The New Bloomfield, Pa. times. (New Bloomfield, Pa.) 1877-188?, 1877-01-02
A WoMAN'S TESTIMONY.


Il The crime charged against my client
was one Of shocking atrocity, the MUIR
der of hisown child. The popular YER
dict had already condemned him, and
there was little doubt but that of the jury
would go the same way.
Arthur Berkeley, the prisoner, had
married Edith Granger, a wealthy heir
ess whose father had died, leaving her
his whole fortune, to the exclusion of
prohigate son whom he had disinherited
and driven from his home.
Mrs. Berkley died within year after
marriage, leaving an infant few weeks
old, feeble little creature, requiring
constant and assiduous care. Indeed,
DIR. Baldwin almost took up his quarters
in the house, often passing the night
there, that he might be at hand in case
of need.
One of these nights, the doctor, as he
afterwards stated In his evidence, after
retiring to bed, feeling solicitious about
his little charge, got up and stole softly
to the nursery TO see that everything was
right.
He found the door ajar and dim light
burning within. AS he advanced, he
distinctly saw Arthur Berkeley standing
by the table, holding to the child's mouth
the bottle from which it was accustomed
to receive its food. At the sound of the
doctors footsteps, he quickly put down
the bottle, and stealthily left the apart
ment by side entrance.
Not little surprised at these move
ments, the doctor approached and laid
his hand upon the child's face, which he
found in violent tconvulsions, which were
followed, in a few seconds, by the still
ness of death.
A post mortem examination, and anal
ysis of the contents of the stomach,
placed it beyond doubt that prussic acid
had been administered. And an exami-
nation of the bottle, found where Berk-
ley had left it, proved that the milk in it
contained large quantity of the same
deadly poison.
On this evidence Berkley was arrested
and indicted for murder; and there was
not dissenting voice to his guilt. An
| incentive to the crime was found in the
| fact that, as heir to his child, he would
| inherit the fortune which had descended
Nto the latter through the death of its
, mother. No wonder deed SO mon
strous, actuated by motives SO mercena-
ry, should excite the deepest indigna-
tion.
Berkley's previous character had been
good. He had appeared gentle and
kind; had been devoted husband; and;
during the brief period of its life, had
shown the tenderest attachment to his
child.
In my conference with him he seemed
overwhelmed with grief, but strenuously
denied all imputations of guilt, asserting
that he had not gone to the nursery after
retiring that night, till called by the
alarm of the child's death.
OF course, his statements, in the face
of proofs SO damaging weighed butlittle.
had no confidence in them myself.
Still, it was my professional duty to see
that man on trial for his life, who had
entrusted me with his cause, had every
right the law accorded him. This duty
performed, my conscience would be clear
whatever the result
1t would be tedious to dwell on the
steps preceding the trial L interposed
no obstacles in its coming on speedily.
My aim was not to thwart the ends of
justice, but to see it fairly meted out.
DIR. Baldwin was the first and chief
witness. He told his story clearly and
methodically; and it was easy to see ii
carried conviction to the jury. My rigid
cross-eXamination only served to bring
out his evidence with more distinctness
of detail. ] elected the fact, for instance
that the child's nurse lay in the same
room; that she was asleep when the doc
tor entered, and that IL was to her he
first announced the child's death. L also
examined fully as to the prisoners acts
at the time the alarm was given ,endeav.
oring 70 show that he came from the di,
rection of his own chamber, appearing
to have been just aroused from sleep
But made nothing of this, the witness
stating that his agitation had distracted
his attention from these points.
The doctor had only recently settlet
among us, but his conduct had been 81
exemplary that he had made many
friends. He had especially won the con
'fidence of the prisoner. interrogatet