The new Northwest. [volume] (Portland, Or.) 1871-1887, 1876-06-30

supported and honored and petted and
protected half of humanity. You can't
sue nonentity, and the man whose
legal property you say am is not in
the country, else you might sue him for
the trespass of his live stock upon your
ponderous proboscis."
"But you're a widow, and, therefore,
somebody as long as your property
lasts"
Here was a new dilemma that baffled
Madge for the nonce. The sheriff began
the preliminaries for legal proceedings
to prosecute the suit at once, and
Madge, not giving herself a further
thought as to whether he could succeed
in distressing her or not, crept' back in
side the door of the tribunal of justice
from which she had momentarily wan
dered, and listened to the arguments of
the opposing counsel.
The attorney for the commonwealth,
hungering like a very jsckal for the
blood of his victim, grew awfully, fero-
ciousIy facetious over the idea that that
infamous courtesan, as he dubbed Sara
Perkins, should have had the shameless
impudence to thrust her opinions in
the faces of those honorable jurymen.
''That's we'll timed, considering three
of those same honorable conservators of
human morals are living with squaws,
and two others, and indeed the lawyer
himself, are so tainted with syphilis
that it paints itself in their faces" said
Madge, to herself.
Indeed, the joke of the proceeding
was SO readily perceivable that the
Judge smiled meaningly to himself, and
one or two other protectors of women
did not fail to see the point, as well as
Madge.
Gentlemen of the jury" continued
the counsel for the State, "what is to
become of our liberties? what of the
glorious prerogative of American citi-
zenship? what of the high dignity of
personal sovereignty, il the testimony
of an unchaste woman is to be accepted
as evidence in a court of justice ?'
The effect of the speech upon the jury
was perceivable. One of them bor-
rowed a "chaw" of "terbacker," another
bit his nails, another nudged his neigh
Dor, and so on.
"Gentlemen of the jury" resumed
the learned counsel, al cannot too
highly commend the judicial and judi
cious course pursued by His Honor in
refusing to allow the testimony of
another lewd woman to come before
you. We have had the testimony of
the sheriff. whom you all know to be an
honorable man; whom, by your suf-
frages, when, acting in the capacity of a
sovereign people, you fearlessly exer-
cised your rights at the polls, and
elected him to the high position he Oc-
cupies-I say you have had his tes-
timony that these men-the murdered
man and the murderer-must have been
old-time acquaintances. Each was
heard to say savage things in reference
to the other. The murdered man was
the successful rival of the murderer
The legal wife of the victim, inspired
by that innate deviltry that has beer
the curse of the superior sex ever since
Eve partook of that historic apple, re-
fused obedience to her husband, gentle
men In open defiance of the law o.
the land, she fed from the home he haC
provided for her-hed in his absence
gentlemen of the jury, and can, unto
this day, give no reason for the rash act
save the never-to-be-aceepted excuse
that, before his marriage, he was iI
love with another woman-dn irlfdnlOu
aOonlan-who had accused her husband
the victim of this fiend's atrocity, o
being the father of her illegitimat,
child"
'I object % exclaimed the counsel fol
the defendant. "The wife of the miss
ing man is not on trial."
"The objection is over-ruled," said tn,
court. "The Prosecuting Attorney
: arguments have a direct bearing upoI
the case"
Gentlemen of the jury" continued
3 the counsel for the prosecution, 18th
, sheriff further deposes that the prisone
y at the bar was several times seen b!
I him in earnest conversation with tn
q obstinate wife of the deceased. H
r was known to be on friendly-I ma!
say Uery friendly terms with her; ant
r when a married woman who will no
live with her husband has a masculin
f friend, there is something 1Orong, gen
b tIemen.
n sit will be argued by the opposing
q counsel that we have no direct proc
that the man is dead. Gentlemen c
n the jury, we have incontestible proof G
his death-inconteSti6Le proof! Her
r are his hat and coat; and further dow
: the Molalla from where these had bee
s secreted, the sheriff found these boot
q and this underclothing. The proof
n directly before us-directly before us {
i establish the prisoners guilt. Th
}, deposition of Jason Andrews, who coul
d have made the case much palmer ha
he been able to be here and testify
g person, proves that the men were la
= seen very near together. The prison'
4, moo ornoad with q oyun and WAS hear