Daily Kennebec journal. [microfilm reel] (Augusta, Me.) 1870-1975, 1878-03-20
SAVAGE CONDEMNED.
guilty OF Man Isughter-The Verdict and
ats Ieaehlng-.


time they took the from the court, at fifteen
minute. past five, up to half pas, ten O'Clock, be
fore coming to an agreement. Naturally there
were various copjectures as to the final decision,
and hints that the verdict might possibly he as
sault and battery, or even acquttal, although 1t
could hardly be figured out how an intelligent
jury could agree upon such verdict. The
jurors were all very close mouthed and uncommu
nicative, aad very properly so, refusing to an
swer any questions proposed from the more
curious.
But all conf c'u es speedily vanished when the
document on which was recorded the verdict
passed to the bands. Of the venerable Clerk of
Courts. The twelve good and true men" arose.
The Clerk inqured-"Do you find james NJ.
Savage Guilty or Not Guilty Erecting the various
charges in the indictmenO? The Foreman re-
pended: GUILTY OF MANsLAUGHrER!"
The prisoner at the bar apparently attempted to
read the characters of the twelve men, they
came in-his hopes and expectat ions had been
raised by the seeming plausibility of the defence
bat now the last remaining hopes of the old man
had d,parted, he bowed his head. and appeared
IN intense mental agony. HIS sentence has not
atty is ten years 10 the State Prison.
We consi lei this verdict righteous one, and
can scarcely understand how the jury, after the
clear and unmi.takabc Instructions of Judge
Danfolth, could have debated five hours without
coming TO a decision. 1t only shows, however,
that they had indepc ndent judgments, and brought
each feature of the evidence elected to the ap-
plication of the test of each individual mild
We scar ely see how any other verdict could have
been rendered. 1t was case Of wife murder,
ard while if the Indictment had charged that
crime, there would have been doubts entertained
in regard TO its wiliulness and predeterm nat ion,
no evidence put in by the defence could shake for
an instant the solid foundation upon which
the government rested in supporting its charge
o. the lesser crime OF manslaughter.
Indeed there was no substantial defence put in.
Admitting entirely all that the defence claimed.
the man is still guilty of manslaughtcr. Suppose
the victim had a mortal disease and the man by
his crIelty fastened its fatal termination then he
Is guilty Suppose, with this disease, by his sheer
neglect he contributed by the grievous sin of
omission to bring this woman to the grave before
her time, then he is guilty. Alone in the house
with the dead woman, the implements at hand,
the garments rolled in blood" the thirty or forty
scars upon the body Of the bleeding dying wo-
man, the living witnesses recalling the statements
of the dead, and testfyirg to what they saw and
heard-witnesses whose testimony remained I'M.
shaken as the granite lodges that bury themselves
in the hillsdcs - facts elected from all these
sources point unmistakably to James NJ. Savage
as guilty Of manslaughter.
The result OF the trial reveals just the weight that
may be safely attached to the testimony of experts.
However cultured in their specaities OF science,
they cannot come into the courts Of Justice with
supreme authority, and beat down the testimony
of men and women who have seen with their
own eyes, card with their own and handled
With their own hands. Facts are what jurors
are after, not fine spun theories. We know how
liable physic ans are to be mistaken at the best
Stauding by the bedside of the patient, watching
the case day after day, how often does the trusted
family physician stumble and blunder; and how
can he pronounce with accuracy upon the dis
ease of patient whose body has been Wondering
in the grave four months, with the impossibility
of personal exam instion, or familiarity with the
case, especially if the opinion Of the physician be
against common sense and against the aggrega-
ton of intelligent testimony
We may "pity the sorrows Of the poor old
man. who, to the words of biz eloquent coun-
sell is "a wreck upon the of life" having
lived to see his home broken up and the members
of his family depart one by one to the unseen
himself di,honored, a condemned criui-
mall but our sympathy should not stop there, bat
go out TO the victims of abuse and brutality,
all over the State, who sit to-day in sorrowful
homes and with bleeding hearts. To such this
verdict will come with blessing and benedic-
ton.
This verdict will throw the shield of protection
around the wives of brutal husbands who may
have committed the fires of hate Il those chords
of affection that once responded so unsteady 10
the touch of love; but now, may haps the woman
is looked upon poor weak, sickly thing, an
ncumbrauce, to be shaken off at will, abused,
pounded, KILLED!
If no higher motive can appeal to the wife-kill-
ing husband, the strong arm of the law il thus
lifted between him and his companion; although
the bloom may have faded from her cheek, the
llhencss from her body, the nimbleness from her
steps she may have even contracted vicious hab-
it. yet the law shall be to that man a schoomas-
ter, teaching him that the woman is still bis wife,
and entitled to his protection.
The verdict is the moral OF an a wful tale of in
temper There, from that little cottage in Bel
grade, whole family has been wiped out by the
curse of rum. Rum is the Bloody Purpurd that
has done the work OF death and devasta ion
Could the old house become animate, and ghostly
voices issue from the desolate rooms, what wierd
tale they could tell. How they would speak of the
happy household, when the family altar was erect
ed, and the little curly headed boy received the
good night kiss from father and mother who
prayed; how they would depict the entrance of
the destroyer, bighting the fair hopes, overturn-
ing the altar of prayer, and setting up the king
dom of Bedlam, until the final scene when there is
blood upon the dooiposts and the angel of death
passeth not by that household. Thus would the
old house furnish texts for all the temperance lee
turer. in the land.
Finally, while this verdict will not wipe out the
Bloody Parpura from the list of fatal diseases it
will show that Keunebec juries do not see the
propriety of apply ing that term to B}0Odv Uurder