Savannah morning news. [volume] (Savannah) 1868-1887, 1885-06-04
CRUMP ENDS HIS PLEA.
MIR. MEREDITH TO CLOSE FOB
THE PROSECUTION TODAY.

The Case Almost sure TO - In the ,yury's
Hands by Tonight or To-baOrrow
The Theory OF Suicide Made stiIl More
/ Vivid in 8esterday's Arguments.
/ RICHMOND, VA, June 3.-Beverly r.
Crump, junior counsel for the
defense in the Cluverlus murder
I trial, addressed the court and
jury this morning for nearly two hours.
The strength Of his argument lay in his
efforts to show from the evidence OF the
Commonwealth that it had been negligent
in its duty in trying to force conclusion
OF guilt by making the testimony agree
with the supposed theory Of murder, and
that the murder was committed bv the
accused. The suicide theory was adj
yauced by the speaker.
WHAT THE BoDY SHOWED.
He referred to tho condition Of the body
when 1t was taken from the water as indi-
eating that no struggle had taken place
on the emhankment OF the reservoir. The
hatr WAS smoothly arranged, the handker-
chief about the neck was unrufled. aud
the clothing showed no signs Of disorder.
The disposition and condition of the cloth
ing tound-the hat, vell, shawl and gloves
showed that there was purpose to
draw attention to the fact that the woman
was dead, but the articles could not have
been torn from her without being injured.
| The speaker further picked the evidence
OF the prosecution te pieces, and showed
| many discrepancies and improbabiltles.
He asserted that the testimony for the
prosecution was frightfully mixed and
| incredible.
JUDGE CRuMP's PLEA.
Judge w. w. Crump, the senior couns
qal sstlf,
the defense by an impressive address TO
| the jury aa to the great responsibility rest
ing upon them and The difficult task be-
fore them. There were two cardinal
points upon which the commonwealth re-
/ lied for conviction. The first was that
| the accused took the deceased to tho
reservoir and slew her, and the second
that there was piece Of property,
watch key, belonging 10 the accused
found there. There was not u particle Of
evidence to prove that the accused had
| ever been near the spot.
ABSENCE or THREATS.
No human being had ever heard him
make threats against the deceased. There
was not a whisper of a motive for taking
her life. Virginia had never raised such
a monster as the prosecution had painted
the accused. The speaker then briefly
went over the life OF the prisoner and
AWNtA ttPVH hub AAlbRtd ItlNhiONS Oh thE
| deceased and the accused. saying that il
was preposterous for the prosecution to
ask jury 20 believe that the accused had
sedueed and debauched his COUSIN.
LILLIAN's AMOURs.
| Judge Crump read a letter written by
the deceased TO Mrs. Tunstall in June.
| 1884. 70 show that She was not dominated
by the Will Of the accused, but that at
that very time Lillian was writing love
letters to Cary Madison. There was not
line from the accused to her or from her
TO him that indicated more than a cousin
u yfeeling between them. The speaker said
that the unhappy girl bad confederate IN
Richmond who mailed her "the Curtis
letter. and that that confederate was not
The prisoner, as the letter was mailed in
Richmond March 8 or ., and il was ia
evidence that the prisoner was In Little
Plymouth al that time. judge Crump
closed with an earnest appeal for the
prisoner. The Court adjourned till to-
morrow, when Mr.. Meredith Will make
the closing argument for The prosecution.