The New York herald., 1878-09-21
The Prisoner Explains His Daughters
Prejudice Against Him.
POINTS OF THE DEFENCE.
An Alibi To Be Sworn 10 by a Witness
Who Heard the Shot.
THE NIGHT AFTER THE MURDER

Billings has once or tWlce Uunilcsteu al
10 speak On W Wednesday the shifting oi seats
brought his chair in the court room close TO mine IL
was while the witness McConiky on the stand
esving in regard the tracks Of the india rubber
boot found back OF Reeds house the morning aiier
the murder Then Billings turned TO mo and said In
undertone:-
.rhat man is an enemy OF mine and would hang me
the could"
Yesterday. during recess of ve minutes, soon al
ter MS daughter Jennie had lett the stand, happened
TO be IN close proximity Billings, ana asked him
question the brutality OF which ne pre-occu-
pied as TO ignore:-
ahavc you explained to yourself, Mr. Billings, why
II is that you boen Ioborng under such weight
OF III opinionS How is that the public have SO gen.
orally believed you to be a murderer"
"Why SIR" he responded, "the press tried my
case before ever here-tried 1t on ex parte
testimony altogether-ired and found me guilty,
Just as enemies in my own ncighborhood did Under
such storm of denuncation what good would 1t
have done Tor me to open my mouth? preferred to
keep it shut until could como here and stand my
trial and present my evidence Yes, sr'
though the press has generally treated
this pretty fairly since the trial began,
must say it terribly unfair at the beginning.
Many newspapers accepted all the signs stated nst
without questioning them, and didn't take II
Tor granted that had any defence' Then interrog-
atveiy, "Do you live in this vicinity, siry"
s'No am here Tor the NEW YORK HERALD"
ssAhl Then you connected with the greatest
newspaper in the world. say H. though 1t has dealt
hard with me- have taken 1t for years. couldn't
do without it,"
ais it true, Mr. Billings that there was so much
trouble in your family?"
"rhere, againl" said Mr.. Billings. "fhey try TO
make out that my house was pAndemonium. Tho
truth is there was any trouble IN my family
until last February. We lived together as happily as
most families DO was fond OF home and as atten-
i've to my family as a man with my business could
be- Why look at the extent of my affairs.
My boats are every canal have to De In
New York month. am frequently
sailed away TO Lake Champlain, TO 0swego, Buffalo
and other places to attend TO boats that have SUNK
Or been stove have got INTO some other difficulty
sell these boats the boatmen, but on long time,
aud. of course, have to keep watch over them until
they are paid Tor. Then l have a bank, store,
large farm and other interests in the place where
live. Some twenty-five men are IN my employ
there. and sometimes It's good deal OF a task 10
rontrve work for them All thoseibusiness concerns
are calculated to divert man from his domestic al
airs, yet am not conscious oil ever having neglected
my wife or child"
JEALOUSY, HOW 1T AROSE.
s.What was The difficulty that arose. you intimate.
last February"
swell, this-the most foolish affair In
the world. Before / went to New York IN
that month gave some directions to the
clerks about laying down some mating. AL
most the first ssiutation l received from my
wife my return a snappish one, relating 10
this mating. WELL said She 'there's been pretty
how-d'ye-do about that mating you told the boys
about when you'd ought to have left 1t 10 mel Then
she went IN TO complain that the boys-Sbernan, my
clerk, among them bad neglected the JOB aud been,
Rs expressed 1t, over TO Hrs. Curtis half the
linn. | uus a. W
about this and appears that they were so offended
tnat Ihey started the story thet l was IN the
habit OF visiting Mrs Curtis. From the moment my
wils got that idea INTO her hoadthe Idea that there
was something wrong between Mrs. Cartis and
selt-she seemed change and be out OF her right
mind. Sac behaved strangely from that ume Or
ward She was, believe, partially demented wo-
man. She used to 20 around sometmcs ana occa-
sionally pass through tho store, win her eyes
set, ana more expression IN them than II she
had been asleep. From that time, toe she got those
hauciuations INTO her head about my attempts 10
kul her by chIoroiorm aud by ourning her up with
kerosene-about my telling her that Intended TO go
around TO her window when the house vas ahre ana
pull her out by the neelS ION" SAID Biliinss
YEARLY 'it's a long story; there Is so much OF u
thai should have 10 talk ali day TO give you u cor
rect bouon OF all the ms aud outs of tue ana,r'
"fhero was no truth whatever, then, IN the aheSa-
tion concerning MIA Curttsp'
'.Nonc Whatever. Mrs. Curtis IS perfectly re-
spectaDe woman--a married woman aud member OF
inc Cnurch. What rritates me iittle, Billings con
unued, turning iurther around IN ms seat rs tnat
people should think could be such IN inierual tool
as to set up a brotheI In \ community where was
leading man and where my reputation was every
lss as TO establish mistress tuere right next
door to my own dwelling. AS | have said,
when my wife began to SANDER her l felt sorry for
her / pld hcr al tho rate Of 81 woek Tor cleaning
nDd taking care of tho rooms AZ the oank building"
yESsIE's PREJUDICE
ITO what do you lay your daughter Jenuid's AMI
''Jennie always sided with her mother Jeunies
Isellng toward me dates also nom The time came
back from New York last February. she wanted me To
or,ny her a set OF dianonds. They would nave cost
probably $500 but II wasn't the price that deferred
me. | s1id 20 her: :-"Dsughter, you don't really
want the diamoudA- There uobody about mere that
has damonds, and II you wear them II wiz De sure 10
excite jealousy ana talk. Besides you go
out much aud are away from home 80 often nights
you might lose them" talked to her IN
this way. but she never iorgave me, aud her
mother joined nor Ia blaming me ior not Ouy-
ing the diamonds. Whenever Jennie would refer
10 the subject aiterward, hcr mother would nave
something 10 say, too Jcano sided with her mothcr,
and her mother sided with her In thus cOnhcction,
bgain, thero Is great deal 10 DO told which woui1
take a long time In tho telhng."
lit seems trivial circumstance 10 have engcndered
30 terrible feeling IN daugtterr ,,
You will never see in your lille again" said Bill
hugs, who spoke with an curouss intonaton oil
tenderness aud pity IN which could not discern
the least anestation, "such scene that you saw
here just nova daughter confronting her own
father on hIs trnl for murder Look, how they have
brought that poor child over here alter All she has
had o eneuro and KEPT her here tor Tour days IN tho
heat Of ths weather win ALI that heavy mourning on
10 make her 20 through THIS ORDEAL"
looked at Billings, amazed Was II possible that
he no, induiging IN ironyS MS lace expressed
peHner irony nor resentment nothing Dut ooinmis.
seraton Tor his daughier, who sin sat within iul
view tho witness stand, awaiting the termination
OF tho recess.
What he had just said In accord with tho state
mont subsequently made by his counsel ia the open
ug address 10 the Jury, that Billings from the time
he was mmured had steadily refused TO be party TO
or assent to any proceeding wnicn might annoy or
coerce his child
raK oLKRK SHERMAN, JESSrEs LoyER.
"And Sherman ~ suggested
"W ell you know be was down me- as told you,
somewhai unaccouniaby, untn found bo vas cn-
eaged to JeIuie. obJected TO the engagement, ana
vi course that Increased tie bad oong You can see,
"A got TO be- lhc HlrrNea Hnu
always Decn against ever sDcc married one OF
the daughters When my wie turned against me this
family bitterness grew IL aigo spread among my
wiic's friends Then jennie and sherman had the
ynpathy Of good many others. Tue moment
this affair occurred | knew how ~ wouth Del
kncx tna al the cnarge would he laid at door la All
instant beeause there were so many people ready 10