, 1879-04-11

6eeA3eu 10uoJcu HI tll9 otAl9'b tAlLoEHt5'b E1at'
uctcrtzation OF him. 1hd testimony for the
prosecution waa begun and half completed. as
soon as everything was IN readiness, MIR. Mills
opened Ills case % follows:
MIR. MILLS TALK.
MAY IT PLEASE TOUR HoEon, GENTLEMEN OF
TIE JuRr: After two days OF inquiry and cx-
animation, you sit here selected as jurors 10 try
the case OF tho People Of tho State Of Illinois
sEaInst Peter Stevens, who Is charged with the
murder In this county. on thu Both Of June, Of
aluu,iu Stevens, his wife; and 1 beg to assurs
you. III sit candor At,d sincerity, that am conf
dent you sill give to the investigation, ut whose
door VIC now stand, a conscientious and careful
consideration.
Tls, gentlemen, Is NO ordinary proceeding.
II Is indeed filled with m atmosphere Of
deepest solcmnty, for It Involves two trtmou~
1ous and awful facts. First, the death Of
young woman by the hand Of her husband; and,
aecond, tic legal fntu In the presence of which
the murtscrur now stands. However, YOU
will nllow MT to suggest, nov, III
spite of my wcll-assured conviction Of your
conscience nnl candor. that, from this time
On, you will rise aooye nll the nero machinery
Of this trial. all tho fancies Of spcecl all the In
sinecrltics Of wit on thu part Of counsel Or others
.,.D's,. 49, aaaa,as 10y .,o .,as4 .n,.n,n ,,ut,,
It Involves. This Is no controversy between
lawyers. Thta Ia no conflict between tho statc's
Attorney and his associates mud tho most dis
tIuguIshcd counsel who have been hired to de-
tcud Peter Stevens. 1t is simply the caso OF
the People Of this great State against man
whom they charge With tho wiliful. cold.b'oUdcd,
incxcusaDIe, most unjustiaable, and brutal mur-
der OF his chl.d-wtfo.
Tie question to be answered In tho light OF
the definition OF murder md the farts which
ihe urosccutton expccts to proyo In this trial Is
s,r,n1, ,,ua. IL 1,otnr a,oran. o,,,i,,. - tho
elau} 1,,s, 40 aetc' e'ese"s su".5 ., tau
murder OF Mfmie S!c7enS aa Charged IN tho III"
dtc.nenta The duty dcvolvcs upon me, gentle
men, representing tho people In this cause,
S.s"5 ~ os "'s '."., 1920 w
present 10 your cohsloetatlol'' A"a 10 VfoYe'
At the early age Of 10 years, Mamie Young,
nna,ntonec of Peter Stevens. thcn ,nnn rrown
Heu'n.aso .' ~, e'."s' w" u, '"". s'o"1 ~
-so1ao years past the ago Of II. The &c.
quaintancn rlponcd into Affection; the child
was ID, II I nm correctly advised, sho
took shr]ker under the wipg-rut protecting
wing, as events afterwards so sudly ahowed-anI
as ar,fa 10 .ns ha aeisnaa.
tnkn nf TINT rurly chtlti.narrfnHa icvconrtl iNtN
inisioytunr, and there wna aEradual lesseninE Of
thc first affection, IT, indeed, there WIS eyer q
il,1icioua ul,t nrrfou,d RiIcctt,n botycon t|lrse
two From Tic Beginning, or almost tram tic COM
me,,cenunt at this marffed Iifo of Pctnr Stnvnps.
tic rru,yn mur,. and Mamie, the child, thrru
anpcars to be cbaracter of jealousy s,lrrouni-
iutr i'm nccnacI. The story OF thjh isn|pusy In n
ccrtnfn extcnt. under thu limits whiujl viii he
nlacrti around It by lis Honor on tho Derlch.
viii In portrnyel tn yn,,. ''''
Ema)sy. iii, iealoi,sy rlnene1 lnto n hatre1.
pnssion accom mpamyi,,r IT'D oassiun Of 1eaio1,sy
~, III, nnrt az Efnvrns n,,i a annorrfton ri.
cnrrea Kin sn,,,rncI ~ ,ha shaIt"r ~ H.,
rnnfstrsc ri her n1other: stcyana wnnt hts o,yn
wnv Fnsaihiy. fur l,cre va sn,,st iii hc cant'id
this vannr ,r}1tN,nkrn IN ,,ntimclv " frnn' ~
nrntos,o,,'e IA tr,,i,innec cn'I a3yca ~ hns ,
.m"Hsr.",,,nr then~l,1i"ssv ~ ,,I II IN III. ~ ,r.1n+
,.1 1nnI4i, ~ tar s,.1mis".! @ un ~ , :" W. ~