The Wichita daily eagle. [volume] (Wichita, Kan.) 1890-1906, 1890-11-07
HIS OWN DEFENSE.

1
you pass on this request, l should Like TO
make a statement myself"
"What is it, Mr.. Langs" asked the judge.
tits Just this" said Mr.. Lang with
something more than his usual acerbity;
you remember of course that when this
nan. Cephas Love, was first brought to
| trial be was without counsel. that he re-
| fused TO secure any, and that you therefore
peremptorily appointed me as such. The
| appointment was useless. for the defendant
| has absolutely and Internationally refused
| to say a word to me concerning his case.
81 wish it to be distinctly understood,
| however, that this silence Of the defendants
has been maintained in the face of my most
! diligent efforts 10 break down his reserve,
for while first accepted your honor's in
| junction perfunctcrily, ended by becom-
| ing deeply interested in what is certainly
unique case-so far as my practice goes.
| What wish to state with particular stress
| is that am absolutely and entirely ignor-
ant Of the nature of the statement which
| Mr.. Love has asked permission to make.
In fact. sir, all / can officially claim TO
| know of this man is that on the 18th of
| this month of August, 1890, he was found
! in the very act Of throttling another man
| to death at No $50 Pine street; that he
was arrested in Gagrante delictu by Officer
| Thomson, and that lie has been confined IN
the city prison ever since. He is no more
a client of mine than he is your honor, and
/ IL would be a gross misuse of terms to style
! him defendant
! As Mr. Lang sat down the man referred
I to rs Cephas Love shook hands with him
cordially, and repeated his request for a
| hearing
at is a rather unusual proceeding at
| this stage of the trial, said the judge, ''for
a person in your position to make state
ment, but the whole proceedings in this
! case have been unusual Moreover have
not the right to deny you. Do you wish
your statement to appear as evidence"
eyes, sir"
"Take your place on the witness stand
J then and be sworn"
! He repeated the clerks mumble-jumble
of words with slow emphasis, and laid an
! information upon the concluding words,
$50 help me, God" that gave them rev.
erential effect not often heard in that court
| room.
/ The sketch which the artist of morning
paper was at this moment making showed
tiny, neat man, sitting primly with
( crossed legs and smoothing out the folds
{ of a red silk handkerchief spread over his
knees. His hands, face and scalp were of
] false ruddiness that was caused by net
work of small veins in the skin, and that
was made all the more vivid by the con-
trast of fringe of fax white hair and two
/ patches of close trimmed whiskers that lay
on each cheek ike small powder puffs.
His eyes were light blue and moist, his lips
thin and straight, and the rest of his feat
ures ordinary and inexpensive. He was
dressed in a suit of dark gray clothes, and
! looked something between an upper SER
want and a small lawyer. There had been
even more than the usual interest felt in
the case, the court room was crowded, and
when the prisoner began there was a
! strained attention to hear what he had to
say.
"My name is correctly given on the docu-
ments IN the case, believe" he began, "be-
sides which it has been on the city direc-
| tory for the past thirty-two years. 1t is
Cephas Clavering Love, although the mid
die name is very seldom used. 1 am 60
years of age, and was born at Memphis,
Tenn, on the 18th of April, 1927. / came
to San Francisco thirty-three years come
next Christmas eve, and for twenty-one
! firm of Kittridge & Shaw, as believe your
honor well knows. For the past twelve
years have been engaged in the law sta
tionery department Of Messrs. Rocker Sc
! Co. These gentlemen, together with many
| others, understand l nave the right to
summon as witnesses TO testify as to my
! general good character, but / shall put
none of them to this inconvenience''-
Proceed, Mr. Love-" said the judge, for
the witness mad stopped, and was nervous
ly rubbing the palms of his small, withered
hands with his handkerchief.
THANK you, your honor" said the old
man; I'm not used to making long
speeches. All ! need further say in any
preliminary way about myself is that 1 am
a widower, with one married daughter
living in Norfolk, Va; that am member
of DR.. Wallis church; that 1 live temper
ately, drinking but little and smoking
less; that am quiet, law respecting, God
fearing old man Yet l sit here today in
, this court a murderer.
"Your honor" exclaimed Mr.. Lang,
once more rpringing to his feet, 81 must
insist that the witness be instructed.
Your honor knows that plea of not
guilty was entered in the court of examina-
entered in this court of arrangement. This
man is on trial; he has not been convicted,
and / call upon your honor to instruct the
witness that he must not use such terms
of self accusation, as well as to inform the
jury that they pay no attention TO the wild
words of the witness"
The witness is thoroughly conversant
with legal practices, l believe, Mr.. Lang, :"
! 81 r,,11 2 -
gravity of his position and the necessity
for carefully weighing what he has to say.
| Nevertheless, if
Excuse me, your honor" said the old
man Love gently stretching out some
what shaky hand toward the judge; you
need not caution me, your honor / am,
rs you say. thoroughly aware of the grav-
ity of my words-and position. What
| say is simply the truth, and the truth can
:ajure no one. l am a murderer, and
purpose telling the story of my crime with
out attempting any palliation."
There was a stir in the court room, and
yelled woman-the mother of the victim,
it was said-leaned forward in her chair
and sobbed.
Your honor" cried Mr.. Lang, again on
those ready feet Of his, there is an at
! behpO az eSHSatiOha4ASlI AcASs Win q VI
brating forefnger pointed in the direction
of the sobbing woman, "and ask that it
be stopped
"Well, now" said the prosecuting at
torney with hot sarcasm, I'VE must say we
like that. During the whole Of these pro
ceedings we haven't said q blessed word.
/ We've allowed you 10 put your man on the
witness stand with all the stage effect you
wanted and without boo, and now, De
| cansn this NOR hareared rrnrnnn-fhis