The evening telegraph. [volume] (Philadelphia [Pa.]) 1864-1918, 1869-04-05


swnv with them. and then left by the front
door All can remember the eloquenoe OF the
senior counsel when he exhibited slung-
shot OF murderous appearances, ana ma'n-
tanned that Il was with such weapon as that
that the murder was committed, and that the
fabulous man with long coat carried 1t of
with him after doing the deed. To oorrobo-
rate It, a person named Altgelt was produced,
wko swore to the tall man coming out OF the
front door of the house at q certain hour. But
alas all the beautiful fabric Of the counsel
has been overthrown. There was no tall man
at all. He was a myth. Hereafter he will
rank only among the GLASS Of which the Man
with the Iron Mask and the assaulter Of vii.
liam Patterson can be considered as types.
The elaborate sluug-shot which the 'learned
brother" had on exhibition was not the in
strument, but the much abused poker, the
harmless instrument, whose 'centre of per-
cussion" was 30 learnedly demonstrated by
the representative of the "Philadelphia U IL
versity," was, after all, the guilty tool. What
must be the sensations of the Solons
who swore tha. the skull could not
be shattered by such a weapon Come
forth, DR.. Paine, and explain how 1t was that
the iron did not crumble to pieces when it
struck the human skull; and we think that
DR.. Maury must also be asked to state how
what could not be, was. We will not dwell
on the feelings of DR.. Paine, but would greet
him with silence and tears. When he
hourished the poker over the head of the
juTymap, and told him that 1t would break
the poker and not the head II he were to strike
blow, his feelings may have been the con-
viction Of ignorance; but now, when 1t ap-
pears. that the very poker in question did
break the old womsn's head, we cannot fad
words Of sufficient coincidence. We can only
suggest the story of the alderman in "Pick-
wick" who, when the lawyer told him he
. could not commit man for such an action,
looked up in amaxement and replied, "But,
sir, Ihave committed him." So, If the poker
could speak, II would solve all doubt as to its
capacity by merely declaring that, despite the
laws of science and the opinions of scientific
men, it did kill Mrs. Hill. To two other of
the mourners We must commend consolation.
The chief of these is Mr.. Altgelt, that excelleni
German who happened quite providentially
moment, and who may be considered
as the father of the man with the
long coat. He cannot but feel sad to think
that the long coat was a mythical garment,
and that he probably saw ghost. 1t was
awkward for the jury to convict after his
overwhelming testimony. But to have the
prisoner himself repudiate the whole story,
confess that the murder was done in the
house, and that not only the tall man but
even the long coat was the effect Of imagina-
tion-we put the case mildly-is too much for
even German equanimity. But the worst Of
all in the terribly demoralized crowd is Will
liam Wheeler Wind around Hubbell. In his
! little pamphlet on Georges innocence, which
was to convince the Governor, only it did not,
he declares that the deed must have been
done by a very tall man; in fact, by the very
tall man whom Altgelt created. Hear his
words:--
"Also, as TO the height Of the mahogany
| chair. back, over which the line o. blood drip.
| ring from the head, between the sofa and the
strong man (,uch as Altgelt descriDesl lifted
| that body with The head over that chair-back
| sweep on the lood-drope on the foor-(Mrs
Twitchell's triaD. Also the great heig OF the
| b
| tau man to have swept that curve horizontally,
| from high centre of motion of the pendant
| portion OF he instrume at. Also. the volume
OF the arcs of the blood-splashes forward on the
| Pr street wall. showing diameter of instru-
| ment larger than the poker"
Alas Now where is the theory 1t was
beautiful on paper. So clear So convincing |
Yet now we find that some stubborn facts will
not agree, and that the whole edifce was
built on a shaky foundation.
From the confession we learn one thing
clearly:-The theories started by legal ad-
visers on the subject of mans innocence
can be neatly built and strongly fortified with
out having particle of foundation, and, as in
the case Of DR.. Parkman, murdered by DR..
Webster years ago, man can always be pro
duced to swear he saw the murdered mar
alive and well hours after life had beer
crushed from his body.