Wheeling register. [volume] (Wheeling, W. Va.) 1878-1935, 1890-09-30
BIRCHALL GUILTY
OF THE MURDER CT BENWELL, HIS YOUNG
ENGLISH COMPANION.
The Defendant weakens as the Chains Of Evidence
Tighten Around Him-His Counsel Makes an
Earnest Plea, But al 10 no Ayail-Ihe
Verdict Of the Jury.

WooDsToCK. ONT, September %
This is expected TO be the last day OF
the trial OF John Reginald Birchall. who
is charged with the murder OF +. {.
Benwell i'm Blcnheim swamp in Febru-
airy last. Interest in the case has stead
lily risen until now il exceeds anything
ever known in a similar case in the his
tory of Canadian criminal Jurisprudence.
At this moment the Court is about to
open. The room is already well filled,
and there is a Surging crowd outside
made up OF all sorts and conditions Of
people struggling forward to secure ad-
mission. Prominent among those in
the court room and just behind the
counsel for the defence and very near
the prisoners dock are Mrs. Birchall
and her sister Mrs WeSt-Jones. Mrs.
Birchall seems to have neryed herself
to listen to ali that Is going on, but
there IS wcarineSs in her face most
pitiful to see. Mrs. Wcst-Jones comes
in only because her sister must be sup
ported in the fearful ordeal. On pas
sing the dock she never once looked at
It's occupant, and even Mrs. Birchall
seems to dread to let her eyes rest upon
her husbands face
The prisoner was in his place carly.
At last the strain is telling upon him.
1t is evident that he did not sleep well
last night, but he shows nothing like
fear. but simply the nervousness and
look Of apprehension Of man who
feels that great events for him are hap
pening and that the time when it will
bc known what the future has in store
for him is fast approaching. The
jury look wonderfully fresh and well
kept considering the time they have
been confined.
FOREIGN INTEREST ~ THE TRIAL.
A remarkable fact in connection with
the trial is that. in addition To the rcgu-
lar force OF newspaper men. there is in
attendance a large stalf of stenogra-
piers employed by one Of the cable
companies, which has arranged to send
by cable verbatim reports OF Mr.. Black
stocks speech, the Judges charge and
a long report of Mr.. Osler's address as
well.
Preliminary to the speeches this
morning some evidence was taken.
Samuel McMastcr. telegraph mcSscn-
gers Niagara Falls, proved the deliv-
cry to Clerk O'Ncil Of the telegram pur-
porting to be from Benwell to Birchail.
.O'Nci was supposed to deliver the
message TO Birchall.
James Costina, 4 farmer, testified that
i'm the week when the body was found "a
Young man came to his house looking
for place to remain over night, but
witness was unable to keep him. He
heard Of the body being found at about
.. IN. on the day when il was diScOy-
cred. and thinking il might be the body
of his caller Of the night before, went TO
see the remains and decided they could
not have been those Of the caller. lie
came to the conclusion that the body
had been out in the storm of two nights
before as the shirt front was white
and clean rs though 40 rain or snow
had fallen upon it. Mr.. BlackStock,
the prisoners counsel, evidently labor
ed under great excitement and looked aS
1 II he had spent weary hours last night
in preparing his speech OF to-day. lie
began his address at seven minutes be-
fore ten. He thanked the Crown and
the Jury for the indulgence granted the
defense by an adjournment over Sunday,
which to them was an inestimable boon.
Many of the most enlightened coun-
tries. he said. had abolished capital
punishment. but while they lived under
| a government that upheld il, IL was
their duty TO obey the statutes Of the
country.
ELACKsroCk's SPEECH.