Iron County register. [volume] (Ironton, Iron County, Mo.) 1867-1965, 1880-09-09
4 Startling Episode in Murder
Trial.
LOUISVILLE. KY, August q.

the trial of James III. Arnold for the
murder of his brother-in-law, the Hon.
Robert Little, which was concluded at
that place to-day:
At little after four o'clock Mr.. c. J. Brons-
ton, the Commonwealth's Attorney, rose to
close the argument of the prosecution and re-
Ihs faces in the case and lay before the
jury the law and the facts bereft of the orna-
mentatiOn i'll which skillful counsel had cloth
ed them. At the outset he explained that he
was simply discharging his duty; that ne rep
resented the prisoner as much as the Common
wealth, and that he intended to discha .ge that
moment he said, in measured accents:
'Gentlelnen of the jury, you do not know
as well us do the difficulties VITA which 1
must Contend, nor the danger am in; but, so
help me God, will try to discharge my obli-
CATION to myself, to the Commonwealth and
TO my oath by doing my duty as an honest
man.
He then proceeded to reply to the salient
points in tne speech of Senator voorhees,, and
Iniue what ali who heard 1t, pronounced an in
ciSive, Steei-cOld, able arg
He had Just concluded his enumeration of
dropped from his hand the overcoat with the
aid OF which he had shown the jury how the
fatal deed was accomplished, when Senator
voorhees,, Colonel Bradley and Colonel Tn mp
son, counsel for the defense. who had retired
after the speech OF the Senator, re-entered the
that moment Mr.. BrOnston, who had elected TO
call things by their English names, spoke In
vigorous language OF tn; forgery wnicn Little
words OF Little, ne exclaimed:
1t is a forgery!
Senator Voorhe. IS arose from his seat and
interrupted. saying:
May it please the Court, no such testi-
mony as that has been introduced in this
case, and | denounce the statement as
true" There had been, God knows, plenty
of excitement in that denscly crowded mousse
all day. There Were men there who believed
Arnold ought to hang, and others who be
lieved he ought to be acqutted; men with
convictions born of personal feeling, rather
than the mature result OF careful weighing
OF the testimony. Such men were the COM
bustible material which only needed d spark
to set fire to and become a blazing, riotous
mob. This spark was unintentionally no
Thinking that our civilization was not on
trial, but was assured and based upon the
bowling of all heads to the imperial mandates
of the law peacefully administered, he tired
up at what he thought was an overwrought
statement 10y the Prosecuting Attorney. and
denounced it as untrue. There was buzz
OF excitement, and mems voices began to
hum. Mr. Bronson, turning to the Senator,
sad earnestly and emphatically, that = there
was such evidence, and his statement was
true" The buzz OF voices became louder, and
women's faces began To pale.
Again the Senator S;ud it was untrue, and
again the attorney assevel ated the truthfulness
of his statement. third time the Senator
said:
- / say it is not true"
Then Mr. Bronston said in reply: 81 say it
is true"
A man named j. T. LEVEL, who was sitting
upon the lower step of the Judges stand. u
friend of the prisoner, james II. Arnold, said
nothing of the kind had been offered in testi-
mOny.
At the same instant, some person in the
audience close to the bar, or immed iately in
side the bar, shouted, with an oath, that 1t was
lie.
Immediately following that came woman's
scream, and then ensued Il scene of confusion
and riOtous disorder almost Impossible TO pOr-
tray. How it was accomplished l know not,
but the vast audience OF women got out OF
that house in quicker time than it takes me to
la
chairs and tables, leaving lunch, lunch-bas-
kcts, napkins, flowers, and other feminine
articles scattered i'll the wake OF the retreat.
Some made their exit by the windows, and,
when the danger of bloodshcd seemed most
imminent, there was crowd OF men covered
in the far end of the hall, who dared not APP
pro<:h the door for fear of stopping eccentric
bullets.
While this was going on. struggle took
place inside the bar, near the jurors. .
A brother of the prisoner had run up to MI;
Bronston. the Prosecuting Attorney, and
pointing pistol ut his b ,som, exclaimed, with
a cuISc:
"Tve got you now."
7 Before he could fire, the pistol not having
been cooked when presented, some Dy-stander
graSpcd the weapon and turned its muZzie
aside Nj. Bronston backed TO the Judges
stand. and cried:
Give me pistol: give me Pistoi, son -.
body. Don't you see that man Is trying 10
Judge b. F. Buckner, the new Circuit Judge,
was his feet taking in this scene with MS
eagle eye Quietly and decieively he gave his
commands to the officers, who, numerous as
they were. were almost powerless to contIol
that vast and raaing ,hrong. Boholding the
man with the pi,to ne shouted,
Mr.. Sheriff, di>arm that m an.
The Sheriff had already his lands full guard
ing the pri and attending TO the Jury,
and the order not being obeyed instantly ne
called t. the clerH and DyStander5 10 az once
disarm the man, who was struggling to hold
On TO his W. apOn.
Among the by-t nders was Walter knooes'
Deputy sheriff OF Fayette, who took nanu
Instantly i'll assisting to make the arrest
while Slew baldwin, toe Circuit CLERK, clear
ing tables and chairs, succeeded in gettlng
hold of the up.ifted pistol and wrencnlnS IL
from the man grasp. On the Instant ne Was
ordered to prison.
When the Sheriff and his determined depu,
ties, assisted b. Colonel Thompson and a few
citizens, had restored order, and the Judges
gavel could once more be heard, he proceeded
10 express his opinion OF the outrage that had
Just been perpc,rnted, and announcedxNlat ne
should stop AL proceedings until peace mad
been completely restored.
james ). LEVEL, the man who had denied
that such II stimony mad been introduced, was
called before his Homer, and was required to
give bonds Tor $500 eacn, one TO keep the
peace, and one to answer any Indictment that
might befound against him.
Andy Mershan was brought up and SEN
fenced to cOntiucme 1t in the jail Tor twenty
four hours and the payment OF II nne OF thirty
dollars. then turning to the clerk, the Judge
directed an order to be entered requiring the
Sheriff to summon a Grand jury at once
When these things We're done, senator Nopr-
hees arose to explain to the Court that he ma
mark, while. aftec an earnest conVefsat ION
between the senator and MIR. BIonston, the
gentlemen agreed that their remarks had
been the result of a misunderstanding. The
jury and the pr .soler were then ordered to be
brought mo curt and the trial To proceed.
Arnold came out with his wife clasped about
his neck, and when he took his place beside
his counsel she sat upon his knee, refuS-
ing to be separated from him, and looking
defiance at any and all that should attempt
the separation.
It was picture wort b the Study of an artist
AMI the brush of Il Reynolds or Hogarth.
The trial went on, but the noise among those
remaining i'll he .hall being still gi eat, the
Judge directed the courtroom to be cleared,
and suspended proceedings until his order was
fully Obeyed.
Then Mr. BrOnston went on with his argll-
ment as If nothing had happened if anything
he was a tribe more serene, and, with dark
ness settling down upon the world, by the
light of small coal oil lamp upon the
Judges desk, that cast its weird rays upon the
legal tragedy, the pros ,cutOr concluded his
al gIment. and the jury retired with the pa-
perS to consider their verdict.
LATER" NOT GUILTY,
The trial closed with a verdict of mot
guilty" The killing occurred on the 18th
of December Mt Richmond, where both
men were prominent and respectable cti-
zens. The mother of their wives had died a
few months previously, leaving an estate of
$1,000, with Little as executor. The adj
of the estate led to personal i'll