The Lake Charles echo. [volume] (Lake Charles, Parish of Calcasieu, La.) 1876-1898, 1881-01-08
Csrc.m-aa.siaI EvIae.ce.
TGaiveston News. /

causes in the history of American Grim
inal Jurisprudence. 1t ia not the pur
pose here to either sssail or Justify the
verdict. The only evidence adduced
in the case, however, from first to last
has been circumstantizI in it's character.
With the lapse of time. and the absence
or disappearance of witnesses, the chain
of circumstances has, undoubtedly, be.
come weakened in its constantly. AS
a result of this, Rothschild has regained
his liberty in regular course of law.
| Had the cause been tried under the
criminal statutes of Scotland, it il pos
sible that verdict of "not proven"
would have been rendered. This would
have subjected the accused to trial
again at any time further along, if
fresh evidence of guilt ever presented
itself. As showing the perils Of cir
cumstsntial evidence, the history of
the manner in which this mot proven
verdict became engrafted upon Scotch
criminal Jurisprudence affords a re-
marketable illustration. On SIMMER
night, abeut the year 1853, CONNER
cial traveller vas murdered at an inn,
situated in one of the closes, as they
are termed, of the old city of Edinburgh.
1t was developed on the trial that the
traveller, after securing an apartment
for the night, had given instructions to
the landlord of the inn to have him
aroused at an early hour in the morn
ing, in order to take the mail-coach for
another city, stating that his business
was important and urging attention to
his request. The landlord instructed
one of the servants of the house to
arouse the traveller at the hour request
ed. 1t seems that the landlord, early
in the morning, fearing that the ser
want might neglect his instructions,
went to the room of the traveller him
self, somewhat in advance of the time,
and knocking ut the door, but receiv-
ingno answer, entered the room. Going
to the bed on which the traveller lay,
he found the body still warm, with a
knife driven to the hilt 10 the breast of
the traveller, and the man dead. Hor-
ritied at the spectacle, the landlord
turned over the body and drew from it
the fatal knife. Just at this iuncture,
the servant who had been instructed to
arouse the traveller came to the room,
and entered il in time to see the land
lord pull the knife from the body.
Thefeswas not another soul in the
room but the dead traveller, the land
lord with the knife in his hand and
the servant. The night was warm,
and the window in the travellers room
was open, which led out opon the roof
of neighboring houses. The landlord
was arrested for the deed, tried, and
convicted upon the testimony Of the
servant who saw him pull the knife
from the body Of the tarveler, and
although protesting his innocence to
the last, he was executed for the muir
der. Years afterward the real smur
deler came forward and made con-
fession. He cleared up the whole
mystery. He stated that he had been
or the track of the tiayeler for some
time for the purpose 'of robbery, and
that .ontthe night Of the murder he en-
tered his room al the, inn through a
window which WAS open, from the
roof of neighboring building. He
stabbed him with a knife, and being
disturbed BY the foot steps Of the
landlord approaching he door, he
made his escape through the window
which he had entered, leaving the
knife in the body and the monsy of
the traveller undisturbed. Upon this
confession the real murderer was tried,
convicted and executed. The case at
tracted great attention at the time,
but threw the matter Of conviction
npon circumstantial evidence 80 great
ly into disfayor-that thereafter stat
ute was enacted by which verdict
Of s'not proven smight be rendered by
Scotch juries. The effect Of this YER
diet is not to acquit, butte discharge,
subject to future evidence. The law
still remains in that country, and has
been found in many instances to an
swer well the purpose for which il was
framed. Circumstantial evidence is
Of high value, and it may
amount to the most CON
elusive proof Of guilt or innocence;
but Il may also sometimes mislesd
jnstice and sacrifice the guitless.
MoRE THAN Il m lAilf.fs - he { ,on.