The New York herald., 1878-07-04
A Strong Argument Against the Prisoner
by Prosecutor jenkins.
HUNTERS MOTIVE.
Twenty-six Thousand Dollars Of Insurance
#. on the Victim.
PHILADELPHIA, July 8, 1873.

oi SIR. Richard s. Jeakias, tho prosecutor Tor
the county.
Mr. jenkins commenced his address with brief
onsaug upon Mr. Scovel for his SANDER OF Sheriff
Dauuman Detective Yoder, whom he considered
In all respects his peers and in many respects his su
periors "fhese two men, IN season and out OF sea-
son, in sunshine and storm, by nghs and by day, Ia
bored for the discovery of ths truth and wrested
with the maehinAons OF Inscriptions advisers OF the
deisndant, as have neither the t,me nor disposition
TO tell Il is due their efforts, their skill, iu
dusry and TO their nlegrsy that have been enabled
present you tho most perfect case OF corrobo-
rativs proof which modern times have afforded, and
1t Ill becomes the prisoner NJ tue bar, who Tor months
fed at Snerifs table, At the Sherin's
personal expense. to sit quiet and permit indscreet
counsel take advantage Of his profes-
sionai calling to publish to she world a
OF slander entirely uncalled for and
incapable Of proof. But 10 return from this dgres-
sion. Preliminary ths presentation considers
lion OIL the testimony OF Graham Ad its corrobo bora-
tion, upon which you will recoIset the State rests
case there certain outside features which
desire direct your attention. And rst the who
murdered John N. Armstrong caused him to be
murdered was familiar In most respects with the
Davis Armstrong complication In fact IRON such
familiarity the plot OF TINS dreadful tragedy was
dsducct. He knew OF the existence OF that unpleas-
antnsss ito use . mild tsrm) which usually subsists
between the pushing creditor and the onsve
and then be knew the parties, their place domlce
their means oi livelihood, their usage habits, tenn
permanent and, knowing all this, he turned TO the
very possible account the execution OF his 0u
TIE HYPOTHESIS TIE srArE
at Is useless tor ovor all The lestmouy-t
ID iamiiar ~ IT. Is 70 me; but let
10 you the hypothesis OF the State. IL was never
The INTENTION oil Benjamin Hunter 10 have anything
more to DO with TINS murder IN TO plan the
employ the ASSASSIN 10 do It And with this
thought IL his earliest business fx an
anbi You will recoHect that Virginia, and
then IT wtls that he expected the crime 10 be com
desd bosn done he INN sdiately goes hunting
up Tom Graham The murder Is then arranged Tor
tuesday night and Mr.. Hunter, stiIl prepared with
his abb, has company oi trends ~ his house that
evening"
Mr. Jenkins passing to the question Of the branding
OF the hatchet hammer, explained Dy argument
the reason why two weapons taken across the
river Tho hammer mad been prepared, but hunter
having heard Armstrong say, when told DAVIS was
poor and communcsnI of ms church had loaned
MIN money, that was almoss induced to throw the
matter up thsn il was thai Hunter saw the necessity
OF having deed done 1t oAce, ana tearing lest
Graham might forget 70 bring tne hammer procured
Graham The ighg of The mur ier.
great deal has been satd about the unnaturaIness
OF the manner IN winch Hunter solicited Graham to
deed Il - looked ~ IN tho right light
atural way when It would nave been
done. Hunter was an old boss Of Graham's, and he
mat Armstrong Is bud man and great deal OF
money, aud tnat It Will be better Tor Frank II he
Killed
ti DID HuxrxK HAvH MorfvRf
''rnis involves u references to delais which may tax
your patience. gentemeI, and will tax my strength
put whlcu Cannot De avoided. Somehow other
The direct Indirect results OF business
IN sscaI typoerapnsrs between John NJ. Armstrong
aud enjamn Hunter was that or about tho 1st OF
December last duuter held notes oil Armstrong, pay
able 10 himself TO the amount IN the agg sxats
Of $4,671, and payable to his wife. Mrs. T. W.
i. Hunter 10 the amount Ia the aggregate OF
1000, making Armsirongs whole indebtedness
tne hunter So GIL. SUCH state oi things existog
at "A nul lUlt. II her Qlice
Of Insurance. upon Armsrong's lie 10 The extent OF
$4,000 were negotiated, ian endowment policy In the
.rovident OF Phiaaslphia, Tor $40 900, payable at
Armstrong; death, or wnsn he snouiJ arrive at tho
age oil seventy, which would have been in twenty
IN December March, June ana september OF each aud
every year S94 DO This policy Issued Dece ber
,sr Mr. Joseph Asbbrook, The supsrrn,sndent Of
agencies OF the ProvIdeut Company, tsstihcs fu re-
gard TO tn Transaction that Mr. Hunter was the sole
beneficiary, and that IN the event OF Mr. Armstrong;
DEATH or his arriving ~ The OF seventy, the pol
10y would nave been paid 10 Mr.. Hunter "A regular
policy OF insurance. was also negotiated with the
Manhattan OF New York for OF 81, ,OO0 pay
able at Armstrong; ueatn, The premium which
SOL 64, payable semi-onnuaiy in December June.
rms policy issued Uocembcr g. 1877, IN the name
Of Armstrong, and Albert r. Waiter testified that
was ass ignsd 10 this aeisndanL Benjamin H. Hunter
and tpird policy, also au cndow wment policy,
ncgotated In tue Mutual Life o New York Tor SO 000
pay yabls at Armstrong; death, or when he should
rive the age OF sixy-one, which would been
twenty years, the quarterly premium pay ment ior
which IN December, March, Jsne and september
policy was issued December $, is77. and was
also assigned, according TO the evidence OF
On the evening OF the 29a Of January last, when
Jonn VI. Armstrong was mortaily assxIIed. BenjnmIn
b. Hunter while always processing with the ordiuary
Dstontstion OF dishonesty 10 be rich who could
drive his own carriage, was really tue 23d OF Janu.
ary, as viii show you. cir bsrrsssed OF funas
wnie. according 10 ms own exnibi, he tnen hud
landed estate Of some $33, 900 market value vet
apmssipiy this all he had, the Income oeriva-
bic rom that only S2. 100 from which taxes
10 cd. No hat In
fnct Hubter's net ncomx--aDd it hts income OF
wn,ch l speak--at this date was not much over
S500 as was demonstrated IN the testimony. But Ac
claims ma boys wages tSlT5 year, aud his daugh-
tsrs salary tS500l as teacher IN the pubno scnool
when she took that position, as she tus you In orer
10 be indepenuent, ana hrs wIfe's interest Of $500
year ana we tins claim iissif rs strong evidence OF
INC sorudncss OF my position, give IL to MIN aud
istse resniiY SIMPLY mat his Income 81 G15 at
the most, upon which 10 keep morse and carriape.
sucn repairs 20 his real estate ~ exsncIes might call
iVr.
SLENDER INCOME.
But let us goa step lurtner. From ths suin OF
$3.50 there must Ds deducted tne insurance prcni-
ums that the defendant had andsr sken TO pay, W.
1876 ~ TO the Providenti Sos 2s TO the Manhattan
anu s55s 40 to the New York Mutual making a total
oi xi.lJ -, which, IL deducted from 81 6i5, Will
lssvs $54o 52 the income Of The dciendaut aud
his Iamlly-sslo % 70 keep a horse aud carriage
and iced cioths family OF SIX In tho city
VI PhIadeiph,a- Gracious neavsnsi whore was
stlli q step further II IL in testimony
thus this defendant vas responsible ~ this date
be PAID either In January or February OF that year;
that he had funGs OF award, one Frederick Getz W
Inc amount OF - 40 which had 10 be accounted Tor
aba paa, aua remember the March quarterly prem
huns the ArmslronR policies had to be provided
Is not all tins sts.c oi iActs which artons al
least a motive Tor this murder upon TINS defendant
80 unsssaiablc tnat the three aud ten gentle
men, VINO, unlike the rscresnt Epp, were willing
ana permit me 10 say, properly wiliing-to leave
their homes aud bus ness and 10 oar jurls
dciion TO TESTIFY tv gcntleness vi dlsposion the
part OF this defendant. which will show you here
Al "a
rbg ENORMOUS INSURANCE.
Again. the man that murdered Jobu VI. Armstrong
caused him TO De murdered, unuer the providence
God and tho natural course OF things would Ue
likely 10 betray his xut by word action. How will
benjamin n. Hulter stand this ordeeii Lei
-,.-,r. ,al,c,.. 4, s.s ,aons,,..s ,n,ns ~. /.