The Rock Island Argus. (Rock Island, Ill.) 1877-1885, 1880-01-30
the WITTICK MURDER TRIAL (!
CONCLUSION OF MR.. JAoKSoN'S
SPEECH.
The Jury Out for 81 Hours.
Grogan goes up for Life and Ganey
for i Years.
MCCORMACK Is ACQUITTED.
The Jury Out for 81 Hours.
MCCORMACK IS ACQUITTED.
The Final Scenes.

evening. The effort was a magnificent
one. and the continuation of the speech
is given below. Mr.. Jackson continuing
said:
Character makes no difference, man is respon-
sibIe all the same-there is a meridian line which
he cannot pass They might have brought more
men to prove their good character but what does
such proof avail. Do know every mans charac.
ter who comes into my Office or whom meet inbus
nessY / am not my brothers keeper They
brought men from Davenport TO testify to
but we are not investigating the previous
characters, but enquirng into their characters
on the 14th of November This is a combination
about the characters of Grogan and Ganey and
leave McCormac out Collected to by Mr.. O'Mara
Court ruled that Mr.. jackson must keep within
the record and must not be Interrupted said nc
attempt was made to prove McCormacs character
Objected 10 and exception nOted.) This is the
truth nevertheless. We have brought the record
of this court, which shows that this McCOrmac has
been convicted of larceny, he made this record
every man must give an account before God.
want no better evidence than what is manifest OF
these men, and win judge accordingly. They
themselves have opened the door fer me and Will
step in. They say Gr0gan and Ganey, were at d
party the night befoie, and did not Ieel we'll The
defence have no right to say would regard q man
guilty of a crime because be got drunk, thou Oh !
claim the credit Of having taken the pledge from
kent il. | am not prejudiced aud the man who
saws so, talks about what he knows nothing about
These two men got drunk, found themselves I'M
able 10 work, and started for saloon. say if
did what those men did on the public high way,
my drinking has got beyond the line. A man TAX
ing the position they did is on the descending
scale. We next find them in the saloon, and the
poor simple mansseling s. polish is attacked by
Clancy. Why Because he made u bet and backed
out. There was violation of the law at once
They commenced early in the day which ended SO
dissstrously before it was half over Grogan did
not touch the man, he said; but within twenty
four hours he said TO the man, 81 wish you lad had
us arrested. This matter should be considered, as
it was at the time il took place, and not new when
with the Dlea of Seif-defeucS They
started out, and give poor excuse for the way
they went. To take Ganey home, but the facts
show they were not going home, they went &c
othor saloons and we find them at Schatz, because
one had credit here. The crowd had money and
the excuse is unreasonable They were drunk on
the streets, maliciously drunk, drunk enough to
kill and when they did have the opportunity TO gel
more drinks they did not drink; but they commit
ted q nuisance on this mans harness which was
most dlsgraceful- Wittick came out, got angry-anC
who would not: they knew he ought to be angry.
he had a right to be so, and so would you. And
this man Ganey, seething with passion, shocked
the old man down. For what? An act which de-
served their being taken by the seat of the breeches
and cuff Of the coat, and thrown out, These able
bodied young men, going about without any de-
cancv manifesting 10 sense of God. man. or devil
They should have regarded old age. Est them re-
member the story Of ''go UP thou bGld heaG.s
Gauey states the old man put his hand in his pock-
probabilities 1t is more likely that would
draw revolver after he was knocked down Did they
care? No They admit the killing, and who die
It; but is there any virtue IN that when the ev1
dence is too conclusive, it was seen by too many
people for them no. 10 admit It. Then they startfron
SchRfz's, two first and McCOfmaC afterwards.
don't know il they say the horses head pointed
towards Milan. They say Mr.. Wit'lck drew his
revolver, is that not natural when he saw them
ahead of him, with every foot of the road fraught
with danger. Ouly a single man in wagon with
three men in front. What should a man DO? Il
is for YOU say. The old man is no more. and
therefore cannot testify. but we bring those who
can. Mrs sehatz says they laughed when NitttcS
was knocked down. Mr.. O'Marn and Mr.. O'Brien
have not talked about lnis phase of the case, bu;
speak of the worm turning, Won't they concede
to Conrad Wittick the right to protect himse! from
their abuse. be did not desire 10 quarrel with them
they commenced the abuse, and now say he chased
them on the highway In a one horse wagon An
old man So years of age, chasing them. 1t is the
himsiest story ever given to the public. Had he
wanted TO do them harm, he would have done so
when they were committing the aci at the saloon
Wittick, knows he never swore at them, or talked
in broken English. No one believes it, Why did
on the macadamized road what shall be do?
Have you all the rights? Had he no rights? 1t il
Conrad Wittick were both knocked down because
they did not agree with them. | say again it was
cowardly, and there are class of men who think
that unless knife gun or pistol Is not used, 1t Is
Thou shalt not kill; and il is GrogaH to-day and
some other Grogan tomorrow Crime grows from
day to day. | want to impress this upon your
minds. These fellows think stone is nothing, but
you may begin and let them know ana the man
What does Pilgrim say Reads Pilgrims evil
drnce. There is the testimony CT Pilgrim, and
the whole three were 6DgageQ-anQT sgnE here the
girls stOry-why Mr.. O'Brien challenged this aud
said there evidenceb but this inn ncent child
kept to her testimony and saw them from the win
dow, and Pilgrim, what does he eay-and there Is
where the cowardly part comes in, and where q
man begins TO feel the cOrruptness OF the human
heart. / can excuse man when he meets face tn
face and on fair terms, though he may be wrong
But to steal mp behind. Three young men, strong
and able bodied, come up behind and strike an old
is cowardly. If they wanted to get away they
could, but they waited, and they say he turned
round. He mad perfect right to try and scare
them off. They cay a man has right2to defend
himself but was Grogan defending himself He
says, threw and intended to hit him. IL he could
aim so wellat brain, why did he not try to knock
the revolver out of his hand No, it
was life, blood, wilful murder, malice,
there TO-DAY on the Milan road-tne blood of Abel,
They want all the rights one else mas rights.
We propose TO show common purpose and let
they will bring crowd, and kill, and then 90 free.
You have TO show otherwise, for there Is a dispo-
reviewed evidence) The whole evidence shows
that ali three were engaged in it. The law says
the man VINO stands by is equally guilty, and if
they aid ed GrOgan by word or act-and there are
various ways of encouraging-they are guilty.
Now say these witnesses speak as they say and
the three are guilty of murder 1t is not
that a man must have conceived the purpose of
killing for any certain time, and you must convict
and do your duty however disagreeable to you.
They ran, why did they not before? When
they struck him with stone they ran i would
rAtGeE Iuey haQ SLOOQ ana naQ COM and
knowledged what they had done and asked for
mercy and pleaded their condition. / would be
willing to meet them and so would others. But
when they come with falsehoOd, they must not be
so considered. GrOgan says, didn't think hurt
him much. Was there a single moment of time
when a better feeling existed? They let the old
man go, without ever going near him and yet they
ssk you to turn them loose. Don't tarnish YOUR
record gentlemen be you old men young
men. And their excuse of going home. it was
lad other opportunities And these men, ' what do
hey do? They flee from justice-and go over to
and stay till the dark OF the night and
mark this, Ito escape from what they had COM
nitted.H They stole skiff, and are liable to the
fraid of the police. 1.-The wicked flee when no
nan pursneth.' l propose to judge these men
hen and there, not by what they have Matched up
1nce. (Reviewed what they did, They were ar
ested and said If we had got in the boat you
would not have taken us. (Grogans remark about
ver the road referred to- And these are the men
Who come here and talk about self defence-and go
n the stand The old man is not here to confront
hem, and they combined. If there is time when |
man will tell q falsehood it is such occa |
ion, that 1S why the law formerly prevented man
rom going on the stand and testifying in his own
ehalT the jury must take their evidence for what
is worth. Men will combine and commit crime |
2 numbers II you acquit in this case am afraid
hould De weak regarding truth II my neck was in |
anger, They say the ninety and nine but the |
inety and nine have gone free, it is merely |
CURE OF speech-it means give the benefit of a /
wise. The other world? We must take care of /
his, and they ask little too much. Your oats
avs nothing about the other world. want to call
ueltion to the law of Relf defence. IL act so to
on that you draw a revolver, / can't then
AXE advantage Of you. / can't create the
ecesslty, and then take the advantane. In this
ase, they compelled the old man to believe he
vas in danger; and he took out his revolver to
care them. man can't do these things and then
AXE advantage of them lGrogan says he was pro-
Getting Ganey and McCormac: Wlttick has passed
81 faa1F 1AfaN.