National Republican. (Washington City (D.C.)) 1872-1888, 1884-05-23
KARCHER'S CASE CLOSED,
And He Has Now Nothing to Do but Wait
for the Verdict
Judge MacAthurs Charge Thought to
be Favorable to the Accused
II Was Not Murder il KarChor Killed Grimes Be-
lioving His Own Life to be in Danger
Bat the Man who Pleads SeIf-Defcnse
Walks n Marrow Path.

After occupying eight days in the trial, it
is believed that the case of Louis karchor
charged with tho killing of John w. Grimes,
will redch tho jury before noon to-day, and
the only question for conjecture is as to tho
verdict. 1t Is pretty safe to say that If there
is O conviction ut all IL will not go beyond
manslaughter, rs tho charge Of the judge
confines the jury to that limit. When tho
court opened yesterday morning Judge Mac
Arthur directed the defense to continue its
testimony, and the first witness called was
Robert @. Mangum, who testified that Grimes
came into his store about Z o'Clock'the night
hc was shot. lie had been drinking, but was
not drunk.
John Mass testified that Scrgt. Mullhall
said last Wednesday or Thursday, after leav-
ing the trial. that eff he was on tho jury
Karchor would not have much chance from
being hung"
[Ths was in contradiction of tho testimony
of the witness Mullhall.
Charles Madcs testified that Mullhall said
"if he was on tho jury it would not take him
long to hang the man."
Martha Ward was recalled. and testified
that Mr.. Karcher last Christmas got mad ut
his wife for looking ont Of tho window and
laughing at Police Officer Howe, and told her
TO come away from INC WlnuOW
Ernest Roboy testified to trying the key of
the closet in Karcher's room to that in his
wifo's room, and found it would unlock that
very easily.
Walter j. Costello testified that he visited
the house of Karcher two days after the
shooting and assisted in making u diagram
OF the scene. lie saw mark on tho closet
door as if cut by q Ratchet. lie also saw
blood finger prints. On the door leading from
the defendants into Mrs. Karcher's room he
saw twenty-eight or thirty marks as ii made
by the butt of Ratchet or hammer.
Louis Karcher was recalled and explained
his testimony as to his drinking. He did not
mean to say that he drank from twelve to
fourteen bottles of beer q day. He could
drink that number If it was question of
capacity but no generally drank four or five
bottles and some days he drank no moro than
two. Ho did not know Grimes and never
saw him before that night, AT this point the
defense rested
George d. Biggs was called by the govern
ment in rebuttal. He testified that Grimes's
reputation for peace and good order was good,
except when drinking. On cro5s-eXamina-
ton he said that drink made tho man wild.
On the night before he was killed Grimes
wanted to fight and whip the witness. When
drinking Grimes was loose in his habits with
women.
Charles w. Gallant, Lewis Barr, and
William Bradshaw jr., testified to the peace
full disposition of Grimes. This ended tho
rcbuttal testimony.
DIR. j. L. Hartigau was recalled by the de-
Tense to show the effect of eczema, with
which the prisoner was afflicted. Whoa this
witness left the stand both sides rested their
case.
A number of prayers were submitted to tho
court expressing the respective counsels'
view of tho law governing the case.
Judge Macarthur, in order to facilitate the
argument, said that he would instruct the
jury at that time. He said that there was
no doubt of a criminal communication exist
ing between tho prisoners wife and Grimes,
and there was no doubt of the killing of tho
latter by the accused. 1t was the crcum-
stances surrounding the case that gave it q
peculiar cooring, aud these were mado moro
difficult to explain because the dcfcndan
admitted knowing tho unChaste conduct of
his wife. If tho jury believed that the
defendant obtained his pistol and went
to his wife's room with tho deliberate
intention of killing the man, then it was
murder. But in that connection there were
a number of things to take into considera'
ton. If a wife commit adultery in her hu 3
bands house, and he on coming into the
room find this state of affairs, and being
violently assaulted kills his assailant, that, he
thought, would be justhable homicide. lie
was however, disposed 70 leave 20 the jury to
decide whether the defendant was in fear OF
| bodily harm from the deceased, and took
Grimess life to save his own. If that was 50,
then the killing was justiiiablc. The proof
| and test in such a case was whether or not
| q prudent, careful man, under similar crcum
stances, would have acted as did the defend
ant.
A man who takes the life of another OF
the ground that his own is in danger walk
very narrow path, and renders himself &C
cuser, judge, and oXecutionor.
The Judge then reviewed tho testimony
and asked whether u man, situated as wa
the prisoner could have acted coolly undo
such Il state of affairs. lie would be n stranGt
composition Of human nature if no could
| Had the prisoner timo for reflection. Ill
! should regard the whole transaction Us n con
| tinuous act, and it appeared to him as if tn,
| prisoner went through fifteen minutes con
| tinuous struggle to get at the man il
| his wife's room. He deemed it his duty b
say to the jury that the excitement ant
| frenzy of the man were allowable under tn
law, and relieved him from the imputation o
murder. He should leave it TO the jury L
decide whether Karcher knew of his wife
| going with other men, and if they found that
while no knew it, he was trying to reform
her, thon there was nothing in his conduct
as to her, against law or morals. If Crime
went there to make her worse, while tn
prisoner was trying to make her bnttor, h
was entitled to tho same treatment that an
adultcror was likely to receive
The assistant district attorney opened tn
case to the jury for the government, secon
time claiming q verdict of guilty as indicted
Mr.. Mackey followed for the prisoner, an
had not concluded when tho court adjournc
for the day.
Now ON free exhibition at Hagerty's, 100