St. Paul daily globe. [volume] (Saint Paul, Minn.) 1884-1896, 1889-11-02
THE OTHER SIDE.
Judge Koon Makes q Masteriy
Opening address.

y
Opening Address.
The first thing l n the afternoon Judge
Shaw arose, and with manuscript i'm
his hands from which he read, made a
formal motion that the evidence of ID. f
Ames, one of the experts for the state,
be stricken from the case on the ground
that it showed that it was originally and
partly founded upon an examination in
New York of signatures said to be those
of MIR. Blaisdell. which had not been
produced by the prosecution and identi-
fed as genuine signatures.
He supported this motion by an ex-
tended argument IN which he sought to
show that in order to render the testi-
mony admissible, all of the signatures
examin ed should have been put in evil
dence and submitted to the jurymen for
their examination In order that they
might be able to decide whether the
conclusions Of the witness were correct
or not.
He followed this up with a like mo-
ton as to the testimony of G. G. Curtiss.
The defense made no reply, but Judge
Hooker promptly overruled the motions
and the defense took exceptions.
Judge Koon then arose to open the
CdCC W lllC July IOk buC uClCuoCs LII
substance he said:
Gentlemen of the Jury: Before the
defense i'm this case proceeds to lay
before you its testimony it is proper
that we should make brief statement
of our position, and that task has been
assigned to me. 1t is one from which /
admit that / shrink and would gladly
escape. In the course of practice of
about twenty-five years this is about
the first instance in which l have under
taken to conduct or assist in the defense
of prisoner charged with crime. l
make no claims to being criminal law
yer, nor am l skilled or an adept in
the arts which are usually deemed
essential in a successful conduct of that
branch of the legal profession. l am
not here for glory or for the emOiu-
ments which may be in the case, but as
cerely believe is innocent OF the grave
offense of which he stands charged. l
believe this to be the case just as hon.
estly and fully as my brother, the coun-
ty attorney, has said he believes him to
be guilty. / believe that he is sur
rounded by chain Of circumstances
which place him in a perilous condi-
ton, and as friend feel bound to do
all that lies la my power within the
bounds of propriety and Of law to rescue
him from that position.
..You, gentlemen, have a solemn duty
ia perform. The court and the counsel
may err; witnesses may bear false testi-
mony. All this may be rectified; but,
gentlemen, if you err in your final de-
cisiOn no power this side of heaven can
correct that error.
mo doubt you consider this an irksOme
duty, from which you would be gladly
relieved, but it is your duty to hear
this case on both sides with patience
and impartiality and to so decide it that
after years may bring no pangs-of re-
greet.
81 assure you, gentlemen. that We ask
no verdict at your hands which is not
fully justified by the law and the facts,
nor do believe that the state asks any,
thing more than this. / believe that you
have gone into the jury box unbiased.as
you said you had, with your minds as
blank pieces of paper, so far as this
trial is concerned; with no prejudice,n0
passion, no feeling.
1.-The attorney for the state has told
you that the interests of society, the
safety of the state, demand that the