Evening journal., 1890-03-04
LEcoNEY,s AcotIIrrAl
what the Philadelphia Editors Think Of
the Verdict.


Philadelphia Times: Whatever opin-
ion any readers of the newspapers
may have formed as TO the guilt or inno-
cence Of Chalkley LeConey, there will be
little surprise at the verdict of acquittal
rendered by the jury yesterday. Our
law does not recognize the Scotch verdict.
mot proven. The evidence against
LeConey being entirely circumstantial, IL
was necessary that the net should be
woven with such completeness as to leave
no loophole for his escape. The jury,
who heard all the testimony, clearly did
not feel that this had been dore."
Philadelphia Ledger: "Fhe LeConey
trial is happily over. In all ways it is a
relief to know we are to have no more of
it,
Philadelphia Record "The verdict of
acquittal in the trial Of Chalkley
LeConey for the murder Of his niece,
Annie LeConey, will be generally ap-
proved by those who have followed the
tedious details Of the trial. The circum-
stantial evidence against the accused,
though strong, did not SO cohere as TO do
away with doubt and the direct evi.
dence based on alleged admissions made
by LeConey to Murray and Smith, was
AhNaiAJ NN"hiA1A W IIDo4 VI blt uuItllh-
bility Of those witnesses. Chalkley Le-
Coney gets off, ruined in fortune and
in regulations for the stigma Of the
suspected crime will follow him
until the real murder shall stand dis
closed The case against him was largely
newspaper and detective case, like the
KniiIin murder case in Trenton TO hunt
murderers in this manner Is like hunting
for deer with dinner horns"
Philadelphia Inquirer: "Cha ikley
LeConey has been acquitted Of the mur-
der Of his niece Under the instructions
Of the court the jury could scarcely do
anything else. They were instructed that
there was no evidence to show that there
was premeditation IN this case, such as
TO warrant a verdict Of murder in the
first degree. Almost in the same breath
they were told that the sanguinary cir
cumstances surrounding this crime seem
to prove it to be one OF such transcen-
dental atrocity that even the severest
punishment known to the law would be
inadequate to punish the perpetrator.
Taken together, the two expressions
must seem TO the average juryman al
most tantamount TO a direction to
acquit.
Philadelphia Press THE most telling
argument in behalf of ChallSley LeConey
was made, not by his counsel, eloquent
and able as they are but by the Silent
and sometimes sobbing woman, the
mother Of the murdered girl, who testi-
fed to her abiding faith in the defen-
dant's innocence by sitting through the
weary trial az his side Surely mother S
instinct would not 60 so far astray as to
allow her to give aid and comfort to her
daughters murderer. The unwavering
loyalty of Chalkley LeConey's family and
friends in the face of this terrible accusa-
tion discounted all the direct and indi-
rect evidence against him. Since they
in the face of the evidence pronounced
him guiltless, who ought to accept the
improbable story of characterless negro
field hand and half imbecile woodsman2
Who then murdered poor Annie Le-
ConeyY We greatly fear it will never be
known, and that this most wicked crime
will 20 unpunished.