The Portland daily press., 1879-02-06
boston Herald.l
Judgment Suspended.

81 kno,o," said the widow of James Wilson
Barron, to the writer last Sunday, 81 know
thatmy husband could never have left me for
the last time as he did. if sach thought had
been in his heart" To bs sure, the best men are
weak and erring, the wissst women may be de-
ceved, but, with our present knowledge, who
can say that this poor woman's simple trust in
the man whose memory is her dearest posses
sion is not at least as worthy of respect as all
the ingenious theories which the detectives
may elaborate and attempt to sustain. Char
acter will count, and Bsrron's character, hith
erto unspotted, cannot bs left out of the reck-
oning when we attempt to balance the proba-
bilities and arrive at solution of this mystery
That man might commit suicide in the man.
ner alleged is possible, bat TO ons who has
looked into the narrow vault, and tried to re-
produce the frame of mind in which Barron
must have scted, it seems much less probable
than to those who rarely read ia the news
papers that there were no physical or mechani-
cal obstacles which could not be- overcome. 1t
would have required more fortitude, more
clean, unaided courage, to perform such an
act than to have stood all the risk OF exposure
And what was the risk if the man had lived?
Admitted that which Is not yet proved, and is
not likely to be at present, that Barron was
defsulter to the bank for few hundreds or
thousands of dollars, why should he have b,en
alarmed? He could have raised iu a day more
money than anybody has yet limited at as
needed to supply all deficiencies, and so excel
lent was his credit not a suspicion would
have been excited. Ifthere had been run on the
bank, end the state examiner made an exam
nation-a thing which is sometimes hinted at
as Offering ground Tor fear OF detectiOn-that
amOaots to nothing. These examinations
notoriously never detect anything, least of all
when all confidence is placed by every man and
woman interested in the man whose books and
transactions are to be looked into.
1t cannot be denied that there are suspicious
circumstances, which have been made to fit
into the detectives theory and sustain its weak
points, butt must be remembered that only
one side has been heard. There are hints and
coniectures gate as plausible, which are not
given to the puOic. aud are not likely 10 be at
present. 1t is more dangerous to ass all the
living than the dead. Mr.. Bsrrou's accounts
may indicate that the bank has been defrauded
IL they do, the question Will arise, who de-
ffauded it-Barron or some living man? Were
the alleged alterations made before his death
or afterward? 1t will be ses n that whatever
verdict the EXPERT VINO is man entitled to
confidence, may render, the case then will not
be settled. II Is useless to take up more points.
Every body who has read the story of this
Celebrated Case knows that assertions have
been made o1 both sides which lack proof
Until that comes we cannot Judge. But, Id
according to the wise maxim of the law, a man
is presumed to be innocent until he is proved
guilty, how much more should Its application
to the defenceless dead be required?
For ourselves we prefer to believe that ths
officers are mistaken ra her than that hard
working, plain-living, upright man, who dressed
almost shabb ly (having on paper collar and
a gray woolen shirt the day of his death, aud
hardly ever wearing an overcoat), who was
generous to others, helping support not only
those who had claims upon him but those who
did not, had been practising course of crime
for years and died suicide and swindler
simply to preserye his good name.