The Irish standard., 1889-03-30

those who were intimately related to the
parties concerned in the trial itself. and
even then the stuffy room was uncomferta'
bly, crowded. The judge entered at few
minutes before eleven o'clock, and. I'M
mediately after him, Mr.. Brownlow was
brought in and placed in the prisoners boz.
Nothing interposed to delay the regula'
proceedings, which included the formal ao-
cusation and the securing Of jury from
the panel. Inasmuch as Mr.. BroWnlow
still persisted in refusing to employ coun-
eel, the process of getting a jury was COM
paratively short one At one point the
prisoner addressed the court as juror was
being examined for admission into the box,
and said:
.'Your honor, may ask if the law allows
me the privilege of challenging jurors who
are to sit in this case?''
sslt does," replied the court. 'You may
challenge, either for cause, or, it good cause
is not shown, you are allowed the right OF
twenty peremptory challenges"
every we'll" replied Mr.. Brownlow, Il
peremptorlly challenge this man."
"But," cried the court, in astonishment,
she has not been accepted yet by the prose
cution, and you waste your challenge unM
you see whether the prosecution wishes him
to sit in the box"
ssThat does not NATTER" said Mr.. Brown
low. II do not want this man on the jury,
and 80 shall now challenge him, not to con-
sumo time unnecessarily"
Lawyers in the courtroom glanced At
each other signifi cantly, and the district
attorney was so nonplussed at this action
Oh the part OF the prisoner that he stood
perfectly still for half minute before he
turned to the juror and said:
::You are dismissed, SIR" The truth was
that Mr.. Brownlow's conduct since his a.
rest had led not a few people conversant
with legal matters to believe. that he was
insane, and shrewd lawyers had said to
each other that the prisoner had undouotr
edly adopted this course with view to
making insanity his defense, and that he
was doing 80 in the cleyerest way possible,
inasmuch as every act Of his would tend to
make jurymen think him insane without
having that matter brought directly to tueir
attention by lawyer. When the jury
was finally fixed upon, the district attorney
formally opened his case in brief speech,
in which he recounted the circumstances al
ready known 70 the reader concerning the
disappearance of Mrs. Brownlow and the
work Of the detectives in hunting up evil
dence after that time He then proceeded
to call various witnesses, and presented
their testim ony to the court. The servants
OF the Brownlow house we're the first to
testify. They told all the history Of the
family since Mr.. Brownlow's marriage, Civ
ing great number Of ugly and disagree
able details, which seemed to have grown
in bad favor sincs the time that the wit
nesses knew that they were to be- called
upon TO testify. Mrs Brownlow's parents
aud other relatives also testified to say that
the marriage had been contracted against
the wishes Of her parenta. and that it was
generally believed that Mr. Brownlow had
married her solaly for her fortune. In this
way half day was con sumsd in present.
Ing bad background upon which the
strongest evidence against Mr.. Brownlow
was to be placed. That is, it was made ap-
motive for committing terrible crime, and
that circumstances pointed to the fact that
he had been preparing for it for some time
before the thing occurred. After the usual
recess, the testimony Of the police depart
ment was taken up by the facts concern
ing the discovery Of the opera cloak in the
river aud the Identification Of the body at
the norgue were brought out. Even the
dressmaker was called in to declare that
this garment was certainly that Of Mrs.
Br0WnloW.
The day came to an END before the testi-
mony for the prosecution was completed,
and on the next morning there still re-
manned to present to the jury the history of
Mr.. Brownlow' 6 actions SINCE his arrest 1t
would be impossible to imagine a stronger
array Of circurns tantial evidence than had
been brought against him when the prose-
cution finally rested its case. The court
and the spectators turned with the utmost
interest to the prisoner to see what he
would say The judge signjfied to the pris-
oner thatHDh had any defense to make it
was now She proper time to make it. Mr..
Brownlov rose and addressed the court as
follows:
"Your honor and gentlemen Of the jury,
Ihave up to this time l6ep5 silence upon the
accusations under which I suffer. 1t is now
the time for me to speak, and / propose TO
make an explanation OF the event about
which you have heard So much. wish to
say, first. that have sat here and inter-
posed no objection when the prosecution
pried into my domestic matters to an extent
that was altogether unjus titiable, whatever
tho merits of the case; that made no OBJ
lection when a volume Of evidence was pro-
duced that had no legitimate bearing upon
the matter. and that have done 50 because
fe1t that was in the hands of the law.
which respect and always have respected
and have never broken, and that was in
the presence of a Judge who would guaran-
tee me fair trial and before jury Of IN
teligence competent to see t.ee truth of
this case when should find it time to speak.
The facts in this matter are these: I was
going out to dine with Mrs. Brownlow at
the house of some friends on Tuesday, the
14th. While waiting for the moment Of
leaving wrote a. letter, and when my wife,
who was ready dressed came to the study,
she sat down while finished it. She asked
me to whom was writing. answered her
that my letter had nothing in it Of interest
to her. Sheinsisted upon knowing to whom
the letter was addressed, and / persisted
that I should not tell her. She became an
CRY and told me that she was very unhappy,
that ] had no consideration for her, that she
had quarreled with her parents for the sake
of marrying me, that she had 10 one in the
world butme, and that was happy when
could make her suffer; that had certainly
some love affair because went out at times
without her, and because I carefully hid
from her nv cnrresnondance I answered