Staunton vindicator. [volume] (Staunton, Va.) 1860-1896, 1885-06-05
WRESTLING FOR A VERDICT.

WRESTLING FOR A VERDICT,
THE EVIDENCE CLOsED-INsTRUCT1o
OF THE COURT-THE ARGUMENT BE-
FORE THE JURY PROGRESSING.
The evidence has closed and the oppos-
ing counsel are now wrestling before the
Cluverius jury for a verdict. Col. Aylett
(Who will be remembered as one of the
Democratic speakers in Staunton during
the Presidential campaign) opened for the
prosecution, and the defence followed in
this order-A. Brown Evans, IL. r. Pol
lard, Beverley Crump and Judge W. W.
Crump. Commemorative Attorney (pro
tena.) Meredith opened yesterday.
BREAKING IN ON THE TRACKING.
B. w. Henley, distant relative of the
prisoner, swore to seeing him On Main
street between IL and - O'Clock, and
again between 1 and 2 O'Clock Friday,
March 18th. The prosecution had proved
that at 1890 the prisoner with Lillian was
on Belle Isle, a mile away. The clerk of
the American Hotel testified that Lillian
was at the hotel at 1890, but the head
waiter swore it was not until P. M.
THE KEY AND MISSING LINK.
W. B. Cluverius, brother of the prisoner,
testified that when arrested, his brother,
without any concealment, threw the
broken link of his watch-chain on the
table, and witness picked it up. Witness
was positive the key exhibited by defence
was the one his brother wore and that he
had never seen him wear one like the re-
servoir key.
WANTED COMPANY TO RICHMOND.
By DR.. j. E. Courtney and others, the
fact was proved that the prisoner, when he
went to Richmond March 18th, asked
several persons at one time or another if
they wouldn't go along.
THE SCRATCHES ON HIS HAND.
b. W. Cluverius, the father of the pri-
soner, testified that on Friday, March
March Nth, after prisoners return from
Richmond he was standing, leaning
against fence and slipped, by which he
got the scratches on his hand The wit
ness became somewhat excited under a
severe eross-examination: but did not
vary from the tenor of his evidence.
Two witnesses for the prosecution had
testified that they heard the prisoners
father ask the prisoner how he had hurt
his hand, the day he returned from Rich
mond.
THE LOVE AFFAIRS OF LILLIAN.
The following evidence was agreed
upon by counsel on both sides and put in:
That for two years, up to last summer.
the prisoner and Miss Nolie Bray we're
engaged to be married, and that Lillian
learned that fact from Miss Bray in Sep
TENDER 1883, and certainly knew it and re-
member ed it up to June, 1884; that Cary
Madison, her cousin, was sutton of Lii
liam and as late as September 18th, 1885,
she wrote him a letter expressing love Tor
him, signed your true ard loving Lii
liar" and asked him to meet her in Rich
mond in October and take her to the State
Fair. In that letter she chided him for
not continuing to love her; that from De-
cember 1. 1884. to March 5, 1885, (eight
days before her death), Lillian and En-
met5 Williams, Ia boy of nineteen, resid-
ing in Batb), exchanged many letters of a
loving character, though Emmett Will
llams says both he and she regarded it
only as a matter of fun.
THE MoUsTACHE.
A great contradiction of opinions exist
ed all through the trial as to whether
Cluverius had moustache or not. The
county clerk and several other citizens of
his county, however, swore positively to
his having worn a thin moustache.
THE RESERVOIR wATCH-KEY NOT
OPENED FOR IDENTIFICATION. !
Herman Joel, the jeweler who thought |
he mended the reservoir watch-key for |
Cluverius but could not identity his |
repairs to it unless he was permitted to
open the key was recalled. The prosecu-
5ion decided to have the key opened, and
Joel went to the Clerk g office and brought
ia his tools. They were in brown paper
parcel. This parcel he placed on the
trunk of Lillian Madison, which was set
lear the witness-stand, and was about to
open it to commence operations, when
Mr.. Meredith insisted upon knowing if
he objections hitherto made by the coun-
ell for the defense were to be understood
IS still standing. He pressed for an an
wer. Thereupon Judge Crump did most
articularly object. and the jury were
emit from the room while the Court
card argument. After discussion by
he counsel as to the ACCESSIBILITY or le-
ality of opening the watch-key, Judge
Atkins decided not to have it opened.
he chief objection offered by the defence
7as that witness had never positively
estified that Cluverius gave him any
ey to repair, (witness had only said he
bought SOL and if this was mis-trial
ne destruction of the key now would de.