Lexington weekly intelligencer. (Lexington, Mo.) 1871-1887, 1873-05-07
THz TRAdruY.
Closinr eeene,

-
Wcp ibitsh verbatim the remainder Of the
evidences in the case OF the state against
John llsndley nnd others. Tbs case was
brought 10 . conclusion about midnight Of
Wednesday list, the 81 INST. The interest
manifested In the trial wal considerable, ~
II could hardly otherwise have been, consid-
erinx the number and standing ofths parties
involved. Half . hundred Of the bost citi!
xens Of the county Arraigned In court on the
grave charge Of murder Ia the second degree
Ia . spectacle too rare and noteworthy to
escape the eSrnest attention Of the entire
community. The evidence was closed on
Tuesday. Wednesday forenoon was spent
In preparing aud passing upon instructions.
and It was afternoon before the prosecuting
attorney, Alfred ]. Hall, ,q.,commenced
the argument Of the case on behalf OF the
state. He spoke nearly two hours, aud made
an animated aud forcible presentation Of the
facts, clearly cvincing also o determination
to rigidiy discharge bis duty rs a n officer,
although placed 10 the trying and most un-
enviabls position OF prosecuting 50 many
personal friends. Mr.. Hall, we may say,
has won upon the confidence OF the people
by the manner In which he has borne him
self as a prosecutor during the term Of court
just closed. As a speaker he Is inclined to be
dlffuse, and is at times too prodigal of lam
guage, forgetting that an idea may be over
dressed as well as . person, aud that either
Is equally offensive to good taste.
| Mr.. Hall was followed by Col. Geo. G.
Vest, senior council for the defense. The
speakers reputation as a lawyer and orator
stimulated the anxiety to hear hin already
intense OH account of the magnitude of the
interests involved. His speech occupied
about one hour and ten minutes. Taken
apart from the occasion and the circumstan-
ces surrounding, the effort would not be
called great. But considering Its complete
adaptation to the end, which the speaker had
In view, the thorough appreciation which
every sentence evinced on his part OF the
necessities Of the situation, and its trlum.
plant effect upon the jury and the audience,
We have nc hesitation in cmphatically desiy-
mating 1t asuccessful forensic effort.
After supper Col. Geo. S. Rathbun con.
tlnued the argument for the defense In the
crisp, direct style peculiar to himself, better
suited perhaps to the discussion OF civil than
criminal causes, but which In both is always
interesting and always effective.
Judge William Walker followed on the
same side with a forty minutes speech, very
quiet, very digniied and very impressive.
He about embraced the merits of the case In
the remark that it is a moral impossibility to
punish a whole community OF men in the
manner then attempted. Hon. Squire
Turner, Of Boone county, Mo-, closed the
case for the state, and there is but en- voice
in regard to his effort. 1t is spoken of by
those present as worthy of all praise. The
speaker showed throughout that he was per-
feet master orhimself-his passions, his ideas
and his language. He was not impassioned.
neither was be time; but with an earnest
moderation Of tone aud expression, he pro-
ceedsd step by step to analyze the evidsnse
and to elaborate his theory Of the unfortu-
nate transaction. That he succeeded in
holding the undivided attention of the crowd
at that late hour OF ,he night, indicates I'M
common merit III the speaker.
AT tue conclusion of Mr.. Turner's speech
the jury retired, and within ten minutes re-
turned with the verdict ''not guilty." whicl,
was received with applause.
So ends an exciting and expensive chapter
in the history of the criminal litigation o,
Lafayette county. aud which We hope may
be the last Of the Kind.