The Manitowoc pilot. [volume] (Manitowoc, Wis.) 1859-1932, 1885-12-03
THE EXAMINATION CLOSED.

closed on Saturday last. The only testi-
mony put in since the last issue of The
Pilot being that of the little girl, a niece
o. the murdered girl, who was in the
room at the time the girl was shot. A
great deal of what the little girl gave had
little reference to the case and was in the
nature of conversation SO as to make
her feel easy and communicative. She
testified that Dill was in the room when
the murder was committed and where
she could see him by turning her head
slightly, but contradicted him as to the
position he stated on the stand he oc-
cupied when the "shot FELL" to use an
expression made standard by use in this
case. Morris counsel moved that he be
discharged when the state rested and the
lawyers on both sides argued the cues
ton. Judge Smart refused to grant the
motion and the defense intimated that it
would offer no testimony and the question
of bail was argued. An adjournment
was had unit, Friday of this week. The
comments made in the arguments may
/ be referred to as an answer to the many
who have tried the case on the streets
and in saloons and reached O verdict on
rumors, and then abused judge and
! attorneys for not readily accepting the
conclusions reached by saloon bummers
and whittlers of dry-goods boxes. Mr..
Nash i'll his argument stated that what
officers have now more material than
ever before on which to proceed to an in
| telligent investigation. Everything has
been thoroughly sifted and all the evil
dence gathered. It's value has been pro
nounced upon and the credibility of
witnesses weighed. And what is also of
value, the loose state of morals in that
neighborhood exposed, thus taking the
first step toward reform.
There is no paper more prompt than
The Pilot to pronounce against waste of
time in the trial of criminal case where
the guilt is clear and the little side issues
play no part in determining the guilt or
innocence of the party accused. But in
this case it was apparent to every one
that the examination would necessarily |
be long. The whole evidence was an ag
gregation of little things which had to be
connected, sifted and selected. Their |
bearing on the case had to be established |
and if they had no connection with it it |
took testimony and time to demonstrate |
that fact. The question of time was an |
important factor and those who heard the |
testimony are by no means unanimous as
to the time the crime was committed and |
the time Morris reached Heirs. If there
were moro witnesses who could testify on
this point their statements would be |
valuable and should in the interests of |
justice be had, though all the curb stone |
lawyers in the country should howl. |
There is wide difference between trying
cases in saloons while drinking or on
street corners while squirting tobacco
Juice and in court where rules of evidence
are observed, when people tell what they
know under oath knowing that their
statements will be subjected to the keen
scrutiny of skilled lawyers. If there |
were eye-witnesses to the commission of
the crime and the lawyers tried to spin
the examination out for the purpose of
mystifyiny the public, an outcry of in
dignation would be proper and The Pilot
would be the first to join in it. But that
Morris, if he be innocent should not
have fair chance and that the charges
against him should not be subjected to
examination and if of no weight should
not be dismissed no one but an idiot or
a scoundrel will assert If he be guilty
and should be discharged because of
haste in examining the testimony, would
be proof that the state was very poorly
represented. Everywhere there was a
demand that this case be investigated
fully. Every one knew it was not going
to be the work of day, and every one
knew that there was no direct proof
against any one. 1t necessarily took
time to hunt up Witnesses. There had
to be many of them, the very nature of
the case requiring it. 1t took time to
establish motive for the crime, or to
disprove what had been accepted as such.
IT took time to determine the admissi-
bility of certain evidence as there was
mass of hearsay. And all the time that
the court and lawyers were working fair
ly, impartially and industriously to reach
facts, some outside parties were jumping
at conclusions and pronouncing their
Judgment infalible. Morris may be
guilty; if he is it is to be hoped he will
be proved SO. But no one should Jump
at the conclusion that because he is held
for trial he has been proved guilty. The
two things are widely different. The
decision of the Judge amounts to this
simply: That in his opinion there are
sufficient circumstances to warrant him
in sending Morris before jury for trial
If there was direct proof against Morris.
it might not be proper but it would be
excusable for people to say what the
verdict of the jury should be. But I'M
der present circumstances when lawyers
who worked for we eks, all looking for the
truth and having all the facts before
them, will unhesitatingly say they cannot
pronounce positive opinion, it would
seem proper for those who in comparison
know nothing of the case, to observe a
little caution in expressing an unqualified
belief Everything has been done that
could be done to find the guilty party.
The public asked this and the officers
have left no room for nanrnra Mnrr;n,