New-York tribune., 1869-01-02
THE PHILADELPHIA TRAGEDY.

PAID-vERDICr, GUILTY OF MURDER IN THE
FIRST DEGREE"
PHILADELPHIA. January Notwithstanding the
extreme incemency of the weather the Courtroom
was densely crowded to-day, the main attraction
being the argument of Mr.. Vim. B. Mann for the de
fense. Mr. OByne concluded his argument He
took up the subject Of the prisoners pccuDiaTy COR
dton showing that the prisoner could not have ex-
pectcd 10 derive profit from the death of his wifes
mother In concluding. Mr.. OByrne said:
Oh! gentlemen OF the jury you stand almost
IN the relation Of GSd to the poor pfnfr n & at the bar
Aud Oh gentlemen. DO like Him in tempcring your
Judgment with mercy Giorfyng yourselves so far as i
s allowable To your fra humanity. TO do so with His be-
nigniiy aud mercy Romember that the day will come
when the aTchangePs trump Will call you before another
bc implOrins mercy from the Great Judge. AS you
pect mercy upon thai great day OF wrath aud dread when
scroll the mercy You now show viii !ead for you before
that gracious judges but, on remenDer, thh, ay col-
sderaOn but that OF an nieXibe determination ~ sVe
hc prisoner at the bar the benefit OF every doubt should
enter Judgment, II you should be sTayed one hare
tLen that gracious Judge VIII turn into infexbIe
judge and Ia the appalling voice which met the ears OF
and not answering, he will say. Depart from me-" and
your sight tile sentinel at heavens portal will close its
IondcrOus gates upon you for Gods eternity.
Mr.. Mann addressed the jury. lie sad: The Common
wes officer has told you that he has presented 90 you
cham Uf circumstances that arc Ike strong wall about
The prisoner think can show you that they have. by
the assistance ot some overzealous men, some false men,
aud malicious men, ouly brought faggOts for tho
nae from which the truth VIII rse IKE INC merry phehG
would tho Commonwealth have you belieyci she woald
have you believe that this young man nyug IN Ihls
being in bed his usual habit, sitting up In
tue dining That tie old lady went TO sleep while
he smoked cigar That he watched favorable 0pPor-
tunity and either down stairs for the poker or
eainc up stair, with ib aud thea hit Ihe o!d lady
body out OF tho window, washing HIS bands
and went TO bed. Now this Is one Of their theo-
you believe that he alarmed by the ringing OF the
bell. that he threw the body into tho yard. took off has
the sri in. DO you believe gentlemen, that
ANY murderer ever did such thingi Now, what IS a-
other OF their tneores Ihey may have forty Tor augAt
that know. They may say that nc was IN The room with
hertbat lie got the pOkerstruck her with itbnt In
stead oI stfkihg per WIN llo tongue struch her Win to
hccsTuck her in the temple. ThCir theories are many
aud conflicting. What DO they meant We have not
heard yet We don't know What their notions are about
tbs, The counsel for the Commonwealth tell yon now
perhaps that she lay asleep that he was bY he That ne
came mp stentny ana struck her WIN me poker shd
then went 10 bed DO you, gentlemen, believe such
story as thati Why, there can easily be conceived
thousand ways L" MuiHer hef' Nlth put sunni
chances OF detection. Then they say TINS
poker did the deed ard they cling to that pet theory Gr
" IL Is true soine one who must have been familiar WIN
the house found the poker and That man lnus nay been
George Twiice 1h. Is the greatest mistake the Com
mOnweth has made. We have shown you that had ms
pOKer been used upon Mrs ls skull IL would have Dcen
battered and bent and would have borne unmisakable
evidence Of DO We ind any such upon n We ilnd
smear of blood upon H. Us tht strange ihe poker
II strange r,at there shouldbo blood upon 1t There
gray hair upon ~ Is 1t not perfectly natural tat
head. Tins Is norsense u argue away nun ne lron
tribes these. The murderer took hls weapon
awny with him. aud rs Lady MRcbtth' WIN tue sleep
ing troos they LETT fwitches weapon stained
With blood beneath their victim, Ia order To thro" he
| suspicion upon HIN. -
lr. Mann then rhowed Ia how many different ways
blood could have got on the PRISONERS clohlhS lhe
Miracle TO pat his shirt ON underneath bloody coat
wihUut getting the marks upon H. Medical experts bau
told you that II impossible for them TO perform
dissection however carefully, without getting come blood
upon their clothes sometimes IN the most ontol"y
that the ad o the CUmnon wealths case Their whole
case rcsu on these clothes. aud any dyuU, S
results TO the benefit OF the defense. You slaughter
Judgment her justice seat II you do ROT properly
tnis murder Ss committed for the purnose OF obtaining
rcsdy money II Of tho great truths or TINS case
money la boooIn. sho never kept her money ut
bauk. The Commonwealth had endcavorod to prevent
this fact frois bsiuy knogn 10 the jury Ihele were
eight thousand dollars IN her possession when are w,
accounted for The Commonwealth had been search
Ing for this money throughout the house ahd even the
pnyy had been cleaned although tey now htenpeu 70
dsy ils existence. Ihls gTcat truth IS & t" wen m % %bc
evidence Out or the case. IL cannot be departed ifop'
Now If sn had THIS amount Of money IN her bosom. t9M
ten you able 70 account for the surroundings o ht
mUrderf Wa VIII suppose that she was asleep anu .in!
ss' va; ap.s s"'v Why snoua s'A the Rrsonsr
thrswn the body out o. the %hdSw me S Tonq mays
IN tho ROOM tile hired girl would not have been as like
~ 10 enter tho dlningTcom ms she w9n tho KeGen Oh
yard How farcca! thnt bo should nave thrown hSI ~
the yery path VI tho servant. He could conceive, how
ever stno Of facts why another man party OF men
should have thrown her out u the window. Two men, ~
order to avoid detection might have separated one 10
strike the blow IN the dining room anu the othCr 10 STA
himself In the yard to obtain the money from
the bosom or her dress o. soon hs enc was iowh out
Crime seldom moyes alone. Every Indication showed
tho weapon used was powerful one Mr. Mann then
pointed out the dnereDt ways by which the men nHh'
have obtained admission 10 the house. .
District. Attorney Furman sheppard said he ehtereu
upon tbt discussion oi this subject with tue simple pnf
pose o doing his duty hs God and hs fellow man. do
would cite the material points Of the case The entire
community had watched ths case win intense anxev;
They looked upon this jury To ylndcne tho dignity OF
justice Ho asked the Jnry TO purge their minds OF he
idea that crcunstaniial evidence must be received
tho direct testimony, but should nave
tho sam0 weight II wish 10 arrive ut the fncts.
We must rsi look Vt tho actor In this bloody dramn from
tho beginning Of Ills appearance on tho stage 1ne
in the kitchen. and tho kitchen door Wide open
40 ere could haye been no difficulty n the rasmissoi
Of ts sound IL was rang once, twice. three Tines hh
dozen times, nt 10 was pulled Violently Sd that couia
be heard IN the cellar Of the adjoining house Ana yet
this house Of orine We are To suppose that IL wac NOT
heard And Why because Mr.: aud Mrs Twienen were ,
asleep. This IL suggestion OF the counsel Tor ho ue
fense but there Is no evidence TO show tat tney weie
asleep. You arc not TO lsteD TO what the lawyers nave
said. but what the witnesses have sald. he
denied that they wero asleep. Ho next described
the prisoners behavior, and went on 10 say ,i .na,
thero was fatality surrounding him. When coniIo.aou .
with HE own acts lao IoDdored hlmseiI All
pointed lis finger at the guilty man Tue acts ,be
great facts In this case Then have tue lIn
bloody clothing the blood the knobs oi hs
IOon the bloody blanket on bis bed the pioou5 tced
aud all the other articles that have peeh punt,di
He was the only man In the house is @ Inn and he
Gated his guilt his clothes fastened IL upon np, @
made no 10 sloW cinc h"" s"""'"