Wheeling register. [volume] (Wheeling, W. Va.) 1878-1935, 1880-09-18
THE JURORS DOUBT.
Senator Voorhees, of Indiana
Gives q Professional Reminis-

of Arnold, tried for the murder OF his
brother.in.law at Nicholsville, and ac-
Quilted after a thrilling scene in court
when Arnold's brother ~insanely at
tempted to shoot the prosecuting attor-
ney.
In riding to Lexington in company
with Senator Voorhees,, / ventured to
ask him how he regarded the verdict.
He replied: "Well, it was the right and
proper one, | had very grave doubts
about it until it was announced, the
feeling was so intense against my client.
1t appeared to be as consuming as a
prairie fire. But the jury was an ad-
mirable one-men of sense and courage.
No outside influence could affect them
in the least | was fearful Of the effect
Of Ike Arnold's insane behavior in at
tempting to shOotthe CONFERENCE.-The
Attorney. He evidently imagined
(which had been suspected) that a con.
spiracy existed to assissinate his brother.
| saw a man point a pistol at the latter
as his wife pressed him to the floor and
threw herself upon him. | shall never
forget her look. 1t recalled my impress
sion OF Haidee when old Lambro order
ed his practical gang to arrest or Stay
the Frank ! am sure she would WILL
ingly have received in her own person
n bullet intended for her husband.
When she returned with him from the
jury-room, after the excitement was
comparatively over, she walked IN with
her arms about him with the step OF a
tragedy Queen. There must be some
good about a man to whom a wife, slight
and frail as she is, exhibits such devo-
ton.
"And," continued the Senator, 81
have no doubt he is worthy OF 1t. lie
treats her with great respect and alice
ton, and appears to defer to her in al
| most everything. She Is not only a
woman of courage, but OF sense, and |
believe him to be an exemplary fellow"
REMARKABLE CASE.
Il remember" said Senator Voorhees,
"once defending, at Charlottesville,
Ind, a mar named Owen, indicted for
the murder of his wife by poison. 1t
was twenty.odd years ago. Owen was
a respectable farmer i'll good clrcum-
stances, and a constant church member.
He had been twice married. lie had
several children by his first wife; his
second was childless, a circumstance
which peculiarly affected her mind and
temper. she would not permit his chill
dren to reside with her, and compelled
him to find a home for them elsewhere.
| She had a fancy, too, that he was GRIM
inally intimate with the wife OF II OF
his tenants. She had i~rcquentally
threatened suicide in consequence oil
these troubles.
Zone night owen was awakened from
| sleep to find her dying. He called III
assistance and sent for a physician, but
she was dead before any n arrived.
Her sudden demise excited suspicion;
and three days after her burial this was
communicated to him by a friend, who
further informed him that arrangements
had been made to disinter the body and
submit it to investigation.
"Owen was greatly agitated at this in.
telligence, and after a short pause re-
piled: III this is done, and poison Is
found in Kezia's stomach (his deceased
wife's Christian name) ] will be accused
of her murder, convicted and hanged.
But | am as innocent OF it as that tree,
| pointing TO one near which the CONVEX
SatlOn occurred:
That night he transferred all OF his
property to a son, disguised himself and
fled the country. The body OF his wife
was exhumed and an autopsy had.
Enough strychnine was found IN her
stomach to kill a mule. There was a
universal expression OF horror at the
| discovery, and a large reward was offer
ed for the arrest OF the fugitive. After
some months he was found in Canada,
where he was living under an assumed
name. He was brought to Crawiords-
vile in irons, and it was with difficulty
that his execution by a mob could be
prevented.
Joe Mcdonald tnow my colleague IN
the Senatel, jim Wilson, nee a repre-
sentative in Congress, and subsequent
liz Minister to Venezuela, and myself
defended him. There was a formidable
prosecution-Lew Wallace, Judge Greg
ory and others appearing against this
man.
at was proven that a short time be-
fore Mrs. Ovens death herhusband had
| purchased strychnine at a drugstore In
The neighborhood, telling the druggist
that he wanted to poison rats. But he
asked that it should be charged to him,
| a fact upon which he laid great stress in
the argument, insisting that had he en-
tertained a criminal design IN buying
the drug he would not have put the
| damnable evidence Of the fact upon rec
ord. A daughter who was visiting her
fathers house when the poison was
brought home, testified that he handed
1t to her step-mother in her presence,
cautioning her to be careful with 1t. a
brother of his wife, who was greatly en-
| Uttered against him, and was a witness
for the State, admitted upon cross-eX-
animation that Ovens treatment OF his
sister was invariably c~onsiderate and
kind. There was an entire failure to
establish the fact OF his having improper
relations with other women.
"This was all we had to base a de.
fense. The odds were fearful. There
was the remark OF the marked agitation
of Owens when first informed OF the sus-
piciOns existing against HIM, his admls-
sion that If an examination showed that
poison was the u of his wife's death
he would be accused of administering it
] and hanged; his purchase of the poison;
his transfer Of his property and flight,
all combined, nearly irresistibly led to
the conviction of his guilt. 'Mr. NoOr-
hees,' ne said to me, however darkly
things may appear against me, | am not
| guilty. and believed him. We fought
the case like tigers upon the reasonable
| doubt which we deemed the evidence
had not excluded, and won it.
"Such an uproar as followed | never
witnessed. Owen was taken to Wilson's
private residence, pursued by a crowd
crazed with disappointment and thirst.
ing for his blood. Wilson, Mcdonald
and | stood at the front gate with pis-
tolls in our hands aud checked the APP
proach of the mob until Owen could es-
cape from the rear Of the house in a con-
yeyance that had been provided for
him. 1t is the only time in my life that
ever saw Mcdonald with a pistol. He
showed an unmistakable purpose to use
it il necessary.
"Owen went to Texas and died there,
| presume, as | have neye seen nor
heard of him since. His wife had COM
mitted suicide. He knew it, but prefer.
red to keep the fact to himself to avoid
,o,,Jol aud axnOse her, He was q