The state chronicle. [volume] (Raleigh, N.C.) 1883-1893, 1889-07-26

CuSSlOn. feel that III closing TINS debate
| should be as brief as duty Will permit,
and such will be my aim. Farther argu
men may be unnecessary, but 4 summary
Of the leading facts aud 4 reply 10 what
has been said in behalf Of the respondeIt
may possibly help You toward a just deter
mination of tie issues presented, and is
necessary to proper discharge of the duty
dcVOlvIng upon me.
Hoped to Find Him Innocent,
Gentlemen, when left my home in an
9wer to the call for my services III this
case it was with the honest hope that the
accused might establish his Innocence of
ali the very grave charges which had been
brought against nina hope based not
Onl. upon that regard for the honor and
welfare of my native State which ought 10
inspire all Of her sons, but also upon a
kindly sentiment arising out of an acquain
tance with Or. u, lasOm from my boyhood.
| came with a judicial mind, and the first
words | said to my associate counsel upon
my arrival We're, that If the allegation that
a conspiracy existed to destroy the accused
was justified by the evidence. ! would be
the first person to denOunce it. Alas, Sir,
this CATION of conspiracy, upon which
his defence is based, has dwindled into
frutlesS attempt to excuse himself from
responsibility for the offences alleged
against him by showing that another for
whom be was responsible has also been
guilty Of as great offences. The allegation
is more than fruitlesS. 1t Is admitted to
be untrue so far as John W. Thompson is
concerned Not one Of the counsel for Dr.
Grissom has Ventured to utter word re
tiecting upon the character or the motives
OF Mr.. Thompson. He stands before YOU
the defendant and his counsel themselves
bearing witness to the fact an honorable,
kind, Intelligent, big hearted, generous
man, who would scorn a mean act. and
they but echo the universal voice of all
who know him when they attribute to him
such a character.
Thompson No ImbeciIe.
Recognizing the force of this pregnant
fact, and driven to The necessity OF finding
some sufficient motive for Mr.. Thompson
to engage in what they have persistently
and vocferously declared to be a wicked
and malicious conspiracy, they say that
this big, strong, honest and sensible man,
has been led into it like an imbecile by the
willy hand Of young Dr. Rogers that like
the Moor of Venice he opened his ears to
the poisonous words of this Iago, until they
drove him blindly to do a desperate deed.
All, gentlemen there WAS Il I}esdemona in
this case, but John w. Thompson had no
! interest in her there WAS jealousy, as tes-
| tilted TO hv one of the defendants own
witnesses, bat the green eyed monster
never fastened lis fangs upon the hear,
of JOhu ". Thompson. There was moth
| ing in that heart upon which a cunning
| Iago could play until il VAS lashed into
| fury.
| neIOis,n seldom Exhibited.
John W Thompson had nothing TO gain
| by prosecuting DR.. GriSsom. even if he
was convicted, while he had everything
to lose if he was acquitted. He already
had al! he could hope to get at the asy
lum. He had been the steward for eight
| years, and, being in good repute witt
everybody could continue to hold the posi-
ton as long aS he pleased. He knew tha
Dr. Grissom welded widespread an(
powerful influence al! over the State. ant
that in arraigning him before this Roart
and the people of North Carolina, he wa
assaultng one who for years had exhaus
ted every resource of d fertile brain in for
tifyng his position. He fully realized tn
situation, and yet with a heroism seldom
exhibited under such circumstances, b
manfully marched out with the banner O
truth and purity and justice in his han'
to fight the battle, single handed if neces
sary, in behalf of the good people of Mort
Carolina He repudiateS with contemp
the allegation that he is the victim of tn
cunning wiles of DR.. Rogers or anybod
} else. He said frankly, while on the wit
: ness stand, in answer to the question c
, counsel why he had SO long delayed actio
} in this matter, that it was one of the sin