Knoxville daily chronicle. [volume] (Knoxville, Tenn.) 1870-1882, 1879-03-12
Lelter From Texas.

/ BRYAN, TEX, Feb. q, 1879.
Mr.. EDITOR: The case of the State
of Texas We. G. w. Crozier. Jr., indicted
for the killing of s. NJ. Hunter, which
has occupied the attention Of the Dis
trict Court of Brazos county for sew.
eral days past, was concluded to-day
The jury failed to agree on verdict,
and the case goes over to the next
term Of the court. The State was rep.
resented by six able resident attorneys,
and Col. P. d. Page, also lawyer OF
this city, and Capt. George Washing
ton, of Knoxville, Tennessee, appeared
for the defense. On the latter named
gentlemen devolved the enormous bur-
den of sustaining the defense in the
face Of strong local prejudice and other
disadvantages. The result of that
very able effort of your townsman
would have 10 be seen to be appre-
ciated, and your poor CORES pondent
can give you but faint idea of its
magnitude.
Every available space of the court
room up to the very steps leading to
gaping crowd, drawn hither prompted
by curiosity to see and hear the friend
of poor, prosecuted immigrant from
proud old Tennessee. The beauty, as
well as the chiValry of Bryan, graced
the temple of justice on t. Is occasion.
Capt. Washington stated in the
opening Of his speech that his ap-
pe3rance in this court from a distant
State was not to be attributed to any
want of legal ability to be found at
the Bryan bar, or TO his own attain
ments in that profession, but he APP.
peared in the attitude of a friend 10
the defendant. Ii would be useless
for me TO attempt TO give even syn
opsis of his speech, fraught as it was
with convincing arguments, cOuched
Ia logical terms and delivered in his,
well known TO you, eloquent lam
guage.
AT the commencement of that
speech there was perceptible
ouoT Of disgust il that dense
crowd prejudice against the
prisoner al the bar stood out boldly de-
picted in almost every cOuntenance.
Before the conclusion of that very I'M
pTessive discourse the whole atmos-
phere underwent radical change;
sobs burst from the hearts of many
unused 10 weep, strong men bowed
heir heads, and even the negroes
grouped together in the remOtest corner
Of that room INDUCED in similar eX-
pressiOns OF their sympathy for the
defendant. And had it been left to
vote of that crowd they would have
acquitted The prisoner.
AT the conclusion of that speech
there was a spontaneous and uncOn-
iroilable burst of applause all over the
court room, thing uuheard of in
this part of the country. But, alas
the Jury NUT decide the fate of the
accused. y jury of twelve honest (?)
men, sworn To make up their verdict
TO the evidence and the law, could not
agree, and SO said.
The effect Of Capt. Westinghouse
speech is perceptible in the streets to-
day 1t is the subject of conversation
a every street corner and iTeside, and
its result viii be seen and felt at the
next term of the court. But l must
say further, in justice to Capt. Wash
idgton, that he had not the selecting
Of that jury; it devolved on one who
it was presumed knew the citizens of
this town and county, and their feel
ings in this matter. Capt. Washington
has won host of friends here by his
efforts made in behalf of young Gro
zier and the reception that will be
rendered him on his return here next
fall will be Of the warmest and hearth
est. / will add that his speech is pro-
nOunced by the oldest and best cIti-
Zens of Bry an to have been by far the
ablest and strongest ever made at this
bar. Yours, SC,
SAITUs MOHEGAN.