Richmond dispatch. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1884-1903, 1885-06-03

animation, and concluding, said that
never was there brother who had
"psssed through the fire SO pure, so
unalloyed,'' &c.
The allusion to his brother brought
some tears to the eyes of the prisoner.
MANY POINTS.
Mr.. Evans considered it proved alb
solutely that prisoner wore no moHs-
tdche on March 18th and 18th; that the
identity Of the man who was at the
American Hotel was not clearly estab-
lished, but involved in great doubt;
that several Of the witnesses [colored
menl had made perfectly irreconcilable
statements and that it was impossible
for the deceased to have been at Belle
Isle some time after 1890 and been
back to the American for dinner [as
Mr.. DodsOn saysl by l o'clock.
Mr.. Evans Resumes.
After a recess of five minutes Mr..
Evans resumed his speech. He said
that his inclination was to stop, to say
no more, but that counsel for the de-
fence had insisted on his going on, and
he had consented to do so. Mr.. Evans
was very hoarse, and his looks ind
Gated how severely his labors had told
upon him.
Mr.. Evans claimed on account Of the
discrepancy in the statement sf Mr..
John s. Dodson. his elder son, and the
Belle-Isle witnesses, that the evidence
of the latter witnesses should be ex-
cluded.
MR.. EvANs's PERoRATIoN.
But, gentlemen, | shall detain you
no longer. My physical strength has
been exhausted, and shall conclude
nv remarks by reading to you the
closing words Of one Of the most dis
tinguished advocates that ever wore the
gown before British forum in the ar
gument Of a case of Circumstantial evil
dence. and these are those words;
"And now, gentlemen, having ira
yelled through this case Of mystery and
darkness, my anxious and painful task
is ended. But, gentlemen, yours is
about to commence, and can only say.
may Almighty G cd guide you to just
conclusion. The issues of life and
death are in your hands. To you it
gives to consign that man once more to
the enjoyment of existence and the dig
nity Of freedom, or to send him to an
ignominious death, and to brand upon
his grave the awful epithet of a mur-
deTer. Gentlemen. mine has been a
painful and an awful task"
And Tread it with personal feeling.
But still more is the responsibility
attached to the decision upon the gene
raj facts or circumstances Of the case.
To violate the living temple which the
Lord hath made--to quench the fire
within mans breasts an awful and
a terrible responsibility, and the deci-
sion Of " Guilty" once pronounced, let
me remind you. is irreyocable. Speak
not that word lightly-speak it not on
suspicion, however strong upon moral
conviction, however apparently we'll
grounded upon inference upon doubt,
or upon anything but the broad, clear,
irresistible MONDAY conviction of the
truth of what is alleged.
! speak to you thus in no hostile
feeling; Ispeak to you as a brother and
a fellow-C Christian. thus remind you
of your awful responsibility. tell you
that if YOU condemn that man lightly,
or upon mere suspicion consign him to
an ignominious death, the recollection
of the deed will never die within you.
If you should pronounce your verdict
without deep and irresistible conyic-
tion of his guilt, your crime will be pre-
sent to you during the rest of your
lives-it will pursue you with remorse,
like a shadow, in your crowded walks; !;
it will render your death-bed one Of
horror; and, taking the form of that
mans spirit, it will condemn and sink
you before the judgment-seat Of your
God So, beware, | say beware of
what you do
Recess from to 4 o'clock.
Hon. II. II. Pollard.
May it please the Court, and you,
gentlemen of the jury, crave your
patient indulgence while | shall present
the case of my client. | shall do so as
briefly as can, but the evidence is so
voluminous, the facts and circumstances
are so numerous that are to be dilated
upon and referred TO, that itisimpossible
that my address should be brief. |
therefore ask that you will give me a
patient hearing. anxious as | know you
to be to have all the light that can be
shed upon this great mystery that
YOU have been considering now for
these twenty days. On one occasion
when a mere tyro at the bar addressed
the greatest Judge that ever presided in
an American court, and perhaps in any
court, Chief-Justice Marshall. the young
man modestly said that he did not
know that he could say anything that
would shed any light upon the ques-
tion. But his Honor from the bench
said to him, $50 on my young friend ;
have so long been in a position where
know and feel the frailties of human
Judgment that before ! pass upon
any matter want all the light
that will elucidate the truth involved
in the matter under consideration. So
| feel, gentlemen, that you, occupying
that position, sitting to pass judgment
in case that will go down in history
as one Of the celebrated cases that have
arisen-a case Of century-for | APP
prehend that whole century will roll
around before another case will occur
like the one that you have been con-
sidering-will patiently hear me while
present the case as best can.
THE LAW.
Then, first, gentlemen, in regard to
the character Of the proof that is neceS-
sary to establish guilt in criminal cases
in general, and particularly the quaa-
tUm Of proof that is necessary to estab-
lish a belief in the individual in this
case. These are the questions to which
| shall first address myself. The law
Of the case, as presented by his Honor
in the instructions given to you on yes
terday. when boiled down and concen-