Daily globe. [volume] (St. Paul, Minn.) 1878-1884, 1880-11-12
/ THE BURTON TRIAL.

Arguments of Messrs. Egan and O'BrIen-
The Case Given to the Jury About p
Mp to 2 A. NJ. the Jury Still Out En-
sba,ed Interese aud the Court Room
Crowded Throughout the Able Argu-
ments.
The of the State against Robert Burton.
charged with the killing Of orge Larkin, on trial
~ the district court since Tuesday, was resumed at
10 O'Clock yesterday morning, Judge simons presid
ing As on former days of the trial the court room
was crowded with spectators, and even standing
room was at a premium. The forenoon was occupied
with summing up of counsel, and at lao O'Clock
the case was given to the Jury.
MR EeAN Q ADDRESS.
At 10 O'clock, County Attorney Egsu made his adj
dress to the jury speaking in substance, follows
Gentlemen Of the Jury-we all feel, of course the
greet responsibility resting on the case from begin
ming to end; in the at issue everybody ana set
nobody is the State; the State is something inagin-
e-v and yet real. Counsel had nothing to rely upon
bat III law. Entirely different from the position
of defendant, who may have warm, jealous trait
about him; the jury ,represested the
ween the pris per and the bars Of the prs on:
the jury were the law the law that governs the
movements OF the stars and orbits under every con-
diton of the universe some where present, as
the great ndestrucuble principle A community
without law WAS congregation Of wild bea ats with
out law in a city society became Ike dscayed col
umu; when the fundamental principles of law were
vioaed the great col OF society dropped out
of existence The jury represented ever! thing that
good and virtue haa set its impress upon.
The jury presented every high and noble prlnci-
pie of society: II not a case between the depart
ed pirit of George Lsrkin and the prisoner, It
represented higher principles; it repr.se t~d nu-
ia auafn rod mn M
slaughter the spirit of George Larsin II he were
present, would ask for the scquits of the prisoner
George Larsin was a myth ia this case along
side Of the highr principles represent d.
The jury we're fighting for their own existence
against the pistol, the dagger, the bloody hand Of
the assassin.
eighty feet all the facts center pivot by them
selves Sunda evening within eighty feet of
Cedar. Sixth street. party of young people, Bur
ton and his party and Larkin and his party. T. Q
American people have made goddess Of won an
they have paced her on high pedestal and worship
her with pagan fervor; they are Sung to resentment
II any one dares Insult their idol, around which
they bave thrown such high atmosphere of good
ness d virtue
r. bert Burt pastry cook: he had travelled
on thssAIissssippi river; he had met good and bad
women and come in contact with all cl sses of life
who this that he could say, 81 represent the
high ideal IF goodpess and virtuei2
Who was Devlin2 8 Waterman of steamboat
who the other party? Who was John Carr? he
belonged the same lass of society; he confessed
to having gone to the park for women: what did he
mean 10y this was women something to be
gone for ike piece of meat or Liver?
Standing by itself was there anything criminal in
the conduct ln the behavior OF Larkin, Csrr and
DAILY on the night of the 29th of Augusta Counsel
knew not the reasons which had taken them back :;
he wanted these men placed level; men of
equality, good as the other. Larhin had been
walking and laughing With his girl just as Burton
had done; they met on the same scale and social
level The Larkin party had met Burton and
friends on Sixth street; Larkin and Carr had said
nanft only MT
your babies" afterwards Larkin had cal Burton a
son of b-h; this is a hard name, and when gen.
tleman is SO assaulted he jumps at his assailant
with the celebrity of lightning. Not one word had
been said by the party whether the epithet Of
fensve not; if the testimony s true they listened
to the outrageous conduct for fully five minutes
the lades, Miss Madigan and Stevens, did not
pose that there would be fight; up to this time had
there been any provocaion for taking life; is this
glorious span of human life; this great
on the face CT the earth,
man, who, by the exercise of his reason, has made
this earth bloom like garden; would you stop tae
beating of his heart and send his soul away in the
same manner that you would kill dog?" What was
the ley note of prosecution, evidently when Carr
had said come on, they are nothing but towards"
this the fatal moment for Burton; he did not
reply; he left his girl and went down to meet them
he pulled out his knife; cunning and agile a cat
he went, with murder in his eye; there was no ex-
PLANTATION; he drew his knife and went down with
murder in his heart; there could be other motive
with secret design in his head he said in his heart,
"I'n show those fellows"
Counsel here drew picture of the 81 ent and dead
~ combat under the gas light al the corner of ia tn
an6 Cedar streets. Counsel msintained that Burton
could not have drawn his koife during the struggle
He said: Burton had the knife IN his hand when he
got to the corner; the testimony to this effect
fase; the first thing Burton did on coming down
to sash at Carr the latter retreats; that brings
Burton face to face with Larkin and Burton stabbed
bim to the heart; Burton said he slashed with his
knife to OF La kin in all this there had been
very lite conversation it was silen; and secret as
the dagger itself; q revolver made noise, but the
dagger silent, swift-deslipg and deadly; a cold
booded and trrible thing for the cold steel of the
dagger to seek the life bio of man; the thrust
was an experienced one; he had been used to the
kuife aid dagger; u'ef to cuttivg pies and meat
he had learned the trick of swift silent and deadly
instrument.
the gas light; he turned nd, seeas these parties
and punges the knife into one of them; if Burton
right in plungng the knife into Lar kim any ether
man would be right IN pu ling razor or di and
using it at random. counsel resented the 1nputa-
ton that it right to put knife into man; was
it the German the Irish, the French English or
American civilization? Even in the South they did
not shoot down in cold blood they asked if
their antsgoni was armed; such monstrous, bar
baric doctrine destructive of life, law and lib
erty. This fight was through in a moment; it was
Ike tbs rapidty of thought. He new the knife
away, Covered, as it was, with the life blood of
Larkin, he then said to Devlin, 81 believe I cut
him - Counsel believed him. He tried to p owe a
good character; he had Gen. Flower who em led as
If it was picnic this on two months acquain
with pastry cook.
The newspap and society had called Lark n,
Carr and Daly hot Clums; counsel der lei tina. the
city was ruled by any state of hoodludism; st.
Paul was under good police regulation any city
IN tee Union Tn men not hoodlulns.
Counsel Tepudiated the idea that every aud boy
shou carry Rni revolver with W Itch to re-
sent an imaginary insult. Burton had learned the
6ckel tick in the hot climate of New orleans, it
the resort Of the CIR ole ard spaniard LIT abandon
tha dagger; the athl-tc young of the city
should repu late the doctrine as infamous; by all
that hol and good let them repud tie the use of
the dagger toe reptile instinct of which had been i'm
porte from Southern climes. Who this man
whom the iefense would crown with a chap ct and
LAUREL of victory; the VINO mist be carried
from tho rourt room by delighted mobs in ar;
with the plau 8 of the multitude shouting. "vrve
the murderer, , Vive the noble young man" And
this was self defense to strike man down because
he hourshed omsck.
Was this self dafen-e justifable homicide? A
man NUT suppose thai great odly harm is intend
ed before he can resort TO such methods. 1t had
been said that he had shown City hall
after the deed had been committed; it would have
been meter il deed that could have laughed in
glee over the pc petra ion of such deed. Larkin is
dead; member of the humsn family had he; q
verdict of guilty did not result in hanging; verdict
of guilty only confined him in the penitentiary
there is hanging in Minnesota except the jury md
especially Counsel concluded his argument by
asking for verdict of guilty.
MR.. oBRIEN's ADDRESS.
Mr.. C. D. OBrien followed with an eloquent ad-
dress in behalf of the prisoner.
In convincing he stated to the jury that he