Omaha daily bee., 1889-02-23
GOVERNOR LARRABEE'S TRIAL
1t is Rapidly Developing Into Some
thing of Farce.
THE PHAMPHLET READ IN COURT
Several Misguided Females Attempt
to Manage the Prosecution to
the Great Disgust of the
County Attorney.


DIS MoINEs. Ia, Feb. 22-[Special Tele-
gram to THE BEE. The trial of Governor
Larrabec is becoming almost farce
through the breaking down of the prosecu.
tion. The prosecuting witnesses seem to
have taken the case out of the hands of the
county attorney, and he sits back among the
boys in disgust One of the good women
who are so anxious to have the governor con.
victed read letters to the jury to-day in a
very dramatic way, that made the audience
laugh so heartily that the judge excused the
jury from the room until quiet could be re-
stored. Friends of the governor are more
than pleased at the way the case is going.
One of them remarked to-day as good
woman was trying TO impress the jury with
her eloquent reading: Look at that old
democrat in the back row of the jury. Don't
he look dsgustcd. Why, | don't think its
right for women to speak in prayer me nting,
and here's one actually talking i'll court to Il
jury
The fact is, the prosecution seems to be
run by amateurs, and they play into the
hands of the defense at every point.
The whole effort of the state to-day was
to prove malice on the part of the governor
in sending out circulars that contain the al
legged libel. But she prosecutions own wit
ncsses are more for the defense than for the
plaintiff. The principal witness of the day
was lTlNdte secretary fiOSSltlu. lie lSSll-
fled as to how the pamphlet came to be
issued by the governor. He said that there
had been so many requests for information
as to the other side of the case that it would
have kept a clerk busy to have answered the
letters, ana so the governor had the circular
printed, to be sent to members of the lcgis.
lature and to those only who should apply for
Information. He testified that the COVER
nors instructions had been to treat Mrs.
Turney with uniform courtesy whenever she
ca He'd and N Give hpr IN ali niblIp
papers on file in the Office. This had been
done, and at different times she had taken
some of them from the officer. He had never
beard her deny that the charges in the re-
monstranCes affecting her were untrue. In
stead of the governor being moved by malice
toward her, he had shown her great
consideration and had placed all
the public papers in his office at her
disposal. All his testimony was very strong
proof that the governor had denied Mrs.
Turney no reasonable request, but had been
very courteous and kind to her
The state desired to introduce as evidence
some of the letters and petitions for the par
don of young Turney Permission was
given, and then the defense insisted upon
having the pamphlet in question containing
the alleged libel put in evidence, and, more
than that, be read to the jury. The defense
objected when il was too late for it had laid
the way open for that very thing, and so the
jury heard the whole pamphlet with the
charges against Mrs. Turney, signed by
twenty-scven citizens of Preston, and the
affidavit against young Turney. and the re-
monstrances against his pardon Every
thing was of the most damaging character
for the prosecution. All of that matter thus
became public, and made a manifest impress
sion as 1t was read.
The attorney for the governor was
promptly congratulated for his skill in get
ting all of that testimony admitted when the
state had the witnesses. So it has gone all
the way so far. Every witness for the state
has helped the defense, and the latter has
not introduced witness yet of its own To-
days proceedings were almost burlesQue
from the way in which the good women who
are managing the prosecution played into the
hands of the defense.