New-York tribune., 1868-12-28
THE PHILADELPHIA TRAGEDY.
OPENING OF THE DEFENsE-TwITCHELLs CHAR
ACTER-NO MOTIVE FOR THE MURDER.


ACTER-NO MOTIVE FOR THE MURDER.
PHILADELPHIA, Dec. 2G.-Mr. Pratt resumed
his address tins morning FOR the defense He said that
tho prisoner had been already nearly broken down by
the weight Of accusation and trouble that had been put
fr him Thc defense had eudcavorcd 10 form chan ot
cIcumstautal evidence without LINK nlpi@h,g,u XIX, iHe'c
murdered when fact Tie defense admitted; secondly
the hriI Cug into court OF the bloody colIlt ln" VIZ
poker which tho prosecution cla ncd Wh- the i',IuHuh
uscd I'm the killing of Nrs. Hi; fourth, the inls'lg
money; Gfth. tie conspiracy to get POSSESSION oI l,
Iosegh oSs1 Gibort '' Seventh lie distress Of te
defendants eighth, that no olhcr person out t ,e
defendant could have been III tne hoilso1 holso ~ , .o
time OF the murder. The murder ihey admitted 70 bs
fact They would show that tie wounds on te moau aih
skull could not have been hade WIN & al H. ''' , %
as the poker. Notwithstanding the l9ct tnat lno VIII
Of the detective officers ha Deen Dongno @ o 20
st0n by tine Commonwealth tey nau Deei uIuolo u w
fnd single dollar, TO trace one penny on INC hlssns
money 10 the custody Of the geIea, H. o % o hd '' b ,o
rary, all tho money belonging 10 PIT a h naI mn D1 hcr
found in her room, where 10 properly beonEsu WIN her
which the prosecution had labored so hard 10 make
n damning argument against tho prisoners IN
oI5 H0Gg'e show Se't that Mrs lin had often declared
to her friends that she had purchased the fines prop
erty specially for the puIloie 0 eyS , % 20 ccon "i
the piano had been bought for ana gwen TO he deeu-
dants wife, and that the piano was TO nave Deen g'GH
unpleasant task said the counsel III coheiusl9'
70 attack the character OF any czen, uut s G i s
ense felt ana knew that "lthess nne nv. rcra
and falsely they felt justified ID ghe al'ach Ie ioo,io
10 Joseph Gilbert the real estate pIoSer, whoss ot
credit. The defense would moreover sno" '.h. ~
other persons were IN the fae-st. house on ,n tne
night Of the murder beside young }"iH'nJ,i'' ~,
james McNoe, carpenter the first witness iQr me de
fcuse who made for the court model ol MIs lilus
house. testified that person III the street hknt nav
entered the house by eapiug the fence OI e phchSr
Richard Skinner Of Gloucester County ~ -, VINO hh9
known Gwitche from boyhood testified tnt me aelehu
ant had always borne good characier depoheht is re-
lated TO the prisoner J"ptha ADD.ltol NoSu9nry ~ JT
and Andrew GOulding of Gloucester co. " j., lcsuhed
that Twitchels character had always been held above
L. j. stebblns. builder. who had made experiments in
Mrs HIS house, testified that any noise III the room
where the inurduT committed could be more easily
heard in the street than IN the adjoining room when the
Asa Rcdwcll, Joseph Daniels, nud Franklin Dunn, Of
Mnutua " J and Charles Molouey ir, OF Woodbury., "
j.. always thought Twtche's character irreproachabe
Ellen DOlu's testimony follows ! lived with
two two MONTHS , m Sy away from rom her: @ viii The he excepion y those
two months lived with her a that time; Mrs lll hired
me; I was employed 10 do down stairs work The
chambcrWork done by Mrs Ilill and Mrs Twitchel
the family used 90 III after supper iu the dining room up
stairs. the Kitchen Mr. and Mrs Twitche often re-.
tired between ana o'clock IN the evening" after hey
had retired Mrs ll often used 10 come into the kitchen
read a newspaper 10 me; used 10 10 bed az an
times before 10 O'Clock; Mrs III used to stay up after
me "a general thing; when The bell was rung PIT.
Ihll herself used TO answer it'll often heard ne pen
ring after had gone 10 bed; could not hear IN Winter
when the door ana windows uf my room were closed;
could hear IN Summer, wheh e doOF ana Nlhuo" were
open sine used to caudlesiick Win lighted can
die ~ It about the house have seen er 90 about ,ne
yard ~ that way after ~ o'clock at Ight sue 1seu 10
take bath between II and ~ o'clock at nights have
known tenants - the rent 90 her Hftcr
went to bed after Mr.. and Mrs Twtchell had gone TO
bed have visitors call; they used 20 80 into the
dmugroom; she usually transacted business IN tnat
room while Was with her noticed On whnt terms me
family were to tho other; they were friendly AS far
O. 10 whom did tho furniture IN the house belongi
District Atiorney-l Ohiect TO that question. don't
how the witness know anything positive about
the ownership 81 the furniture.
Counsel for defense-Wc propose 10 prove by this Wit
that piece ~ furniture n the house had been
with the exception OF the piano gwen 90 the defendants
wife, aud That Bulls for every "riclc bought she had made
out iu her daughters name.
Judge Ludlow-Tben I suppose You have better owl
deuce to offer than that of the witness.
Counsel fur dcfcnstThe jury Will decide what better
evidence. They think this evidence better than the
Other for aught tell u lies wholly with them
We have here piles ~ bills all out made in tho name ~
We do intend prove that the house and all that
was had been bought Tor ana given 90 the defend
at, irc and that herefo the prisoner could have had
motive 20 XII The old lady order 20 get possession ~
what ho already had Her lfo was benefit "a him. Tor
long she lived her Income 81 500 of 5000 Was in
tho -impctUn that Killed tho goose that laid The
golden egg.
time. decided that t, connect could offer ans document
airy evidence ~ Their possession tn prove thc ownership
tho other k!ud 81 evidence which tho Court desired
should bo offered. Witness rc-uu cd live lu Richmond.
out ~ employment. after leaving Mrs Inns went 90
hr Laws n Malnutst until up Go four weeks ago. am
during Ihe two months away. Mrs Inn came
TIE kitchen 70 read 10 me ffeJucniy after Mr. ana Mrs
iNi'ehe' hah gone 10 p,u. solno''.irs on i,
room door m the Kitchen knew she Travelled about
40 nights with lighted candle IN her hand, because my
attention attracted by iho reflection of The Nights
have often up out ~ bed aud seen her do used 90
plague her about the thing IN no morning; know Mr
I'm used TO answer one bl after went to hcd Tor me
tJ.d ne ubont it; Mn II always used 10 take bath
between u and O'Clock % nsht IA the summer time
when would see her walking ~ tho yard a night shr
used to bo dressed Just would leave her on going 10
lie court letc adjourned to Monday morning
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