Daily globe., 1883-05-26
INGERSOLL ENDS.

INGERSOLL ENDS.
The Counsel for the Star Reuters Rests
His Case-An Eloquent Peroration that
Brings Tears to the Eyes of Many Tres-
ent.
WASHINGTON, May 25.-Ingersoll contin-
ued his argument in the star route case to-
day. He took up one affidavit and en-
deavored to show it could not have result
ed in loss to the government. He promis-
ed to show every erasure or change
IN the affidavit was evidence of honesty in
stead of dishonesty. If the jury listened
to superstition, if they allowed the smoke of
prejudice to whisper in their ears, they
would think every man a rascal. They
would think whenever ne did a good deed
it was bit of velvet in his hand to dis
guise his rascality, but let them look on
the other side and they would find some
good in humanity. They would find men
working for 81 or $L5O day keeping on
ly enough to sustain life and giving the
balance to their families,f fighting nobly the
battle of life, doing good deeds and gong
down to the grave with
untarnished name. You might
say, there is flower" They 1.-THE prose
cution) would say "ah, but there is a snake
under it, So they looked for base motives
in every act. Guilt was conscious. 1t knew
itself. Only innocence was careless. If
these men were guilty, did any one imag-
inc the papers would have been absolutely
correct upon their faces. Would Brady, in
his high official position, have kept the
papers that would be eliminating evidence
against him? Was not the congressional
investigation warning enough for conspir-
ators? Would not every suspicious paper
have been destroyed or Others substituted?
They were absolutely in his poWer-at his
disposition. Was it conceivable that Gen.
Brady under the new administration after
the threats of the government would have
left these papers as weapons for his enc
mics, if he had ever dreamed they were dis
honest? Wouldn't Miner and Vale and
Dorsey have asked for them?
Ingersoll made rapid summary OF the
evidence as it appeared to him, and con-
cluded as follows: Now, gentlemen, the re-
sponsibility rests with you. The fate of
these men is in your hands. In your keep
ing is everything they love; everything
they hold dear is in your power. With this
fearful responsibility you have no right to
listen to whispers Of suspicion. You have
no right to hearken to the promptings of
fear. Beware of prejudice. Look to the
testimony alone. Be not convinced by
the last argument. Listen not to
epithets instead of facts. Recall every ar
gument in this case. Put the evidence in
the scale, and then have the honor and
manhood to say which scale goes down.
We ask from No A.
verdict, that is all we ask, the verdict of
your honesty. tits for you to say whether
these defendants shall live with honor
among their fellow citizens: whether they
shall live in the free air or be taken from
their wives, from their children,
from their fresides, from all that
they hold most dear. 1t is
for you to say whether they shall be clothed
withhon or with shame. Whether their
day shall set without single star in all
the sky of eternal night; whether they shall
be branded as criminals. All they have
suffered after they have been pursued by
the government, as no defendants before
have been pursued, it is for you to say
whether their homes shall be blasted by
the lightning of false verdict. You
must say whether their future shall be one
of agony, grief, tears. Nothing beneath
the stare of heaven is so profoundly sad as
the wreck of human
being; nothing SO profoundly
mournfuI as home covered with shame.
Nothing so infinitely sad as a thing that
shall cast stain upon children yet unborn.
1t is for you to say whether this shall be
such verdict, or one in accordance with
the law and facts. The prosecution is
heated with the chase. They are excited
by the hunt, but will say that in the end
they will be thousand times better pleas
ed with verdict Of not guilty than with
what they ask; they would enjoy
their victory; they would like
success, and they would have you
give to those aspirations greater weight
than to homes, and wives and children. 1
want a verdict that will relieve my clients
from the agony of two long years; that
will lift from them cloud-a verdict that
will fill their coming days and nights with
JOY; q verdict that will fill their minds with
a sense of Joy and gratitude forever to
you, one and all.
Many ladies were weeping quietly when
Ingersoll sat down and all the spectators
were visibly affected. The defense here
res ted the case and the court adiourned
until Monday.