Wilmington journal. [volume] (Wilmington, N.C.) 1844-1895, 1875-09-17

Walker replied, Yes, it was crae
thing; it was cold bluoded murder
Hide that Kuife. Thy Will hang hin
If they find that k,s:f., III" w.+Ypot
alluded to was Il large white hai.dio
knife, which lay upon the liable, shut
and perfe city clean
The next day Walker rallied ullG
made IA statcm. Ia, which was ufter.
wards reduced 10 writing by III ijoi
Fitzgerald. This slatcnlcrt was read
to Walker Ill the presence OF witnesses,
and was signed by Lin just before Lis
death, which occurred on the 2Sth OF
May. He Was i'll the full possession
of his senses when this ante-m prtcn
deposition was made. Ia it he said
that on the evening of the 10Th OF
May he and Alder were talking about
money matters, and he referred TO a
debt which the surgeon owed him
Aid r thereupon slapped his face. and
struggle followed, in which he
(Walker) proved the better man. AL
| der the 1 took the knife from Il chest of
drawers and stabbed him.
For the defense it was urged that
Walker was drunk when he was wound
ed, and that, therefore, his testimony
| was not trustworthy when mans life
was at stake. 1t was also proved by
medical testimony that the dead man
had himself caused secondary hemor-
shage by injudiciously putting on a
jacket, and a number of officers testi-
fed to the general good character and
kindly disposition of the prisoner.
The jury, after they had been charged
by the Lord Chief Justice Of England,
who presided, retired for deliberation,
and in one hour and twenty minutes
returned a verdict of Not guilty"
DIR. Alder was then discharged.
This verdict would have been less
remarkable if Lieutenant Walker had
died before he had recovered from the
effects of the liqaor he had swallowed,
or ii he had made Z number of contra
dictory state nents. He did, indeed,
once say that he had inflicted the
wound himself, but as he instantly de-
MED the truth of this assertion in a
whisper to Lieutenant Randolph, and
repeated his former accusation against
Alder, adding that the latter would be
hanged if the knife was found, it
seems clear that he was only endeavor-
ing to shield his brother officer, being
unwilling to condemn the latter to the
gallows for blow struck III the heat
of passion. However this may be, it
is certain that DR.. Alder has had Il ver=
narrow escape, and that he onght to
congratulate himself on the l.nient
view of the case taken by the jury.
The result of this trial Contrasts
strongly with that of trial which oc-
CURED in England few months ago
In this case two private soldiers were
in barrack room together. One of
the men suddenly rushed out, calling
for aid, and said that his companion
had cut his throat with razor. The
latter was SO desperately wounded that
he could not speak, but before he died
he summoned strength enough to write
the name of the first man upon piece
of paper, and signifed by gesture
that he had done the deed. The ac-
cused was tried for murder and con-
yicted, several medical men declaring
tIat the dead man ,ould not himself
have Inflicted the wound of which he
died. In due time the prisoner was
hanged, protesting his innocence to
the last. There is no doubt that sub
justice was done in this case /;
but what would have been DIR. Alder's
fate if he had been tried before the
Jury which convicted the private sol
der?