Wood County reporter. [volume] (Grand Rapids [i.e. Wisconsin Rapids], Wis.) 1857-1923, 1889-12-12
FOSTERS HONEYED WORDS.
Beggs' Attorney Gives Fanciful Ar
ray of Facts.
Denies That a Secret Committee Ex-
listed in Camp 20.
Refers to the Friendship Between
Alex. Sullivan and Beggs.

CHICAGO, Dec. w Zen court opened
this morning Mr.. Foster for Beggs, re-
sumed his address to the jury in his client s
behalf He begun by abiding to: THAT
meeting which has now become history,
that was held in Camp 20, Feb s." He
said there was no principle of law more
firmly established than that the burden of
proof is on the state, and that the ac-
cused cannot be compelled to prove his
innocence. He theni argued that his
clients guilt had not been proven. The
attorney then reviewed the conditions of
Camp 20, and held it to be ridiculous and
impossible to conclude that the murder of
DR.. Cronin was the outcome of any con
spiracy in the camp.
The charge that secret committee was
ever appointed in Camp 20 by Beggs the
speaker denied point blank There was no
positive proof of it and there was nothing
in the record to show that such an appoint
ment was made. 1t was true that motion
was made at the meeting of Feb. 8 to APP
point a secret committee, but that it was
lost I'm the suggestion that a request be
made the district officer to do something
to prevent the spreading of the caluminat
ing report against the executive committee.
That this was all there was of the secret
accusation the speaker was sure. In a
quiet way the states attorney picked up
the record of evidence and turning to that
offered by Dennis O'Connor, asked the
speaker to read where O'Connor said that
motion to appoint the committee was
made and carried. This the states at
torney thought proof of subsequent appoint
ments. The action affected Attorney
Foster much as red rag does an infuriated
bull and he yelled with all the force of his
lungs that to say that a secret committee
was appointed was lie as false as hell
and kept on until the Judge called him
down. The speaker then referred to the
failure of Attorney Ingham to score Beggs
with the severity with which he scored the
others, as if to make point that Mr..
Ingham thought his client, at least less
guilty than the others.
Foster denied emphaticall that any COM
mittee was appointed in Camp 20 to try
Cronin and had quite a tilt with the
states attorney on this point. Beggs, he
said had always counseed in favor of
peace and unity Continuing, he said:
Hang him, because he is a friend of
Alexander Sullivan? | do not know
whether he is or not. do know AleXan-
der Sullivan has been arrested IN this case;
been discharged under evidence by one of
the ableSt ana Oldest JurlStS thaG sltS upon
the bench in this state; that his case was
presented to the grand jury and the bill
ignored; that the bonds under which he
was required to answer had been cancelled
and he is free man. Now in the name
of conscience and In the name of heaven
will they ask you to convict my client be-
cause he is the friend of another man whom
they despise, bat against whom they can
prove no criminal act. | will not discuss
the question whether he and Alexander
Sullivan are friends or not. | do not
know, | do not care. After arguing
further as to evidence Foster told
the jury they must either find Beggs
worthy of death or acquit him entirely.
Forrest then began the closing argument
on behalf of the defense He began by
contrasting the methods used by orators
for prosecutions and those for defense, in
the treating of circumstantial evidence.
The prosecution treated it as a mass, but
the defense analysed each circumstance,
and this was the right method. He occu-
pied the remainder of the session reading
from legal works and making an exhaus-
tive statement on the application of cir
cumstantial evidence.