The Mason County journal. [volume] (Shelton, W.T.) 1886-1927, 1889-06-14

eddy adopted this course with q view to
making insanity his defense, and that he
was doing SO in the cleverest way possible,
lnasmucE as every act of his would tend to
make. jurymen think him insane without
having that matter brought directly to toeir
attention by lawyer. When the jury
was finally fixed upon, the district attorney
formally opened his case in a brief speech,
IN which he recounted the circumstances al.
ready known to 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
theS testimony to the court. The servants
OF the BrownlOw house were 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 flavor since the time that the wit
nesses knew that they we're to be called
upon to testify. Mrs. Brownlow's parents
and other relatives also testified to say that
the marriage had been contracted against
the wishes of her parents, and that it was
generally believed that Mr.. Br0wnlow had
married her solely for her fortune. In this
way a half day was consumed in present
ing a bad background upon which the
strongest evidence against Mr.. Brownlow
was to be placed. That is, it was made ap-
parent to the jury that he had very strong
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 and the Identification of the body at
the morgue were brought out. Even the
dressmaker was called in to declare that
this garment was certainly that of Mrs
Brownlow.
The day camesto 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's actions since his arrest. It
would be impossible to imagine stronger
array of clrcumstandal 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 signifed to the pris-
oner that if he had any defense to make it
was now the proper time to make it, Mr..
Brownlow rose and addressed the court IS
follows:
"Your honor and gentlemen Of the jury,
Ihave up to this time kept silence upon the
accusations under which 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. I wish to
GOV r.ct hot how
posed no objection when the prosecution
pried into my domestic matters to an extent
that was altogether unjusti6able, whatever
the 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 l have doneNsO because
felt :-sat was in thf hands Of the law,
which respect and always have respected
and have never broken, and that l was in
the presence of judge who would guaran-
tee me fair trial and before jury of in
telligence competent to see the truth of
this case when l should find it time to speak
The facts in this matter are these: was
going out to dine with Mrs. Brownlow at
the house of some friends on Tuesday, the
l4th. While waiting for the moment of
leaving l wrote a letter, and when my wife,
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 l persisted
that 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 no one in the
world but me, and that l was happy when
could make her suffer; that I had certainly
some love affair because / went out at times
without her, and because / carefully hid
from her my correspondence. / answered
her that she immensely exaggerated her
mlsfortunes and my wrong doing. My only
care was to make her happy. Ibid not sue
coed in convincing her; she became very
angry and made disagreeable remarks upon
the disparity of our fortunes and declared
to re that she was unable any longer to
Dear the conditions Of life such as l made
them to her. 1 opposed great GOODNESS to
this. With all my care perhaps was wrong
enough to smile at her vehement when her
anger took still grs character and she
told me that she was .etermined to leave
me. answered her: 1t shall be as you
please"
SAT these words sh ewtoward me with
a threatening gestL and said: Repeat
what you have just n said and 60 imme-
diately. Repeat it. I re you to repeat it ;
cit was not the first time that Mrs
Brownlow had become excited in my pres
ence. She had thrt ned once before to
leave the house, and had Gained her with
some concessions and show of affection, but
the repetition of the threat irritated me-
Being persuaded that it was thing which
must happen daily for every light discus
sion, repeated 1T shall be as you please
"My wife went out Of the room l de-
sired to wait until she came back of her
own free will, but inasmuch as this little
dispute had lasted some little time and
was afraid we should be late for the dinner
to which we had been invited, arose to &c
for her. She was not m her room l
searched the whole house; could not find
her. Since then have not seen her, neither
have learned where she may be, nor do ]
know any thing more about the case"
VI 81