National Republican. (Washington City (D.C.)) 1872-1888, 1874-11-24
THE CONSPIRACY TRIAL.
CONTINUATION OF ARGUMENT By
COUNSEL.

REMARKS BY Mr.. DAVIDGE FOR THE
DEFESCE-HOW AND WHY HE CAME
INTO The CAUsE-3IR. RIDDLE BEGINS
HIS CLOsE-YET ANOTHER BEFORE THE
JURY WILL HAVE A CHANCE.
The trial Of the safe burglary case was &c
sUned in crowded courtroom yesterday, Mr..
Bayidge making the closing argument for the de-
fence.
Mr.. DAyID6E's ADDRESS.
He said Four years ago the speaker, in pass
ing through this court room, was attracted by the
brilliant method with which young lawyer
managed his case, at the close OF ms case ne
eongFaoulated the young gentleman on his effort
Years .afterWard that young man told him that
those were the fTst words OF sympathy that had
greeted him aDG given him courage here. That
TOUBr man was Richard Harrington. Soon aftCC
he made the acquaintance OF Alr. II. and became
attached to him. He saw him rise in his pro-
fession, rise ia the opinion Of the community. He
married, and soon little boy came,
LIKE TIE THE CLEANING OF DIAMOND.
Nc; not like diamond, but like the more e1ul-
gent CLEAN of childhood that no diamond equals
70 the parents eye-that is q light in the home
forever. He continued to grow in the public con-
6deDce, and was made secretary for the Distric:
Of Columbia. He did MOTOR he had been con-
EUlted-think that was good move tor one whose
talents made for him such sure success in his pro-
FessiOn, end be advised against it, for he thought
that young man once pledged to the bar should
never leave the Temple Of Justice. In April last
he heard for the first time the
CABUMRIEs THAT AFTERWARDS GREW INTO
CHARGES
against the young man. 1t would long be one of
the pTOudest recOllectiens Of his life that at this
time he stepped forward to his side and placed
his services at Mr.. HarringtOn's disposal. He be-
heVed that he was not guilty them he knew il
now, for he had heard all the testimony, had
scanned it, weighed it, and he declared that he
had seldom, perhaps never, known a criminal
ease in which the prosecution went TO the jury
EuCh slight evidence appeared mere
against the defendants, Harrington and Williams.
Ii seemed to him, indeed, as il it were Impossible
for any man who had heard the evi fence 70 doubt
the innocence Of the accused. To argue 1t FUR
ther would be a useless trespass upon the time OF
the Jury, and he would not further continue dis
eussiOn which, in the mind Of the jury, had for all
practical purposes terminated long ago.
TIE CLOSING ARGUMENT.
M Riddle said he would be hardened for a
few personal illusions. He had himself been in
some sort put upon trial as to this case. He had
been charged with violation Of law. Not only
this, but he had been charged with violating the
Constitution Poor thing. il seemed as If 1t was
the most fractured instrument in the world It
had been said that a commission of Congress sat
as a Star Chamber; that all the powers Of the
United States, all the legislation Of Congress,
all the gravity and learning of the Attorney
Generals Cfice all the iDquisitiOn into the tele
gTaph office, had been used 10 crush these three
men. All through these eases there had been
constant Interruptions by
STUMP SPEECHES.
made to the jury under the pretence Of arguments
10 the court Everything mad been done to lead
the minds of the jury away from the facts OF the
ease. For the alleged violations he must himself
take the main bIHnt He had been charged, too,
with violating the ameites Of civilized life and the
usagCs OF gentlemen. For all these, If he was
gEity, the gentleman had 4 choice eff remedies;
but not on this trial was he 10 defend himself or
90 be called from the duty Of a Government
prosecutor. He first took up the speech Of Mr..
Harrington on Saturday, a most singular dis
play With pathOs he (Mr. H advocated his
cause, and then he turned, like Gladiator, upon
the Assistant Attorney General, and even upon
young Student Of the speakers, who had come in
with him. It was to be hoped that if this young
student was moved TO tears by the pGthos Of ap-
peals to the jury he was also warned by the eX-
ample set before him. He did not himself see
Row NABOTH CANE INTO THIS CASE.
He knew nobody that coveted HarringtOn's vine
yard. Certainly AhRb the King had no repre-
sentative here. Nor was Titus Oates II character
in this case, although the Jury might, like him
self have learned something from the dry read
ing Of Hume's history, with which one of the
gentlemen had rendered more tedious the pro-
lxity Of the case; but Mr. HIrringtOn's historical
alluEiOns lad the merit at least OF novelty, for
AlgCTnOn Sidney, whom the gentleman had made
a victim Of the star chamber was alive forty
years after the star chamber was abolished, and
was then condemned by JeffTies.
Mr.. H. had impTessively called God to witness
his innocence, and had pictured the darkness and
doubt Of his personal experience on the morning
after the burglary, when he saw doubt aud dis
trust everywhere around him. Let the Jury re-
member that at that time few knew OF the crime
1t was known to but one or two persons. Whence
came those fears when no man pursued?
He remarked again upon the sOlemDity Of as
EUTance and the tTemOr Of pathOs with which Mr.
II. had assured the jury Of the darkness, helped
only by unseen hands, which had been around
h{Q, he stood in the presence OF this accusation
during no SR E T., Nj VI. H. was himself
lie was himself in charge OF the Criminal Curt
and its means Of prosecution; he had given dur
ing the same period his own version Of the facts
TO the Congressional committee. The Opportun-
tiles for his yndcatiOn were all in his own hands,
yet when he was at last brought to trial-WhCn
the very grand Jury on whose Indictments he had
convicted other men came in with an indictment
against him, he found then that the grand jury
was an illegal body, and he filed hye pleas in
abatement TO prevent the petit jury from trying
the case, because three particular men were not
present when the jury was drawn and one man
over SiTty-hye years Of age sat upon the grand
jury. This was his desire for investigation. All
agreed that
THIS WAS NOT \ BURGLARY;
il was a conspiracy. Who we're the cOnspirators:
They said It was Hayes who got up the con-
Spiracy. What Tor? All the money he got eN-
cept his salary was one dollar from Sternbcrg.
But il was said that he wanted TO be revenged
upon Nettleship. Strange, that because Of his
hate Of Nettleship he should cOnspire TO ruin
Columbus Alexander. He knew OF Il boomerang
that when thrown one way inevitably went the
opposite direction, but none had ever been found
that could wound one man in New FORK by
striking another man in Washington. All the
Circumstances showed that Alexander, dete.-
mined, wary, industrious, unhinchipg. who stood
with E.s hard
HAND UPoS TIE THROAT OF TIE DISTRICT GOV
ERNNEST,
was the man aimed at by the conspiracy. Who
WOulC be benefited by striking him down. Look
10 that. and the jury will see where to LOOK for
the principal CUnSpiTatOrS. What special adyan-
tage would inure 10 Harrington? Would not n
10 he chosen?
Mr.. Il. then argued that the nature Of the
conspiracy was such that it was necessary that
the burglary should take place in a house over
which he CODSplrGtOrs had entire control: that
the books te ken should be such as could be ijen-
tilted and that the delivery 10 Alexander should
ne witnessed ty others than burglars. When
the ChcC OF Mr.. Harrington is selected as the
house, when Mr.. II. puts Evans books in the
sale and procured the police TO be witnesses of
what was expected to be the delivery to AIcXln-
der. Shai!er, witness for the defence proved the
connection OF NeJtleship with Zirruth at Abners.
All must admit that
zIRRUTH HAD ONCE TOLD THE TRUTH,
if It was only when he testified that NettIeshiD
said TO him that if lie Z) did not leave the cuuh-
Try he (N.) would be obliged 10 do so. Z.rruth
had net left, but where was NettIeship?
A recess was here taken.
After the recess Mr.. Riddle said he had now
reached the testimony OF Hayes. Except a mis-
take as to the day on which he first saw HaT.
ringtOn's safe, II such a mistake was made. he
vas not cOntradicted. l. was said he was hero
fresh from hunting up the ku-Klux and some
count.
WHO SENT HAYES TO HUNT KU-KLUx?
The United States Government agent whitley
OF the secret service. The hirelings Of slch men
are ample witnesses 10 prove their crimes
The defence had often found in the PickwIck
trial material for their argument, and they had
doubtless consulted il in the preparation OF their
case. When the counsel Of Mr., PIckWick was
preparing his case the many neckcIOthed Tony
Weller, who held that Wit and wisdom aIers
went together" and anxious to help Mr. PicL.
wick, he tells them that tie only thing to do is
ITO PROVE A RALIBI.'
These gentlemen had followed the advice which
PickWtck rejected: they had proved an Glib as
10 Whitley They had an alb for everybody ex-
cept Nettleship. who was now only al GiiJi him
self One Of the witnesses by whom he proved it
tNemcOmbe) had sent telegram to his oiHcial
EuccessOr in Washington that Whitley was in
New OTk sick, On the same dag that he swore
on this stand that Whitley was out OF the city-in
Boston.
An these witnesses for the Glib were friends of
whitley some from the CustOm-hOuse which was
known 10 De not the abode Of tricksters. who
managed ward meetings, but place for which
men were selected on account Of their virtue and
truthluiness- Laughter.l He insisted that no
man OF the admitted shTewdness desiring to put
up aJob on Whitley would fiX day OF meeting
whitley in New York when be did not know
whitley was there. All admitted that
HAYES WAS \ SHARP DETECTIVE
and with him such blunder was an impossible
lty. lie alluded TO the arrest Of Hayes Tor per-
jury, and said IL was Job on him, az the con
spiracy was Job on Columbus Alexander and
would be Just as effective. It was Of Z niece with
the spOliatiOn Of 4 telegram. the release of BEN
ton and other similar efforts TO abstract Justice
in this ease.
He alluded to the character Of the servitors Of