Memphis daily appeal. [volume] (Memphis, Tenn.) 1847-1886, 1871-07-18
TN TRIAL.

- AAAAAlAAA VI 0NAAA
tOr BeIcher Opens for the
rIgan and Edmonds0n Make peeehes
for the Defense - Sale and Wright
speak To-Day.
Major Belcher opened the argument for
the State by giving an outline of the evil
denee for the State, and quoting the law
thereon. His speech embraced a slccinct
history OF the case, as IL was developed by
the testimony already published. There
was no doubt but the woman had been
killed. Every part of the testimony went
to prove That the theory of suicide was
without foundation. In fact there wa
nothing proven to indicate or even Huggest
suicide. The medical testimony went to
show that 1t would be impossible Tor that
wound which was found upon her person
to be inflicted by her own hand. That
hand, the hand which usually uses such
weapons, was found.quietly resting across
her bosom, while the pistol was found
seven or eight feet away where, 40 doubt,
1t had been driven by the shock of the
explosion, or dropped in the confusion
that followed the commission of the fear
ful act. Every step that was taken by the
State, in the prosecution of this case, dis
closes the guilt of the accused from the
first finding of the body on that dirty
porch in the raw cold of a bleak Deem
Der morning, until the final hiding away
OF the mutilRted corpse In an untimely
| grave. We have shown that she was in
company with this man, in the full flush
OF health the previous night. She Is
never missed from the room until the
sound of the fatal pistol is heard in the
neighborhood. A few moments before,
she was there, a mOmen after
ward she is not, but there is
Roberts, innocsnt-looking and calm2 No,
not at all; but excited, standing up, wsep-
ing. Calling for Ada, then? No, no;
/ that mnna of nnuaFinn his uT1flt and allau-
ing suspicion did not occur to him so
soon. The same excitement Marked his
conduct down stairs in the bar, in his
senseless search after Ada, in his suggest
ing to the hickman, at l O'Clock of a dark,
rainy night, that probably she had gone
to the French Garden. The French Gar
den at that timei In his visit 70 Sullivan's
house, and in his conduct at the house of
ill-fame on Market Square, fitting place
for a man to go who had a broken-hesrted
wife and several innocent children be-
moaning his absence, in their lonely
dwelling far away in the country.
The speaker welt at more length upon
particular points of the evidence, showing
their peculiar force and corroborative ef-
feet. He spoke about two hours.
General Horrigsn made the first speech
for the defense. He dwelt particularly
on O'BoY's testimony, and said that he
had no doubt in the world, If he was
prosecuting O'BOy for the larceny of that
pistol, he WOuIC have him sent up for
from five to ten years; nj ii he is guilty
of larceny in stealing hat pistol, is he not
infamous2 Is he not unworthy OF credit
For l hold that a person who would steal
q pistol would swear to falsehoOd. There
is a great discrepancy between his testi-
mony and that of Marie. They tell diff
terent tales about going up to that porch.
O'Boy says that there were some parties
in Marra1a saloon taking q n RI n y Uhan hn
went in there that morning, and that he
was rather slow about going up. Marie
says he was at the stove, warming his
shins, and that there was no one in the
house. O'Boy a he only put
one foot out when about to drag
in the dead body. Marie swesrs
he went out and went round
to the right side. In going around there
be must have knocked his log trotters
against that pistol, but he sWears he never
saw It. Mr.. Horrigan then adVsrted to
the pregnant fact that there were five
men in the front room all that night,
from n O'Clock to five in the morning.
Why is this fact concealed all the time? |
Why does Bonnie Bonner say nothing
about it, although he has been under oath
three times on the case? Marie says
nothing about it until he ONE before
you. He then let's it drop by accident.
Why is that fact concealed? Marie swears
before Judge Halsey that this Roberts
party was the last party in the house that
night, Yet we find a party OF five men
~carOusing in the front until five in
the morning. He then dwelt at consider
able length on Sullivsn's testimony. He
said he would take the broad and bold
stand that Sullivsn's testimony ought to
be thrown out entirely. Il was unworthy
of credit. The story that Roberts
took Ada Jones by the shoulder with
IN HAND UhfNn hn nraazn1 q ~FaAaU /
in the other has the ear marRs OF false
hood on its face. There is not a woman
on the face of Gods earth that wouldn't
have screamed, ever if she were his wife,
and for what is she led out in this fashion
to be butchered? Obviously for secrecy.
Could not Roberts have beckoned her out
with his finger? If his design was to
murder her could he not have led her any
where he wished7 Could he not have
taken her to another State, TO anywhere
on the top of Gods green earth, and not
have made such q demonstration as that
in the presence Of two unreliable men7
He said still further that Marie contra
dicted Sullivan, that Marie contradicted
himself, told one tale before Judge HRlsey
and another ia the Criminal Court. If you
admit one set of witnesses you must
throw ont the other. l don't care who
you throw out, or if yOu throw out both.
In either case the whole testimony for
the prosecution falls to the ground.
Even admitting the truth of S~ullivsn's
staten ent, he must have known that a
tradegy had occurred on the porch after
Roberts went out with q 1t does not
the scuteness of . police officer
TO define what had occurred yet he leaves
house without q word. He fails to
tell the Coroner the next day. He does
not say what he knew before the Jury of
The reason was he had not time
to compare notes with what Bonnie Bon
ner said. He had not time to make up q
tale which shall hang together with the
testimony of the other witnesses. 1t
" as for this reason that he did not tell the
Attorney General on his first visit to him
at the Jail. Touching the evidence OF
Mrs. Wren, it was plain that she would
have told all she heard the mex day when
b found out that a woman had been
and her landlord had been arrested
for completely in the crime. She certain
ly would have told Mrs. Sullivan, and
that energetic lady would have been after
he police and all this would have come
Out quickly enough. What fact is there
this case that is inconsistent with the
innocence of this defendant? If the facts
point out equally to the guilt snd inno-
,ence of the defendant, yOu are bound to
him.
General Horrigsn spoke about three E
hours, during which he made q searching
'eview OF the testimony and labored at
length on every point that seemed
o turn in favor of his client.
Mr.. Edmonson made the next speech
or the State, which finished up the
of the evening.