Daily Republican., 1882-05-25
FOURTHEDITI0N
DRAWING NEAR THE END,

PrOceedlusx In the Reddsn Case
this Morning Mr. Shafpleys
App sal In Behalf of his Clk ont
the Closing Argument for the
STATE.
Court re-assembl bled at 10 o'clock this
morning and Mr.. Sharpley commenced
his argument for the defence. he SAID
that this jury was sworn to try the
case of James Redden, to defend whom
he had been assigned by the Court. MI
Sbarpley defined the law on the sub
ject and said that according to the old
law, this was a charge that Was easy tt
make, hard to prove, and still harder
to defend. The Deputy Attorney Gen
eral had said that if the defense made
an attack on the child's evidence, ht
would have to make her out liar
but he was not there to make anyone
out liar, but he thought that he
could show that the act was committed
with the girls consent.
He reviewed the evidence, and SAID
that if the girl was afraid OF Redden
as he passed the house.
Mr.. Sharpley contended that accord
ing to her own statements. she ana mol
make the resistance that she should.
According to the testimony of the doc.
tor the injuries she received were only
such as would be sustained if the act
was committed with her consent. he
contended that nothing had been shown
to prove that an outrage had been com
mitted. The child's clothing was torn
and soilcd and after her mother had
found out what had happened, it be-
came necessary to denounce il as an
outrage, SO as to enable them to main.
tain thei. position in society. Tue
child was not afraid of negroes and she
entertained nedden nearly all day in a
royal manner.
The speaker would not say anything
about Mr.. Purse or his family;
whatever has been brought out concern
ing them, was their own fault, and he
mad nothing to do with it. He spoke of
the actions of Redden on the afternoon
and evening of the day that the outrage
was committed, and said that he did
not act like guilty man he made no
effoIt to escape, but on the contrary
went to Odessa where he remained until
his arrest, and even then he made no
resistance but went quietly with the
officers TO Purses house
He concluded by saying that he
Would that the case had been entrusted
to other hands, but he had tried co do
his duty, and if the jury had the slight
est doubt of the prisoners guilt they
must acuuit him, as it was better that
ninety-nlne guilty men should escape,
than one innocent man should suffer.
Mr.. Sharpley asked the Court to charge
the Jury on certain points which he
submitted.
One of the main points was, that the
Jury could render a verdict Of guilty Of
assault, instead of rape. He spoke for
about forty minutes. and made an ear
neat argument in his clients defence
and brought before the jury every fact
that be could obtain in his favor.
Mr.. Gray commenced the closing
argument for the State at 10 10 O'CLOCK
and said he wished he could
have kept his seat and not say a word
in the case but crime had been com.
mitted and it was his duty to assist
in bringing the perpetrator to Justice
He spoke of the girls testimony, and
after reviewing it in every particular
said that it was impossible tor her
to make up lie like that. If she
would have been ingenious enough to
concoct story such as she had told on
.I,e ,to,I oh WYNN Ia how mona fnr,
ther, and charged that he had injured
her when he first laid his hands upon
her.
Mr.. Gray took up the theory of the
defence, that the girl had Willingly
submitted to the act, and said that 1t
was preposterous to undertake TO fasten
such cri me upon child, whose lips
are scarcely dry from her mothers milk.
The Jury had seen the child upon the
stand, they had seen her tears fall to
the ground as she told the story of her
wrongs, and they could not stamp her
testimony as false.
The child has been ravished, and her
father has come here to ask what jus.
tice YOU can give, at your hands, and
when the day comes that innoc ent little
children like this, can be ravished, ant
the father take them by the hand AUD
bring them to this temple of justice
and after they between their tears, have
told their wrongs, you let the perpetra
tor 90 free, then every honest mar
will take sword in his hand to hun
the ravisher down.
Mr.. Gray closed his eloquent argu
ment at / 50 O'Clock, and the charge 0
the Court was delivered by tAo Chic
Justice. He said that very grievou
crime had been committed, and TIT
Legislature had before any of this gene
ration were born, provided tha5 wuer'
man committed this crime he for
teitel his life.
This il wise provision, for withou
| it the chastity of no woman would b.
safe He then defined what constitu
ted rape according to the law. The iur,
| in making up their verdict must not b.
governed by the fact that these person
are of different race, and if they above,
themselves to be prejudiced against til
prisoner on account of his color, thel
they would be guilty Of perjury. Tn
prisoner is entitled TO the same consid
Grafton as though it WAS one of tn
bench on trial instead OF the one 1t is
They must judge of the guilt or innc
cence of the prisoner according to tn
testimony.
The jury must take the testimou.
and after fully weighing it must &C
cording to their oaths true deliveranc
make between the prisoner at the bal
and the state Of Delaware.
The Chief justice complimented Mr.
|Sharpley On the very able manner il
which he had conducted the defenc
and said that he had displayed a re
markable amount OF ability and don
everything in bis power for the prisl
ner. He reviewed the testimony of tn
the testimony of the witnesses and sal
that nothing had been shown to im
peach the veracity of the Purse famil
neither had anything been shown
establish the fact that the child ha
consented to the act.
A great deal of stress had been lai
by the counsel for the defence upon th
fact that the prisoner made no effort {