape, was
overruled. This brute attempted to commit
rape on the person of Jennie KOlb, a
Dutch girl eleven years OF age, living in
Parma.
The court will meet at the usual hour this
morning.
MOVEMENT To SECURE INCREASE OF PAY To
NAVAL OFFIcERs.-The Board of Trade of
this city having received a memorial urg-
ing the propriety and necessity of an in
crease of pay to naval officers, endorsed the
~..vo,,ort - oI,D4s,- III c1I,mfnr