The New York herald., 1878-09-20

some new fact to his counsel Sometimes he iorgeis
his position aud nxiees far 70 smile sympa
thy With the general laughter that sautes witnesses
sudden sally or a lawyers repartee. But then his
face reapses into expression even saturnine
and weary than before. HIS posisiou Ia singuiariy
harassing Whether guilty or not guilty OF the crime
for which be IL arragned he Ia compelled
day AFTER DAY ana long precession of his neigh
bors, known enemies and supposed friends alike, hle
into the court room and swear TO matters con nected
With his inmost domestic privacy winch actually
infamous. Even his trusted servants, his conhden-
ual clerk, compelled oy tne Law TO toll what they know
OF hs Affairs before him and disclose the secrets
Of hts housshold-some OF them speaking glibly aud
with seemingly bitter relish HIS graspng desire Ter
haso with the spouse Of another man, all paraded
by people, some OF whom he had befriended since
more ne was the leading man In u comm unity " hch
appears almost united TO urge against him the
az sinst human creature. II the charge be false,
how be must loathe and contemn or pity, according
20 their several degrees OF standing anu
the esgernsss OF those people TO sustain II and get
him hanged II it be true, how he must hato every
man, woman and chit among them
Worse than all, here is his daugher-hs only child
Jennie
Hoy sharper than a .s5pspss .s,9s tooth tits
Even she has surned against him. Coming into
court pale but with compressed lips and resolute, to
tell the jury the long story OF her mothers wrongs az
scarcely twenty test away from him, though the space
between them was occupied by the lawyers at their
tables. Long before, nave seen. she had told
Billings that II anything happened TO her mother she
would have revenge and now u must seem 10 him as
night OF the murder, whom her father came into The
sitting and lay groveing at his dead wifcs feet
she had the rst to him OF the decd with
the startling words: :--"Tnree times--- and out !"
And now she again oonronts him with evidence
If ne is innocont iet any one imagine hts desoation
ut the sight this child turned into chief witness
against hIm-nis only daughter beheving MIN guilty
aud assisting with consign TO the gall
lowe. Iguilty, lot Imagination also attempt to define
a limit 10 his resentment against the offspring who
thus magnanty, as ne VIII think, 10 DIS
THE FATHER OF BILLlHGa
His father VINO Is still hale ana active, though
eighyAve years old, stands by him like an ancient
Trojan. Every morning the aged physician. VINO has
been nsed 10 driving about the country to see his
patients and therefore does not mind il drives over
Ballston from Northumberland. twenty ono miles,
He sits just behind his son In the court room. h's
clean ghaveu, turrowed face and wide open eyes and
mouth dsnoting from morning until night his interest
all that Is gong on. When jennie Billings was tes-
tifyiug against her father ana tho latter turned his
cnar around and bureu his face his hands as II 10
avoid her grandfather laid bis hand on his sons
snouider and said encouragngly, though with
.Never mind. Jesse, never mind; she has been per-
In the old mans tone and manner. he thus
encourage one who was IN the very prime OF
lie and much younger and stronger than he, there
som ethng affecting in the extreme
On recent afternoon another old gentleman ac-
eompanied tne elder Billings into tho chamber, He
had friend OF the Harris family for many years,
but did not believe tho charge made against the
prisoner, and had resolved to manifest his sympathy
with the old ta:her IN MS adversely.
THE HARRIS FAMILY.
Whenever a member OF the Harris family comes
into court thore Is displayed an eager the
tton whom she took the stand on Tuesday which was
enhanced by her extraordinary statements while she
held possession OF it, Oi rather spare nguro, with
hard wrnked features, thin lips AMI steelcold eyes,
she looked, dressed deep mourning, IA grim uncom-
Of her Aer story disclosed clearly than all
which had preceded IL tho prmitv~and vulgar habits
land and especially the gross canaor Of her own con
vsrsations with Billings NJ all times, except when he
sought her daughter IN marriage Anhougn sue was s
not make her opposition known to Blilings-possibiy
because she thought It might turn out TO be good
match in u pscunary way-out aftcrward the iutcr-
course between Bhngs and herself, as we'll tho
rost Of .ths damned harrises,n as ne called them,
was plentifully garnished with coioquia vinegar.
Only the day before the murder Mrs Harris and
Billings had encounter OF wits, In tho course Of
which the former accused tho latter Of
RACES, tho abonnable catalogue OF which has been
lrded to as having absorbed the whole attention Of
~ rwo soMBnE TRADITIONS.
Az these two representatives OF the Billings and
Harris iamilrss sat confronting each other In court
lcly alluded 10, bciievc, bus which will lend
mantic not pnilosophto interest annals,
tory o. North Tor the last hal. century is
a familiar tale.
ou. hunting with his younger brother. By an acct
dent his gun went on and she brother was shot dead
Ever snce that time whenever an enemy OF Jesse
particularly tucensod against him the theory OF
an 'rcetdsnt" on that remote occasion has been Ig
norea and the enemy has spoken OF him by the name
OF .sCain." Whom Arst The OF the Billings mur.
der spread through the town and Billings was
mentioned with SUSPICION voice was heard excaim-
"As likely ss mot. What can yoa expect from
CainW
Mr Harris, tho father Of Mrs. Billings, had
brother, bachelor without luesl heirG His estate,
which considerable, would 70 II he remained un.
married to Harris children. He died In the nick OF
out Of the wsyn and OF "gcstng rid OF man tor the
sake OF his money" were long rc IN the township
pers, and more than vager Is ready TO say when
they are cited -
..Blood rs blood; and blood'ii be the heads o.
them That sheds Il, matter how many the years.'
THE OF GUILT
SO far, then, Billings has had 10 sit and do nothing
Tar us direct proof Is concerned not appear to
bo nearly US strong at tho close AZ promised TO be
FTrst-1s for the foot tracks, they Will be used by
tho doence divert attention from Billings, what
precise direction remains 10 be seen. Mrs. Reed who
lives door. has sworn that her hus band wore
pair OF rubber boots exactly liko Bngs, and although
NO suspicion attaches TO Reed THIS fact alono viii
serve that all the tracks discovered ueed
necessarily have been made by Billlngs
Second-The carbins thrown in the we'll has been
Identified by Sherman, Biings' clerk, as thut
belonged 10 Billings, ana as enc that tho latter as
stated had asked about short time previous
that neitber Sherman nor any other known person
had the carbine for six months bo,orr, tnat
Billings inquiry about IL was not deliberate but occa
stoned by accidental circumstance, as follows: -
"on the sunday before the assassinatlon We wero
preparing 70 70 TO church and heard u shot; Mr.
BiiIings asked me the question, Who IL firing
around?' no asked, Where are my guns7' speaking
OF Two guns; nrst came The shot; tnen he asked,
'whero IS my gunf there are two guns about the
store, are there notr
7aird-It Is In evidence that more than ono person
the place had cause ior grudgc against the muir
dered woman, and hnrbored IL IL is also ia evidence
hat i'm m ediaiey after the shot Area man was
seon in tho neghborhood hurry Ing and trying
ceal himself Even jennie BILLINGS tesudcd that she
'thought sne saw mans hat above the umbcr pilc'
the opposite SIDE OF tho road and II Is said that she
said neighbors that she f'saw out OF the
yard across the road, with gray clothes aud o stif
hat"
To-DAY's rRoCBgpfNos.
Todays proceedings proved very interesting TO tho
and parties concerned. The principal fca
lures OF The morning session were tho reap
pssrapce Of Jennie Billings aud the close or
tho evidence for the prosecution. Tho alter
noon session was principally occupied In OPEN
ing tho cnao by Jesae S. L,Amorenx In behalf