The New York herald., 1878-10-05
THE BILLINGS MURDER TRIAL.
v1NERAL HUGHES ADDRESS TO THE JURY
CLAIMING VERDICT OF AcQUITTAL-A SIX
HOURS SPEECH.


known political speaker In TINS region. His
remarks are always literally interspersed with
pleasing witticisms, which render him quite
popular favorite. Hence II having become known
that Mr.. Hughes would sum up this morning, large
srowd gathered the Court House FULLY Two hours
before the doors were opened. The apartment beng
quickly filed, Judge Landon ordered The doors
closed TO prevent excessive crowdng. General
Hughes Is a pleasing speaker, forcibe In manner,
has a distinct ntonation OF voice, happy
choice OF language for the audience he addresses
HIS tail massive form. with shaggy, auburn coored
beard and halr make HIM a striking figure. He
q loose blue blouse and vigorously pulled his cigar
though determined 10 carry we'll the task before
him OF delivering six hours review OF the for
lie defence.
GENERAL HUGHES APPEAL JURY.
Addressing The jury General Hughes said:-You are
iutocras and despots ia that box the Court power
ess for IL Is In yolr power and yours only to
pronounce the verdict in this case. 1t Is with
you 10 say whether my client shall live or dlc There
or positive testimony as 10 by whom this
pffence was committed. No ono saw the crime COM
nitied. We shall deny that guilt may be estau-
shed by circu evidence. With this cbarac-
Ter OF eviccnce Just conclusions must be drawn ana
deductions must DC tree from cJudice ana Partially
All proof must be reasonably aud morally certain.
General Hughes cited the opinion OF Judge Cnurcn
10 sustain his plea in tnat direction
We shall not deny that on the evening OF June
LIST a cruel ana deliberate murder comm tied,
iLe unfortunate victim pcing tae wiie of the pris.
oIer. All dispute with the prosecution is
VINO conf mitted the deed Ihe simple question is
whether me prisoner com mitted the aeed and was
She Ballard cirbine the weapon used? The law
panoplies prisoner with several buttresses.
Ine General then reviewed the opening by District
Attorney OrnsDy and tue theories advanced by him
Ihow that the pr soner fired the shot from Metcalps
pfics. He also pointed out on the map the Billings
huuss, the corEhed and the route Billings Was sup
posed To have taken.
rHs PRIsoSERs TESTIMONY BEFORE THE CORONER.
On the 5th oil June ns wiie dead IN his house, his
laughter IKE one WHO would not be comiorted,
Ihe prisoner was caded by the Coroners jury
Uous evening. Ailer seepless night, IN which
ne neard the meanings oil his old iaiher and lna
phil cries ol his daughter he Is called, without any
preparation, before the jury.
General Hugues the read the evidence gwen by
Buiinss before The Coroner's jury commenting upon
u AT different points, ana argued that IT WAS only
reasonable tnat Billings should have made low mis-
lakes IN aefning the route he nad taken.
he made one small error. For that reason must he
be convicted OF murder?
TRAcKs-wHosE FEET MADE rHgMf
The tricks made from the Reed fence point toward
The Billings house, ana 1t Is argued BY the counsel TOR
ine people that Billings by TINS route to the
NetcaIt Office and there area the snot II YOU rub
Dut these tracks by Tie Reed fence you out the
prosecution. And the strangest thing about all these
stories OF tracks is that the very tracks thar we swore
were made Chief Markham, with all his years OF ex-
perience. could not make the Billings rubber boots
nit in them Ia single instance. | place little
reliance on the testimony OF detectives. 1t Is
wonder they are frequently crucihed by lawyers We
have two or three Witnesses who saw Mr. Billings
iarn. Mr.. Terhune Billings go up the hill,
and on leaving the AetcaiI office cross his
garden. These are The tracks whica the people
want TO chow were made alter dark. Terhune swears
Billings made that line OF tracks before dark IL
was I'm mpossbe Tor Mr. BILLINGS to nave the professor
Of college 10 noe MS footsteps on the night oil the
k,h OF June sustain nim. He called the r.
sons living the vcinity, WHO should know whereof
they speaK There is nothing TO show that witnesses
have been called to swear ior u purpose.
PRISONER DID AFTER SUPER.
Billings SAID he had repaired The fence the
DAT neld with hammer aud nails which he iound at
the bars, where he had lett them several days previ
oIs. and orson Guernsey testified he found the
mer naiis at The ieGce alter Billings used them.
We have produced Witnesses who saw that the cattle
b.d been salted and another VINO swore that he
raw Billings in the OF satng them rnis
evidence is not contradIcted and u has been shown
that he lett his alter late supper went tnr ee
and threelentns miles, sailing his cattle ana doing
other Chores which must have consumed mucu time,
ana arrived At the w Washburns house twenty minutes
20 nine O'Clock.
Referring TO The evidence on tracks, General
Hughes cited the review on the conviction oil two
Tor at the Rene sseaer county sessions The
Journal declared evidence based on foot tracks
Of the most unreliable uaure and TO DC received only
Gilbert testiGed that he found tracks leading east
from the garden. No witness had testified any
tracks Reed side OF Tue fence TIL thursday At
that time many people naa been walking about Inere
and the tracks found were unreliable He added:-
These rural detectives are ready 10 swear 1 any
tracks any boot will 6t them, case may
require l. had q decent dog accused OF sbeep
him than these tracks, as sworn TO by these
tectlves, Pd stand with pistol 10 hand and defend
him against all co'uers
A PHYSICAL IMPossIBiLTY
Alter the noon recess General Hugnes continued
his address Referring 10 the TACT toat every person
who was IN the BiiiEgs house when he entered and
first his wlie dead aliege that the prisoner got
In less than twenty minutes after tue homicide
occurred, General Hughes traced The outline oil tie
tracks across the heas ana mills, where the horse
was hitchcd, iBd to The well, ana declared 1t
physical impossi bility for man TO that dis
sancc ana stop the Wasnburn house, as Billings
did attend to the cattle. mend the fences reach
bis nouse In mat space OF time.
Ig was n Wash urnfs hou
twenty minutes, ana did no act at all Ike who
had been running hard or was excited, but seemed
perfectly cam anu nstura chatting pleasantly about
commonplace subjects.
FINDING MS WIFE DEAD.
Referring to me conduct OF Billings the night
OF the murder, Hughes Subtitle came suddenly
to ms home: he had been tod that his vile ur
gaping, dyed wound Ia the lett temple, IRON which
she lite blood yet oozes. HIS vile had oeeu mur-
yuilty many No; he tails and clutches her icet,
murmurng, .'0b, wifel Oh wifeln and fHnts there.
ne foor, In him TO bed, and there he tosses all
uigbl long, muttsrlng "Poor Jenbiel poor Jenaiei'
Could his IDEAS have been gulty ones wnen ney
raught with solctude Tor mis- only childf They say
'sroo BADi BApl"
Follow his behavior on the day alter As soon as
be permitted 10 leave the Coroncrs Jury he cutters
lne room where nIs wiIe's corpse - lying. We all
Know the ancient test Of persons guit or limo
,ence by taking hIm INTO the presence oil the
kied and ordering he laying OF hand
,nst The DIooa would asw IRON tno death WOUNDS.
Billings did not act II guilty. lie approaches the
TORN OF the asssssineted woman, places his hand
her cold brow wtDtn lew inches OF the bullet hole
In her temple and means, "roo bad too bacl"
He did not Know that any human
near. lie supposed himself IN the solitudc
oi the dead aud ms conscience only. Would d mur-
dcrer have acted so Did his words deeds Indicate
that be cherished hatred deadly that he couid put
that Weapon to his shoulder only few hours before
aud deliberately send bullet crushing through her
skull No, no, noi
sPirEFUL MOTHER IS.LAw.
They say tsulngs should DO nauge because he caedd
On hrs mother-tL-law MANY man would rather be
hanged than do So have laughed my sides
that iutervtew. she went Tor hm with all her
mUnition. don't care whether sne used "rim nre"
"ceDtrc Dren cartridges as long she Gid
use tho mother.ip-law nrc She wanted a quarrel.
lie would not nave IL she accused htm Trying
10 burn, 10 chloroiorm and TO crown his vile Has
piics JOKingiy made, .Now, Auntie, those sharp
osrts thcy cut Ike arrowsn Tben she goes for nim
another tack. She lassoos and bulldozes him on
every point lie laughs at her, and then quietly
sons matters lie knew that Jonn Harris,
his sworn enemy. was away, and takes