Telegram-herald., 1889-12-10
THE FINAL PLEA.
Mr. Forrest Makes the Closing
Speech for the Defense
TIE STATES ILLNESSES ATTACKED.
as Q0ssstoas Hhsir Motives A Testify
IaE AE2snst BIS CllsGts M.
FSstsr's stroRg APPs4l tsr
J0Aa b. Begss


made IN behalf o. Bsggs w&s when
LIS attorney. Mr Foster. Ia his zrgu-
msnt On SATURDAY referred 20 the la-
vestig4tion following the discovery
Of TIE body in the ca,ch basin
Ignoran. members ~ Camp No. 20 hesi-
r4ruz betaeen their oath u secrecy TO
The Clan-ns-G2el and their daty IS
citizens summoned 70 testify before the
Cr0nln jury. rad appealed 70 The senior
guardian for guidance. Tell every
hing, NJ Begzs lad sad 70 them,
While Luke Dillon, the friend OF
CrOnln. the alder OF the Prosecu-
tiou. ths man who had been sent from
Philadelphia u purge the assocla-
ton Of the stain Of crime, stood ghAst
and impl0Esd the members Of the CT,
not 70 20 too far" BY the testimony
Of the public prosecutor himself. cor
roborsted by the chief Of police, IL was
shown that tho prisoner had been the
hrst % disclose % the prosecution the
Spollman letters. which subsequently
were used as eliminating evidence
against him.
In conclusion, Mr.. Foster said that
John z. Beggs was not deserving OF
mercy II he stood AZ the head OF that
conspiracy % murder DR.. Cronin. Tie
Was either guilty Of that foul crime, or
he was innocent, and the jury must re-
turn verdict taking his life or setting
him free. shame upon the verdict"
cried tho speaker. (which under the cir
cumstances surrounding this case, would
say: We yill not torture our minds and
We have not the moral turpitude 70
hang man upon this evidence, but
by guessing and imagining and
speculating that he might be guilty, We
Will give him term in the peniten-
tiary upon general principles and upon
speculation. Shame TO such a verdict
as that Humanity can stand no such
outrage perpetrated upon her citizens. "
Mr. Fosters voice grew sad and low.
Disclaiming any inteption of perora-
tion, he pictured to the jury the graft
tude OF his client should their verdict be
such that he could shake them by the
hand and thank them for having re-
stored TO him a chance for life and an
opportunity 20 cleanse his character
from the stain OF blood.
And while the lawyer pleaded to the
jury, the prisoner struggled hard 10 re-
train the emotions which threatened 10
overcome him. Tears welled into his
upturnod eyes as his ears drank in tho
words of hopc uttered by his attorney.
Dan COughlin and Kunze both were in
tears, Attorney DonahOe was weeping
like a child, handkerchiefs were in de-
mand throughout the audience, and the
eyes Of more than one Of the jury were
dimmed-
The voice Of Mr.. Forrest broke the
spell. His turn had come to make the
final speech for the defense For near
ly two hours he quoted from law books
showing the value of circumstantial
evidence, what a reasonable doubt
meant and other matters of like nature.
When court opened this morning
Mr. Forrest gave his attention to the
various prominent points of evidence
introduced by the State and sought to
weaken them by showing how by the
correspondence of circumstantial evil
dence they might be untrue. The State
and all prosecutors always maintained
that while witnesses might lie, figures
did not. and yet that facts did lie At
torney Forrest tried to prove by citing
the Interpretation of tariff statistics by
the Republicans and Democrats.
The former he said showed by
the figures that protection was
and the latter by the same figures show.
ing that protection was a harm. There.
fore, the attorney argued, circumstan-
tial evidence was not 70 be relied upon.
To clinch his argument he related in.
stances of the fallibility Of such evil
dence. The attorney continued the
citations down TO the present
case. In this he retold the
expression OF the States theory
that the clothes had been sent 20 Europe
in box soldered by Burke. Had not the
hand of Providence directed the search
70 the sewer the clothes would not have
been found. and the theory would have
been argued and dwelt upon at length By
the State.
Tho evidence tending 70 prove that a
conspiracy existed in Camp2O the attor-
ney said he had agreed not 10 touch.
However, II did not matter. II was not
necessary. Attorney Foster had exhaust
ed that part Of the case. There was
nothing in it. BY il the jury would be
compelled to acquit Beggs. Doing that
the case against the other prisoners, so
far as the Camp 20 conspiracy went,
must be dropped.
The credibility Of witnesses was then
discussed by Attorney Forrest and a
very plausible argument be made. He
argued that the States witnesses had in.
terest in giving damaging testimony
against The defendants. For instance, IL
was worth 500 a week 70 Dinan 70 have
Il generally believed that his white horss
was the one that took Dr. CrOnin away,
that being the amount Dinsn received
from the dime museum. A for the
Csrlsons, they were poor people, and
being poor. all sources Of revenue would
be naturally nourisbed with a careful
hand. By turning their cottage
into museum and charging sdmis-
sion 20 curiosity seekers who wanted
20 see the famous stains on tho floor
ard wall. the Carlsons we're able e
gather weekly snug lttle sum. They
were still doing 80. but II it should e
abroad hat Dr Cronin was net mur.
dered shere. no one wogld pay 20 entes
the c0ttaEs and their income would
stop. therefore is was 20 me Carlsous
advantage 20 say any thing that would
preserve the Llgsion. Tie interest had
h7 tae lrisl Witnesses was very plain
T-e-e vas split ia tae Clan-na-Sse.