The New York herald., 1878-10-06
THE BILLINGS MURDER TRIAL.
CONTINUATION OF GENERAL HUGHEs' SUM-
MING UP FOR THE DEFLNcE-A STRONG
CRITICISM OF THE CASE PRESENTED
AGAINST THE ACCUSED HUSBAND.


CRITICISM OF THE CASE PRESENTED
AGAINST THE ACCUSED HUSBAND.
lBY TELEGRAPH TO THE HERALD.
BALLsros n. y, oct. 5. 1878.
The tactics Of General Hughes while delivering his
plea tor Jesse Billings to-day extremely adroit
The close OF tho testimony LETT Hughes with day snd
a hall before the week closed. He would probably
have consumed abou, that time, but he did not seem
10 relish the idea o: his opponent coming beiors the
Jury on Monday morning, when they wero rested aud
with ready TO receive attentively tho remarks
rendered to Them. Honce Mr. Hughes con-
sumed Friday talking against time Be-
Ing man OF extraordinary endurance the
six hours dissertation was not severe tax on
his system. This morning he went more directly
at the material Issues OF The case, and let some sub
stantia ideas with the jury Tor them to ponder over
while church lo-morrow. He has spoken Tor a day
and half now, and Will his efforts Monday.
reinvigoratsd. Then the strength snd eioquence for
which he is noted may bc anticipated. rhe remarks
OF lhis morning pungent and u clear review OF
the outlines OF tho testimony. HIS reference 10 Sner
man was quite torcible. II is though, that he viii
give Jennie Billings severe handling Monday.
Turning TO tho jury alter the court opened this
morning he said
jennie BILLINGS came here would have
entered upon stage. She dressed .or tho act;
heavy part OF the tragsdy-to bring
all her eints and hysteria to bsar her drapery
eHectiyc her evidence OF facts was nonentity; she
was present Ut tho shooting, SO was tho girl Maggie.
Let ROB this incident of It's mockcries ana show.
We will forget the awful hatred OF jennie and turn 10
he father VINO chngs TO his child iondiy
he will always be ready with open TO receive
from the the gratitude she him for her
very Existence. Was he u harsh rant who would 20
INTO The night and kill his wiie No; ne was the
man OF pleasantly
BILLINGS cARBIxE.
There no witness In this case who swears that the
gun found In well Mr. BiIiings. John Sher.
man IL the only person whose testimony shero rs
any weight given relative To the weapon, and yet al
ter saying that ne thought this the Billings gun
John Sherman declares in tho next breath that he
had not seen the gun for nine months. and never
than twice before IN his lie. Another tning-a
lash is never seen from o long barreiled carbine
Maggie Mahoney comes into court ana positively
that she flash whom the report heard.
Gentlemen, fash can on y De seen from revolver.
Weigh the evidence on that point Science gives US
all the proof that the Oali which killed Mrs Billings
entered The glass At low velocity. Science is
iilimltaole. II has shown that this ball
must have lett short barrelled weapon. The
bail Is found tho head OF inns woman. The sur
geons found the lead imbeddsd In the skull boue
They care iully removed ner BRAIN sawed apart The
bone and tell OF the BRAIN Tor any pieces OF
lead. Tncy lind none They tell us ihat bullets spal-
ter when fired against iron; but WAS It possible TOR
this bullet 10 have spattercd when inside OF her
skunf No II that bullet should have boen q 30
grain bali or carbne bullet II would have weighed 2l0
grains At least when removed, and not los grains.
These lIe things, but science built her temples
upon ilttle things rhc untutored miad would pass
the window by: bat the man who delves WHO OBJ
serves, VINO studies hasurs IN all her moods. this Is
the man who can read the signs anu knows Whereof
he speaks.
Nj. Hughes then took up polished human SIX ull,
with all tue igaments aud textures well preserved,
and explained 70 the Jury the weak points ana ths
ic-s pcnetrabie portions OF the skull He c0utinued:
We mad no intention OF bringing experts into ihis
case, but wheu Leet came here and tried 10 tell
that ne saw nothing ON the window sill but pencil
marks and tried 10 insnuate that we had blacksuod
tnat WINDOW 10 make II oox like pewder, We brought
expert here who knows the difference between
powder aud black lead marks aud no also knew how
10 mud out which was powder and which lead.
Mr. Hughes quotec from the Cunnug gha m 3 Burdsli
murder case. About tue gun ~ tue we'll ne SAID
WHO PUT THE GUN IN rHE wELLy
II any body VINO thought thai they ~sre liable 70
wanted 10 snI the guilt biilin they
could have adopted no better method than 10 have
put the gun IN that we'll No person ever Mr..
Billings handle gun. rbat gun kept for years
IN the store Others, not the prisoner, knew where
tnat weapon wss John sherman, nos Billings had
Keys 10 the store where the gun was kept. Who
looked tor the quo? John sherman, at tho sugges-
tioL OF Jennie. We produce iour witnesses to
that Sh.r testified ia,seiy VINO tailed to remain
NJ his post IN III" store but went TO The upper cham
bcr a1d comiortcu his lady lover John sherman.
VINO Thai did not think o. the gun until
Aftcr Bnngs mai discharged him Z John sherman.
GoDtemen, mink near That gun splash into that
well on Thursday night, Two days alter the murder
ana a lev hours before u was iound. Look ~ this
facl JoEn was engaged to Jenne; tho ialher had
terrupted Jonns intercourse wttn Jennie; he had
discharged sherman Tor his treacnery VINO
that fainicd wnen the gun Was placed IN DIS hand
siterward? John sherman. When Officer Chase
asked John to get into his wagon gun
Jonn asked II the officer was about 10 arrest him.
fuaI looked queer.
Drriug TINS ,irade against Sherman the young man.
Hho OF the room. turned 10 tho
lace repeatedly wiped bis ewes and looked positively
upcomi ortabIe Gcnerai Hughes contmuso =
vi a nelA- n hahI mi n " n
that vicinity, and mas as Keen eye Old
Leatherstockings ana could pick ~oodchuck Of at
forty yards tins sweArs that he visited The old
well Thursday afternoon made careful a
Examination as possible and saw nothing Prosser
soulu notice better tDan all others trah or track.
But Prosser discovered no ovuence OF disturbance
about tho veil that thursday afternoon. The
next morning some hnds "a gun there Is IL I'M
possible tor person 10 have tnat gun In the
well Thursday nghtr When was IL put thercy
The graphing IRONS bring up gun that IL not par
tice rusty. Two Witnesses have since put gun IN
tnere, lett II for giveu ume, and 1t became covered
with rus, few hours alter is that evidence con-
kisIenI enough 10 convict "A nanl
BILLisGs' mASsKR
Although Maggie Manonry lived III the house and
uosidc Mrs.. Billings when she shot, the
prosecution did not ask her word about the domcs-
TIC dissensions IN that ismliy. They were content
with the evidence Jcnn ie and Sherman. Now this
dressmaser states ali about the Billings household
shs tells OF MS JOKES, his peasantrIes his unvary-
ing good nature: be was al ways man Of k,ndy ~ m.
pnhiss. We have another witness-Coon. Tho Dis
trct Attorney levecd his guns ut this Coon. Tnis
witness tells US that the BiInugs noosenoId a
gOou natured father ADD husband always
TIME OF rnE
About the time OF this crime Maggie Mahoney
makes II $3.50 +. H.. William Durkee calls il 8 :35,
James Burton likes al 80 This all the people
have proved about the time. We preve that Lewis
Uornan looked al has watch Al $50 and IN hitceu
minutes The shot occurred. Laura Hou-eworth
places al S43, George Sottsn, s4T; Jaues Nicuols,
$50 or $40; Jonn CalkiLs and Mr. Richardson haa
their watches 10 band al the moment !. sbot a
nrci aud say me time was precisely S:s6 Mr.. Rich
srdson idenines the time accurately S:46 because
the hands OF his CLOCK were va front OF tne keyhoic
Lewis Leo looked at watch aud u sss
wnen the shot was heard; Dominique Du-
~ was S:52; George Washburne places II At
$3.50; Mrs. george IasnDurne swears that Billings
reached tncr house az 40 Isaac burne lcog cd
at the clock ~ben Bllnogs entered the house and
vas exactly $40; Frank Dumas nxes u at 40.
Pctsr Dawson regulates tho schuylervllle time; IL
was not minute OF IN six months, and Dy that
means hc Regulates WasnburDe's time. Mrs Wood.
worth claims that the sDot was lred IRON s 43 10
$50, George Bates likes the time 0t = as. there
we're nIneteon porsons who nttepded cOurt amply 10