The workingman's advocate. [volume] (Chicago [Ill.]) 1864-1877, 1873-02-08

To be bitterly hostile TO all forms OF assOcl-
ated labor but, with the exception of the
farmers alluded to, they were thought to
be the least Objectionable of the whole
panel After the jury had taken the re-
quired oath, the Prosecuting Attorney
opened the case, by attempting to explain
the language of the Indictment. He labor
ed hard for half an hour, in vain effort at
translating that JargOn of complex repetI-
tiOus phrases into more rational, lntelll-
gible speech. When he sat down, the I'M
preston prevailed among the jury that q
murder and an arson had been committed,
and that the prisoner was supposed to be
the party who had committed the crimes.
One Of the learned counsel, engaged by
the prosecution, now arose, and bowIng to
the Judge, faced the jury and spoke some
what after this manner May 1t please
your Honor, and you, gentlemen OF the
Jury, the case you are about to hear Is one
Of unusual signIhcatIon ana Importance /;
| doubt if the records of this Court can
show a parallel case doubt if within the
hallowed walls of this room, there was ever
heard case atfordIng another such example
of atrocious moral turpitude ! even doubt
if there was ever heard in this broad land,
"A case exhibiting such revolving spectacle
of human depravity and degradation, such
an amplitude Of heInuus, barborOus saw
agery. The prisoner at the bar, standing
before the awful front of Justice, fright
hand pointing towards the judge is charged
and stands indicted for the fearful crime
Of arson and a double murder. This we
will prove to your full satisfaction, by un-
impeachable testimony. We will prove
clearly to you, gentlemen Of the jury, that
on the fourth day uf last May, the prisoner,
after cruelty and tendishly numbering two
peaceable citizens, in large shop belong
ing to Alvan Relvason, did then and there
set fire to said shop, after VII. h he was ar
rested while endeavorlng to escape through
a gate opening On tho street. We shall
also prove that tho prisoner had motive
iii enactng this horrible crime that he
acted maliciouslv and of wilful, premedi-
tated malice. Some time ago, the emoloyes
of Mr. Relvason. at the instigatiOn of this
man. formed an organization for the pur-
pose If engendering strikes and provoking
other quarrels between labor and capital
! Now, about two months ago, these men,
led on by this same man, unjustly struck
against their employer, and the employer
at once secured many other workmen, III
/ lieu Of the strikers, and among those were
\ Tatam Mahoney and Thos Miller The
strikers seeing themselves about defeated,
Y with diaboIical mallgnity resolved to burn
/ the shops in which these men we're employ
\ ed, and in carrying out this resolve this
/ crime was committed. One of the murder
Y ed men was seen going into the shop with
/ the prisoner the other was seen entering
Y few moments previous, and shortly after
+ the prisoner was seen going in, three pistol
Y shots were heard, and moment later the
I fire was discovered and the prisoner seen
\ trying to escape. On his person was found
| a revolver, three chambers of which had
/ been discharged. We shall also prove that
! the prisoner Vas heard to utter threaten
/ ing language to or against one Of the muir
dered men. scarcely need stop to paint
( in barren words the Nervousness Of mur6s4
/ ar the horror with which this crime has
\ ever filled the minds Of honest men. Ever
/ since the days of Cain, the murderer has
been accursed. / will not say anything Of
| the sickenlng and revolving sight these mu-
V tilated, charred, blackened bodies presented
I | will say nothing Of the widowed wife and
1 orphaned children nothing Of the outrage
done society We will now substantiate
al the Indictment charges, and all We have
/ here averred. by witnesses of known hon
esty and credIbihty.'
4 great number Of witnesses, including
Relvason, Spindle, and Mrs. Mahoney,
were then called They were sworn, and
testified directly and corroborately to every
main statement made by the prosecution,
add every main fact charged in the indict-
ment.
On the cr0ss-examination Of these wit
nesses. Mr.. Lanspere based his main hope
of success, in fact, the secret Of the defense
was to defeat the prosecution by Its oSn
witnesses After the witnesses for the
State had been sworn, they were sent from
the room and called in separately, hence
when a witness was placed on the stand he
knew not how those called before him had
testified
The surgeon who examined the bodies, at
the inquest. was cross-examned after this
fashion
Lanspere. Did any part Of either Of
the bodies escape the effects Of the fire ?
Surgeon abdomen If the body
recognized AZ Milers, vas not charred or
burned it seems he fell forward on some
shavings which did not burn at first, and
We're evidently saturated with water after
wards, ana thus prevented from burning.
Lanspere If body had been dead one
or two days, how would you determine that
fact
Counsel for State object
Lanspere May it please the Court,
wish to show by this witness that the bod
les found in the ruins Of this building had
actually been dead some days previous to
the day the crime j. alleged to have been
committed.
HE Court is competent for the de-
fense to rove such fact the question is
admissible
Surgeon In such case, the most sat
isfactory test would be the occurrence Of
putrefaction, which manifests itself III a
sort Of blue-green discoloration Of the Gu
taneous surface, besides the body would
present a general appearance Of cadaverlc
rigidity.
Lanspere Would intense heat produce
these symptoms in few hours
Surgeon.-It would not
Lanspere Now, is it not a fact that this
cadaveric rigidity, and discoloration Of the
cutaneous surface, were most plainly OBJ
scrVable in the body said to be that Of Tom
Miller; and is it Not fact that the pres
ence Of putrefacton existed in both bodies
Surgeon.-To a certain extent, such was
the case, and | called attention to it at the
time
Lanspere. Would body, dead but
twelve hours, show these symtoms, to the
extent that the bodies examined at the in
quest did
Surgeon. don't think it would
Lanspere. re.-Thats all.
A little wave Of applause surged through
the room at this juncture, but it was speed
lily checked by the crier
The officer who made the arrest was next
examined His evidence was Of the most
damaging character, and when the exami-
nation III chief had been finished, the case
looked desperate for the defense.