The Irish standard., 1888-07-21

which the accuserI stifed so positively
that there seemed no d oubt Of the guilt
of the prisoner, and therefore he was
held for trial. AS is too often the case.
the bloody act caused an undue degree.
excitement in the pub lic mind. Every
improper incident in The life OF the pris-
oner- each act which bore the least
semblance Of roWdyisnn- each school
boy quarrel-Was sud denly rernemb
and magnifed, until they pictured him
as fend Of the most horrible hue. AS
these runnors spread abroad they were
received as gospel truth, and a feverish
desire for vengeance seized upon tie in
fatuated populace whilst only prison
bars prevented a horrible death at the
hands of a mob. The events were her
aided in the county papers, painted in
highest coloys, accompanied by rejoicing
over the certainty Of punishment being
melted out to the guilty party. The
prisoner, overwhelmed by. the clrcum-
stances under which he found himself
placed, fell into melancholy condition
bordering On despair. and the widowed
mother, looking through her tears, saw
no cause for hope from earthly aid
sat this juncture the widow received
letter from Mr.. Lincoln, volunteering
his services in an effort to save the
youth from the impending stroke.
Gladly was his aid accepted, although
it seemed impossible for even his sa-
gacity to prevail in such desperate
case; but the heart Of the attorney was
in his work, and he set about it with q
will that knew no such word as fail.
Feeling that the poisoned condition Of
the public mind was such as to preclude
the possibility Of impanneling an i'm
partial Jury in the court having juris-
dicJion, he procured change of venue
and postponement of The trial. He
then went studiously to work unrayel-
ing the history Of the case, and satisfied
himself that his client was the victim of
malice, and that the statements OF the
accuser were tissue of falsehoods.
"When the trial was called on, the
prisoner, pale and emanciated, with
written on every feature,
and accompanied by his half-hoping,
half espairing mothel'-whose only
hope was in mothers belief Of Her
sons innocence, in the justice OF the
God she worshipped, and in the noble
counsel, who, without hope of fee or re-
ward upon earth, had undertaken the
cause--took his seat in the prisoners
box, and with stony frmness' listened
to the reading Of the Indictment. Lin
coin sat quietly by, whilst the large
auditory looked On him as though Won
deling what he could say iii defense of
one whose guilt they regarded as certain.
The examination Of the witnesses for
the State was begun, and a Wel]arranged
mass Of evidence, circumstantial and
positive, was introduced, which seemed
TO impaIe the prisoner beyond the pos-
sibillty of extrication. This counsel for
the defense propounded but few ques-
tions, and those Of a character which
excited no unaasiness on the part OF the
prosecutor--merelv,i in most cases, re-
quiring the main witnesses to be def
mite as to the time and place. When
the evidence of the prosecution was
ended, Lincoln introduced a few witt
nesses to remove some erroneous i'm
pressicns in regard to the previous
character Of his client, who, though
rowdyish, had never been
known to commit a vicious act; and TO
show that a greater degree of ILL., feeling
existed between the accuser and the &C.
cused than the accused and the de-
ceased.
1.-THE prosecutor felt that the case
was a clear one, and his opening speech
was brief and formal. Lincoln arose,
while a deatbly silence pervaded the
vast audience, and in a clear and mod
crate tone began his argument. Slowly
and carefully he reviewed the testimony,
pointing out the hitherto unobserved
in the statements Of the
witness. That which had
seemed plain and plausible he made to
appear crooked as serpent's path.
The witness had stated that the affair
took place at a certain hour in the even
ing, and that, by the aid Of the brightly
shining moon be saw the prisoner IN
fict the death-blow with a slung-shot.
Mr.. Lincoln showed that at the hour
referred to the moon had not yet ap-
peared above the horizon, and conse-
qusntly the whole tale was fabrica.
ton.
San almost instantaneous change
seemed to have been wrought in the
minds of his auditors. and the verdict
Of mot guilty was at the end OF every
tongue. But the advocate was not con-
tent with this intellectual achievement,
His whole being had for months been
bound up in this work of gratitude and
mercy, and as the lava OF the over
f,,,r,