The Lake Charles echo. [volume] (Lake Charles, Parish of Calcasieu, La.) 1876-1898, 1883-04-07

TFram Our Regular Correspondent.
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WAsHEseToS D. G., March %, 1858.
Editors Lake Charles Echo.
The starr0nte trial has beer
more largely attended this weeh
than at any time during its pro
gress. Judge Wylieis court room
being flied every morning long be
fore the court opened. To avoid j
liam after the seats are filed bailiffs
rare stationed at the doors to deny
atlmittaiiee to all except those
whose business requires them to be
lin court. The women show quite
as mich eagerness as the men,
whether to get at the true inward
ness of this case or to have a good
look at the defendants and distin-
guished counsel. The event of the
trial Tuesday, and what will prob
ably stand ont as the prominent
feature in the entire history of the
case. was the calling Of ex-senator
Stephen w Dorsey to the witness
stand. He has been conspicuoasly
absent during the many weeks of
examination. Much curiosity has
been shown about his making an
appearance, and many conjectures
expressed as to whether he would
be called as q witness. So his de-
but could not but be an event in
the coRrt room, and an occasion for
eyeTybody's turningan open ear to
the judge When the court opened
Mr. Dorsey was sitting beside Mr..
Ingersoll of his counsel. On being
called he arose and went to the
stand carrying a large packet OF
papers with him. His eyes were
concealed by dark goggles he has
been wearing for the last year His
toilet gave evidence that he had
not been fOrgetful of his personal
appearance, and he wore a button
hole b0quet on the lapel of his
coat. He was not in an amiable
mood, for he spoke defiantly to Mr..
Merrick, who was addressing the
court. His counsel addressed a
word to aim, after which be was
silent until the close of the discus
sion ON the point raised When Dir.
Dorsey was about to be sworn, Mr..
Merrick said he wanted to examine
the witness as TO whether an oath
was binding upon his conscience
The witness shook his finger in the
face of AIr. Merriek, and said ex-
citedly: Amy oath will he as
binding on my conscience as ON Mr..
Merrick's conscience" Mr. hger
soil objected to this proceeding,
and protested eloquently against
introducing into a case in this cen
fury the barbarism Of the dark
ages, when, he said, men and wO-
men were SO addicted to lying that
they had to be frightened into tell
ing the truth. Here he delivered a
spirited address in much the same
strain as many of his infidel lee
lures, expounding his anti-religious
views. In replying, Mr.. Merriek
said that what Mr.. Ingersoll called
the barbarism Of the past was the
light that had come down TO us
from many centuries and needed no
defense from him. He did not OBJ
ject to the witness giving his mar
ratiye, but said he wanted TO let
the jury know on what terms he
testified, whether in taking the oath
be felt that his conscience was in
volved as an immortal man before
Heaven. Mr. Ingersoll said there
was no qualification in the law that
permitted "a witness to testify in his
own behalf Judge Wylie, in de
Gliding the question, said he had
nothing to do with its theological
aspect. The extremely opposite
characteristics of Mr.. Merrick and
Col Ingersoll, not only on the
religious question, but in appear
ance, tone, gesture, and manner as
well, were strikingly brought ont
in this discussion. Col Ingersoll
may be called q representative
modern inn0vatOr, a champion of
free thought, and an ieonoclast
He speaks with the easy grace of
the lecture room, in an almost con
versational tome warns up, as he
proceeds. and on this occasion
shaded artisticaIIy from 1.-THE beau
ties of truth for us own sake" to
''the fires Of he'll felSindled.n Judge
Merfick represents the opposite
extreme-old beliefs as cherished
aud revered by the Roman Catholic
church, and insists upon the letter
of the law. He is the incarnation
ofcenseryatism, with effective tone,
measured words, and finger pointed
towards Heaven, be solemnly re
ferred to the awful responsibility
of testifying with the fear of the
.penitentiaEy before one in this
world and eternal damnation in the |
world tOc0me. This lively episode
introduced into the dullrrontine OF |
the mOn0t0noas trial was highly
enjoyed BY the audience. The two
men soultl not have been more an
tithefically presented, bnt neither