Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1871-04-22
The BLAcKMcKAIG MURDER TRIAL.
Verdict Of Not GaiIty"-Interestis
tIosIDg Scenes

The trla! Of h. Crawford Black for the rngr-
I Ger O. " W AchaIs ended AZ Frederick Nj
YESTERDAY with a verde u not "a Ity. Tina
unhappy Circumstance tuat he'd 20 taa ira redo
the social position OF the parties immesiatelv
concerned, the vigor with which the pro-ecu-
Non was pressed, the great array or counsel on
either ride, all cOnspircd 20 give The 80 a.,
importance an the eyes OF the public, and "a
give to al Its incidents ssOrt Of dramatic touch
lie crowd OF Citizens and strangers thai At
tended during the ten DAYS OF the trial was i'm
mense. and yesterday fne court room va
packed with people from al part Of M.ryland
! ne scene Is thus graphically sketched hy the
correspondent OF the Baltimore smrrIcaH--
lie prisoner came 10. with his mOther-a
small, shsrp-fseed lady, closely veiled-leaning
UPON Dis arm. he seemed quite cheerful and
shook hands with several friends As he passed.
The court Vas called, The Jurors answered IA
her names, and Judge Maulsby directed Mr..
OOThees TO proceed.
sFExcB or Mr.. VOORHEES,
AI. OOThees spoke Tor nearly tsO hours ant
ANAL without apparent fatigue 10 himselT. and
IL ls seldom that speaker IS listened TO through
iong effort with such profound attention. His
Argument was directed principally TO establish
lng me theory OF self-delence, although ne oc-
esslonslly touched q tender chord by referring
70 the alleged provocatiOn of the murder, aud
the justification il found in the purest Impulses
OF the human heart. The purity and sanctity
OF homes are themes about which il il is not
hard to be eloquent. He laid mu oh stres. on the
case OF Simeon and Lew, who took vengeance on
me man who had dealt With their sister an
hsrlot' but Mr.. Whitney very neatly disposed
OF this authority by quoting what Jacob had
said about the vengeance his sons had taken ON
i I Scheekemites, Hhe2 upon his death bed his
hTs were touched with prophetic ire, 'sCursed
be their anger, Tor u was herce, and their
wrath, Tor n was cruel" There were many
passages in MIR. kOu1 hees' speech OF foucniny
pathos. For Instance, where be referred 10
Crawford Black.Nalking the tiOor TOR hour on
the night before the shooting, and, when at last
tired out and crushed benssth hls burden OF
sorrow, he came and threw himself on In moth
er's bed, came 10 his mother a. he did " hen lie
was babe, and tried TO md IN her presence
some solace for his wounded spirit.
Upon the conclusion Of Mr. VOORHEES, speech
the court took recess OF twenty minutes, after
which, Mr.. Whitney, although suffering from a
severe indspositiOn, proceeded 10 sum m Tar
the State. reviewing All the test mopv IN is,stI
and arguing therefrom trsi the prisoner had
been guilty OF premeditated murder.
WAITING PoR THE VERDICT.
Upon the conclusion OF NT. whitney : speech.
which lasted two hours, the jury retired. In a
few minutes they ordered dinner, and from this
Circumstance II wal inferred that IL would take
them some time 70 agree upon a verdict. It
seems, however, that there was much unanin-
ity - 10 the verdict, aud t is said u only two
jurors had not made up their minds when they
lett the box. Al eight inmates past four (hay-
ing been out an hour and thirty minutes, most
Of which time Was occupied in taking dinneT)
the jury returned with a verdict.
THR CLOSING SCENES.
The great Dsss Of the people had not LEFT the
court house. aud those who were lettering IN the
yard made rush for the hall when they heard
that the verdict was about TO be announced
The prisoner was not entirely calm. An
enthusiastic crowd OF sturdy miners from
the coal regions Lad worked themselves
down 20 the aisle Immediately behind where
he sat, and were waiting with breathless
anxiety till the formal legal ceremonies were
over and the result Of the trial known. The
court cautioned the crowd against any demon
sIations Of applause or of disspproval when the
verdict should be announced, but destroyed the
effect OF the admonition by saying that 1.-THE
popular feeling is sometimes hard 90 restrain
The usual forms were gone through w1th-the
prisoner held up bis right hand, the foreman
promptly, and when that ocicer demanded,
'sDO you lind the prisoner guilty Of the matter
whereof he stands lndicted!"s hrm response
wac given
Judge Maulsby Immediately began a vigorous
rspPing with his gavel, and the tip-staves per-
sistently demanded silence. bat the crowd would
direct opposition to one OF its authoritative
orders. Crawford Black embraced his mother,
who threw herself into has arms and sobbed
coDvuisively, but the enthusiastic miners did
not give
MOTHER AND son
much time for the exhibition of their emotions
OF JOY. They took the late prisoner into their
arms n IL he hsd been a baby, and passed him
from enc To- the other win expressions of their
entire delight over the result Of the trial Tha
embracing over, Black and his mother lest ths
courtroom, followed by q great crowd. and
made their way as best they could 10 the c,Sfx
hotel, the people cheering and congratulatina
tirelt blocking up the way In their zesi 10 snake
hands with the boy rhat had been cquitted.
The case OF the State W. Black, father of
Crawford Black, charged with shooting W. w.
Mekaig, was, by consent OF counsel, continued
till next term