The daily phoenix. [volume] (Columbia, S.C.) 1865-1878, 1868-06-25
-MGI@CN1IaTsA.NTX
IMPORTANT EvIDEEcE.
a La WKERS STORY

LAWKERS ST0RY.a sFs
IcoNTNUED.I
The day of the trial at length
came, and as might be supposed, the
court house was acrowded. 1.-The
prisoner, pale, wan and wearing an
expression of deepest sorrow, stood
up and heard the indictment read,
and when he was asked to answer to
it, he replied in voice that thrilled
everybody with its intensity. of feel
ing: u ~ ..af.. =.
The trial conme menced, and tbe evil
dence for the prosecution was given
as I have already explained only, If
possible, it was moro positive and
crushing than 4 had anticipated. In
short, the train that connected the
prisoner, with the killing Of the girl
was SO strong and intact in all its
parts, that I could mot hope to break
it. ssgti3srass ,s9SaEd iailstaba'i .
I opened the defence, by proving
that my client had always been q
quiet, inoffensive, industrious per-
son; and that there was mo possible
circumstance Ia his life,H Z previous
to that under cohsiderati6n, that
could lead any one to suppose him
capable of committing agreat crime.
I made allusion to the absence of
Daniel Severance, and claimed, chat
said absence took from the chain of
evidence Almost Important link, be-
cause I have every reason to believe
that he was the last person seen with
Laura Downing while she was yet
After this L came uponGthe main
stay of my defence. / called upon
the two physicians who had visited
and examined my client during his
imprisonment, and they unhesitating-
~ declared the prisoner Of .unsound
mind.
The prosecution brought in no
testimony to rebnt the evidence
touching the prisoners insanity,
though the district attorney made q
decided onslaught upon it in his
closing plea; but they did bring in
testimony to rebut the idea that
Daniel Severance had been the last
man seen with Laura Downing while
she was alive. a Mr.. Anglers, a re-
spectacle mechanic, belonging to the
place, testified that just at dusk, on
the evening Of the murder, he saw
Mr.. Severance at the railroad station,
some three miles distant from the
village, and that he spoke with him
on that occasion. He (Mr. Angers)
was on horseback, and was then on
his way home, and as he passed near
the pond, some fifteen minutes after
having left Severance of the station,
he saw Laura Downing standing
upon the shore. Sa.Tg
This piece of evidence introduced
a new element, and I was not slow
to claim that Laura Downing might
have killed herself;. and if [ could
have testified to the return of my
client to his home before dusk on
that fatal evening, I might have
made saving point here, but I had
no such witness, and I was forced
to base my hopes on the plea of in
sanity. n -a
The judge was very fair in his
charge. The jury went out, and I
felt sure that they would return q
verdict against my client, but I did
not think they would bring him in
guilty of murder. And yet I was not
satisfied with the result of my effort.
AS I cast my eyes upon the prisoner,
/ was deeply moved by the express
sion of utter anguish that rested
upon his thin, pale face. It was not
the anguish of fear, but it was such
as results from sorrow and sadness Of
soul. Could I have known in season
of the testimony which Mr.. Anglers
was to give, I might have taken
different course.
CONCLUDED IN OUR NEXT.