Semi-weekly south Kentuckian. [volume] (Hopkinsville, Ky.) 1883-1889, 1885-10-02

CuICu dDOul u ClOCk. MAJ WtSL
the young man living on the premises
says it occurred about 7 o'clock
Rufus Whitlock, who lived milt
beyond says it was about 7 o'clock
Nathan Davie says it was about
O'Clock. But gentlemen, il was re,
served for Mrs. Whitlock, a lady
and want to say right here that in
the culOgy pronounced upon her |
heartily cOncur-aye, IL was reserved
for her TO cap the climax by stating
that she heard three shots at precisely
I 20 O'Clock. | have 10 criticisms,
direct nor indirect, TO make on This
but could but be struck with the
fallacy of the reason assigned for
looking at the clock. "The wagons
had come home and Mr.. Whitlock
didn't 20 to bed until they came"
This seemed to me but slight reason,
10 be irrelevant and absurd, but |
have no questions. no cayil to make.
Even Mr.. Mcpherson, in at
tempting to make her statement con-
sist with the theory he was trying to
establish, absolutely says that the
clock was too fast. This is undoubtedly
true. We have 10 information what
time that was. Whether the clock
was set the day, the week or the year
before. She only says the clock
showed the time TO be twenty minutes
past seven. Nothing is more uncer-
tain than guessing at time or distance /;
saying "about" won't do. In matters
of importance the honest mind wants
no guesswork. In this case we need
not 10 rely upon any guesswork. We
have the testimony oftwo young men
who on that same evening a
mile or more distant from Mrs. Ste
gers-Jas. Withcrs and Jas. Mont
gomery-in no way Interested in this
ease, had their attention arrested by
five reports in an airline direction to
Mrs. Stcger's. These young men
heard not three but five shots. One
observed 10 the other "they are be-
ginning TO take Christmas early at
O'Neal's," which was directly in a
line to Mrs. Steger's. They walked
strait from the pike to the hol O., $50
or 300 yards, to play checkers, and
Montgomery as he stepped into the
door said TO Withers, "My clock is
stopped, tell me the time" Withers
looked at his watch and II was 6 80
O'Clock. There was no guesswork,
no impression about this. II was an
actual fact committed and recorded
on the dial plate of an English watch.
MIR. Withers said he supposed they
were from three to five minutes walk
ing 10 the house. say and l i'm
press upon you that here is a fact SO
fixed that sensible men may fas;en
upon the truth. Talk about four
men who guessed II was 7 o'clock.
Gentlemen the mere statement OF
one man who knew the time is
enough. Every man in this court
house may guess at the time and |
will take my watch against the guess
of every one of them. There can be
no doubt, 10 question about il when
| know that my watch is correct.
Then there need be no cavil about
the shooting occurring prior TO 6 80
o'clock, by from 3 to 5 minutes. There
is no escaping it. The shooting that
killed and assassinated Torian took
place at 6 :25 that evening. Let there
be no matter of impression in this
investigation. believe then gentle
men that have sufficiently establish
ed the fact, if anything is to be de-
duced from testimony, that the shoot
ing was done at i.2j, and not at 7
o'clock as contended by the other side,
Gentlemen | want to advert to this.
THE MOTIVE.
1t is said in defense of this man,
and it is urged that he had no ad-
equate motive for the deed. That
there is no crime without motive.
1t may be true that motive is at the
basis of every crime, but we can't
always discover the motive. You
have known cases and / have known
cases. In Lyon county l stood few
years ago and talked to two neigh
bors and farmers who sat upon a
jury together. They were friends
and lived near each other Not ten
days afterwards one of them
armed himself with a double
barTeled shotgun and went
to his neighbours house aud
while hc was in sight of his wife and
children, in his barn engaged in max
ing a coffin for his little grand-child,
deliberately leveled the gun and kill
ed him on the spot. There is not a
living man who has ever been able to
assign a motive for the crime The
secret was locked in the murderer's
own heart. And yet no one will de-
ny that he was prompted by a motive
and strong one, but 1t never came
to light. lie abandoned all, family
friends, property and everything, and
to-day that man is fugitive from
justice.
In this case we are not left in sucl
a strait as that. Whoever may have
done this there is abundant motive
exhibited in the records for this Of
fense. II is a fact proven and it Is
the truth. This young man became
acquainted with Miss Lizzie Stegel
and became a constant visitor to hei
mothers house. 1t is fact that this
prisoner had became enamored Of
this young lady, that the passion ol
love had warmed and swelled his
bosom. The facts show that he was
a constant hanger-on and devoted
lover of this girl. She sat in that chail
blushing in her purity and trembling
with emotion and stated that time
and time again he had addressed hel
and begged and pleaded with her fol
her hand in marriage and had as Of
ten been refused. Then answered
when questioned that she could CONT
nearer telling the days that he did
not como than the days he did The
defense would have you believe there
is nothing in this because she tolt
Radford she was not going to marry
Torian. 1t shows the feeling of Tho
man. lie doesn't believe the state
ment though often repeated. III
said TO her 81 know you deny II, bu
you are" Not content with pressing
his suit with the girl herself, he car
ried the matter to the old lady anC
talked to her about his suspicious
"You say it is all a NTH, how is |
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