Barton County democrat. [volume] (Great Bend, Kan.) 1885-1915, 1889-06-27

| the conversation. He declared that he
would have no lawyer and would defend
himself when the time came, and he still
| persisted on making no explanation to any
body about his part of the AFFAIR. The day
for the trial came and Mr.. Brownlow was
| placed In the prisoners bar before the
Judge. The charge was read, and to the
question Of the clerk, whether he was guilty
or not guilty, he responded in clear toce:
ssNot guilty"
ssMr Brownlow," asked the Judge, ssare
you represented by counsel!''
ssNo, sir, was the reply.
s.Do you not wish counsel to be appointed
for your
ssNo, sir,'' said Mr.. Brownlow. 81 pro-
pose to defend myself"
ssThis is very serious matter, Mr.
Brownlow," said the Judge, stcrnly, ''and
you do not do right to yourself or to the COM
munity by refusing to avail yourself OF such
opportunities as may be right to clear your
self of the charge which you have persist
emily denied"
Mr.. Brownlow smiled, bowed his head and
said not a word.
The Judge thought the matter over for
several minutes, and, finally, turning to the
prisoner, said:
ST shall exercise the discretion vested in
me by the law and appoint counsel for you,
and in doing so shall choose one whom
ll1nK ubt0Q 10 I6pIcSCul yOu 1dlbu4O1iy III
this court Mr. Henry Parker will act as
your attorney
The gentleman named by the judge was
in the courtroom, as were great many
other young lawyers attracted by the case
and its peculiar circumstances. Mr.. Parker
felt that piece of the greatest good fortune
had fallen to him on being chosen to act as
counsel for very wealthy man, and he I'M
mediately rose to move the adjournment of
ho ooeo until no co1116 have consultation
with his client.
The motion was Immediately granted, and
Mr.. Parker consulted with his client with
out delay. Mr.. Brownlow received him
coldly.
81 understand" said the young lawyer,
ssthe peculiar delicacy of the situation in
which we find ourselves. You receive me
unwillingly and come to you unbidden by
yoursen and yet compelled to come by the
order Of the court. Now, you will under
stand that in our relations nothing which is
said shall be prejudicial to your interests.
It is highly important that I should know
the truth in this case in order to represent
your interests intelligently. Will you not
| disclose your knowledgeof the matter to me
for this purpose?'
s'Mr. Parker" said Brownlow, coldly, 81
appreciate your courtesy, but I can say
nothing. desire no defense, and you will
the case"
The young lawyer argued for nearly an
hour with his obdurate client, but could
get no concessions from him of the nature
that he desired. Day afterday he made
similar attempts, and when the adjourned
date of the trial came to hand he was no
nearer to his object than before.
CHAPTER
Never before in the history of the
general sessions court had there been
such crowds at the doors as when the
day came for Mr.. Brownlow's trial. The
circles, his great wealth, and, perhaps,
more than all, his extraordinary de-
| meanor since the disappearance of his wife,
| had aroused public interest to the utmost.
Clubmen and lawyers were there in abun-
dance, and a score of fashionably- dressed
ladies waited patiently at the door of the
court until it should be opened to admit
them. Measures finally had to be adopted
| to exclude all except the witnesses and
| those who were intimately related to the
| parties concerned in the trial itself, and
| even then the stuffy room was uncomforta-
bly, crowded. The judge entered at few
minutes before eleven O'Clock, and, i'm
mediately after him, Mr.. Brownlow was
brought in and placed in the prisoners box.
|
proceedings, which included the formal &C
cusation and the securing of a jury from
| the panel Inasmuch as Mr.. Brownlow
!, still persisted in refusing to employ coun-
sci, the process Of getting jury was COM
paratlvely a short one. At one point the
prisoner addressed the court as juror was
| being examined for admission into the box,
| and said:
''Your honor, may ask if the law allows
me the privilege of challenging jurors who
are to sit in this case?"
cit does,'' replied the court. ssYou may
challenge, either for cause, or, if good cause
| is not shown, you are allowed the right OF
twenty peremptory challenges"
'Very well,' replied Mr. Brownlow, 81
peremptorily challenge this man"
sBut," cried the court. in establishment
che has not been accepted yet by the prose
cution, and you waste your challenge until
you see whether the prosecution wishes hin
to sit in the box"
''That does not matter said Mr.. Brown
low. 81 do not want this man on the jury
and 80 shall now challenge him, not to con
sumo time unnecessarily"
Lawyers in the courtroom glanced a
each other significantly, and the dlstric
attorney was SO nonplussed at this actor
on the part of the prisoner that he stood
perfectly still for half minute before hs
turned to the juror and said:
ssYou are dismissed, sir.'' The truth wa:
that MIR. Brownlow's conduct since his ar
rest had led not few people conversan
with legal matters to believe that he was
insane, and shrewd lawyers had said t.
each other that the prisoner had undOubt
edly adopted this course with view to
making insanity his defense, and that he
was doing so in the cleverest way possible
inasmuch as every act of his would tend t,
make jurymen think him insane withou
having that matter brought directly to tnei
attention by a lawyer. When the jur.
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 tn
disappearance of Mrs. Brownlow and thu
work of the detectives in hunting up evi
dence after that time. He then proceede,
to call various witnesses, and presenter
their testimony to the court. The servant
of the Brownlow house were the first t
; testify. They told all the history of tn
: family since Mr.. Brownlow's marriage, Civ
! ing great number of ugly and disagree
able details, which seemed to have grow
| in bad flavor since the time that the wit
y pesses knew that they were to be Gale