Memphis daily appeal. [volume] (Memphis, Tenn.) 1847-1886, 1869-01-09
MURDER,
Review of the Twltchen Trial

MURDER,
Review of the TwitcheI Trial.
The Character and Means of
His Defense,
From the Philadelphia LedgerJ
Since the Twitchell case first went
into court, not one word IF comment mas
been published in these columns. " nat
ever mention has been made of the mat
ter hss been confined TO the simple re-
ports of the evidence and the proceed
ings. The reasons for tEis reserve exist
no longer, so fSr as George 5. Twitchel,
jr., is concerned, for he has been pro-
nOunced guilty of the murder of Mrs.
Hill, by jury Of his own choice. In the
entire propriety and justice of this ver-
diet the jury have the support of this
community. It has been said that the
verdict was heard with surprise. ItmRy
have been so received by some, but il
was > surprise because of the fear that
had gained some fO0thOld, that the mur-
derer would be enabled to escape, = fear
that Was excited by the very extrsordi-
nary circumstances and surroundings Of
the defense. But Sc to the justice of the
verdict, there was but little difference Of
opinion outside OF the very few persons
who had become vehement and active
partlsans OF ss cold blooded, cruel and
cowsrdly 3 murderer "a ever stood in the
dock. The victim was : feeble old wO-
man she was lying asles p in the secu-
rity Of her own home, with no one in
the house but her own daughter aud
that daughters husband, on both Of
whom she had shoWered kindnesses OF
every kind, and from both OF whom
she ought, therefore, 10 have bsen secure
from all earthly harm. This feeble o.d
Homaa, thus sleeping il the confident
security OF home and kindred, wss mUr-
dered, and al the circumstances pointed
out her son-iR-law so cleariy and con-
clusively as the immediate agent in the
murder, as to leave no doubt of his guilt
on any unbiased mind.
The murder was 50 brutal, so Gnnatu-
raj, so cowardly, that il might well be
supposed that all men would have been
satisfied to stand aloOf from q prisoner
with such hideOus surroundings, and
leave him seyeraliy alone, in the hands
Of his counsel, and under those prOtec-
tiOns Of the Law which cur institutions
There was never the slightest danger
that his rights TO fair trial under the
law would not be accorded. He had
able and industrious counsel, and neither
our people nor our judges nor our public
prosecutor thirst for human blood.
There wss no aspect Of TTitehsifs case
calculated 10 elicit the slightest spark of
genuine sympathy, but, on the contrary,
there was everything in il to excite and
to justify instructive adherence for the
man and his alleged crime; and this
was the instructive fesling OF the great
body Of the men and women Of this city.
Yet, as the trial went on, it appeared
that there were some men who WeFe VIII
ing to become the Rpologists and Fartissns
of rwitchell, notwithstanding his repuI =
sive surroundings. They showed tn 7rn-
selves TO be quite a psrty-feW in num-
bers, il is true, VIXEN compared with the
whole e)mmunity-but still a well de-
fined party, eager to make q case for
Twitchell, and active in picking up and
usiag to the best advantage every stray
word or hint floating about the Hobbies of
the courtroom, the cigar shops, the eat
ing saloons and tho drinking houses.
Some Of them were loud IN their talk
and ready to back their talk with their
money in the shape Of bets.
These men could see nothing IN the
case but q forensic struggle between the
opposing counsel they forgot that their
action was making traffic ofHurCer, that
their work was Of hind 10 show every
murdsrously. Inclined villain ia Phiis-
delphia that he c1uld Kill with immunity
old or young, man or woman, mother.
father, wife or child, if hs could Manages
to get such a party of apOlOgists snd
champions at his back. There were wit
Desses who seem to be animated by a
strange zeal, considering the character of
the case. Some Of these have the morti-
fcation Of knowing that the jury pre-
ferred to believe the plain and damning
facts, Instead OF the crude speeulations
OF the various eXpeFimeDtsrs. 1t would
be difficult to imagine Snything more
damaging to a part OF the medical fac
ulty, than the aUoTtive effort to ssssil
the testimony Of Or. Lsyis-an effort
which did not 10 the least impeach his
evidence, but which did demonstrate
the weakness of all his assailante. and
the painful ignorance of at least one OF
them.
As for the trial itself, II was not only
fair to the prisoner, bnt more than fair
There were occasions when the Court
would have been justified IN administer
ing severe reprimand to counsel for the
defence. He had the advantage of ali
sorts of testimony, and Of some things
that were not in evidence ~ all. The
trial turned, however, on the blood
sprinkled shirt. Twitche!rs counsel
might have been able to account for the
blood on the garments which be had on
his person when he helped to carry the
murdered body of his mother-in-law into
the house, but the spFinkles on his shirt,
which he aid nor haze on at that time,
could not be 50 explained away. The
spots on the wall, the gas fixtures, the
table top, the sofa, showed that the
blood had been thrown "a spurts or
sprinkles, either from the ruptursd arte-
ries of the murdered woman or frOin the
brandishing of the murderCu3 weapon,
and showed also from their position that
the murderer himself must have received
some of the sprinkles on his person.
Whoever stood there at the head of that
sofa must have been spotted by that
deadly shower, and TWitchell was so
spotted on all his garments, including
the shirt which he did not have on when
he helped to carry the body into the
house. That red stain y was directed
by the unerring hand Of the Avepger of
blood-by that All-5eeiDg Eye which
was on the murderer when no human
eye but his own saw his crime. That
bloOd-sprinkled shirt became to him the
shirt OF n Nsssus, fatal to the wearer, and
which could not be shaken off.
Tnis community owes to the court and
jury that tried this Twitcben case, and
to the District Attorney and his assist
ants, who prosecuted Il, lasting debt Of
gratitude. Never were judges more i'm
partial between prisoner snd the laws
he had outraged never was q prisoner
more psrsistently defended, in the faes o.
appalling evidence; never were prose-
cutting officers hedged about by such
thwarting and embarrassing circuTa-
stances. That they convicted the mur-
derer is due to the energy, the unceasing
vigilance aud the great ability which
Mr.. Sheppard and Mr.. Hagert brought
to bear upon the case. On Friday night,
when the verdict of "gIilty " was rem
dered, human life was infinitely more
safe in Philadelphia than If that jury
had disagreed; and it is that much safer
to-day.
Years ago, our ears were charmed
with strains OF the Swedish Night
ingale" and the Black Swan" and