The sun. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1833-1916, 1878-10-06
THE GREAT MURDER TRIAL.
GEN CHARLES HUGHES's Plea IN ne
H4LF or JESSE BILLINGS, JR.
The Manner In which tho Daughter was
Placed on the stnnd-Did the Bullet Come
IRON tho Carbine - Did John sherman
Throw the Csrbine into the welIssis
Well Defined Glimpse. of the Murderer.


Throw the Carbine Into the weiIf-six
Weii-Denned Glimpse. Of the Murderer.
BALI.STON, Oct. 5.---To-day Con. Hughes
continued his argument in behalf Of the pris-
oucr Tho crush was not so great az yesterday
At least onc-half OF those In the court room were
ladics Con. Hughes. aftcr an ailusion to the
spotlessncss OF the character of Mrs. Curtis.
took up Mr.. Blllngs's domestic relations.
black and blue spot upon an arm, the mnrk OF
an alleged brick and tho tap OF whip upon the
highway were the tremendous incidents occur
ring In twenty years OF married life on which
the prosecution founded theory Of murder.
The alleged money motive had been exploded.
There was no evidence that lust for
Mrs Curtis furnished motive. The
kerosene and chloroform business was
phantom that could safely DO left
20 tho Judge who would charge the jury. and
the prosecution were forced buck upon the three
incidents OF which he had spoken Even these
incidents were sooly alleged by the daughter.
She was called to the stand as scenery is set
upon the stage. She appeared statue draped
In the habilments OF woe. Voil after veil was
removed. and all tho artillery OF woman in
deep sorrow was brought To bear upon the jury.
She knew nothing that others did not know. Why
was this draped figure placed upon the stand.
~ not to create an effect upon the iury2 1t may
take years after the acquittnl OF the prisoner
before this daughter is reconcilcd TO the father.
but 1t will be because the lack of desire for
reconciliation comes from tho daughter. De-
spite her horrid attitude. the father stands to-
day with outstrctched hands waiting 70 receive
her. I'VE here dismiss this idle pageantry
and paraphernalia." said Gen. Hughes. and
come down IN the ncsh and lones ~ This case "
Mr.. Bilhnes's character furnished A reason
for his innocence. He was naturally ioyial and
full offun. One witness alone had seen him
angry. md that was in his boatyard. This WINS
not tho class of men who prowled around their
,rindo,vs n, nieb, saotino on,or,u,i,,os 10 shoo,
their wives.
The General then alluded 10 the gun found IN
,h,I ,a, a,., W w., sun 'ounu -
the old well. Even allowing that this gun was
owned by Mr.. Billings. the defence asserted
that it was not used in the commission Of the
crime Maggie Mahoney swears she saw the
rifle consumes the powder and does
not make Hash like the flash oil pistol
AZ, ,o m''n '.' s"os ,na' 'ne gun Iounu IN
inc well was the gun that had been seen in the
it. but in the same breath swcnrs that he had
not seen IL in from 81, 10 nine months This
was the only evidence concerning it. 1t might
be asked. IL this was not the gun why the de-
i'"-0 u'u .O' piouuVe '"o KUN Ahe' inee' .ne
case exactly As II Is given TO them. and say that
the shot WAS not fred f-om TINT gun
,rho coursa -, ,ho hau o,,o. o,,,ou,,,. A.,
~" ecuiSo " ,"o Jun ai'ci cn'erihs "rs.
BiliinGss skull showed that her head must
fro,n With ,ha Iii, 80 80, MI o..h,,s
iio" winch 'iio uui'e' WIS sen'' inns caroiho
a powerful aua SnOoS5 Il is used by the Gov
non MT Ionq, roneo Science nro,.os ,hs, tho
lead toupd in Mrs BnSs co anrs uo
went through the window a, low yea ' tu and
tells you why 1t knows So II II passed through
al great speed. II would have trimmed out hole.
drilled through the glass low velpeity sur
rounds the hole with Cracks resembling spokes
fhem arn huo wnIie nig v1ho o b MAKES
shown that this bullet WAS moving nj a low We.
ioSlty. This proves that il could not come from
velocity? A pistol. What made the flashes so
MAINLY seon bv Napoie MabnnevS nistoi
Another point. This gun throws a bail that
weighs 220 grains The doctors taEo of the
cap OF Mrs. BiilinCs's skull and find bullet
their SsTs and he can SIT ina me- 65 ors
lead Where ia tho lend that his Gun shouid
have thrown into This head? Fifty.dve grams
tostoa quarter Of the half Where IL il ) Tbe
bullet was not thrown against iron. and il could
not lose its weight by spattering. twas thrown
Into A Yielding substance md common sense
tells us that il could NOT lose A Quarter of its
weight 1t lost nothing before il entered her
head and 1t could lose nothing afterward II a
bullet enters a hoard or n tree losing nothinrni
lis point of entrance liz entire weight must be-
found
Another point1 The defense cav that the ooO
grain commercial carfridre in 1eneraI use con-
tains n hall with n rounT heef This piilipgs
bullet has a fat heel: and Inc I65.erain nistcl
bail in common use has The same heel What
mora Soon amor M, bulint bola ,vas ,.dn No.
tried TO nut through il a hail weipiina o2o
grains Il would not 60 through. WhvP The
hole hadn't grown any smaller. 1t had grown
bigger. il anything. Common sense teaches
this. Yet tho Prosecution have ASSERTED
that n 22O.grain bullet makes hole
in glass smaller than the bullet itself
The old gunsmith Lewis. told MS different
Then the prosscution bring YOU n window
perforated with bullet holes and want the Jury
a. Try the experiment. Juror after Juror nuts
the bullet through the holes and forthwith
there is u great outcry The holes mad been
made in Bridgeport Conn and some Of M.
glass had been shaken out by the Earring OF The
cars. Tho learned Judge suggested that they
take the window down into the outward md
make n fresh hole but they chose not Try the
sjnnds unimpeached. -'"''''~''' ''''' ''0''
Tho General then exhibited skull traced the
the shell where il entered and the wall where il
stopped. Tho lack Of pcnetration proved that
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