Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1891-12-04
GIVEN TO THR JURY.
Argument In the L. Coint Case Coucluded
This Afterpoon.
M oESEsrR AND Ma THOMAS SPEAK poR TIE
DEFENSE AND DISTRICT ATTORNEY COLE MAKES
THE CLOSING ADDRESS FOR THE PROSECUTION
JuDeK BRApLHYs CHARGE


M oExEsrK AND M THOMAS spKAK ron TIE
DEFENSE AND DISTRICT ATTORNEY COLE MAKES
THE CLOSING ADDRESS FOR THE PROSECUTION
JUDGE BRApLRY's CHARGE.
The lie CONT assault case occupied the atten-
ton of the Criminal Courtagain today and as
usual there was . large crowd Of would-be
| spectators, but the majority of them were re-
fused admittance at the door. Judge Bradley
took his seat within two minutes Of 10 o'clock.
| and the court was formally opened. The roll
OF the regular panel Of the jury was called over
by Clerk Williams and then the special panel
that is engaged upon the lie CONT trial. All
were present promptly on time The regular
panel was excused until Monday morning at 10
o'clock
Mr.. Geneste proceeded with his argument al
the point where he left Oh yesterday afternoon
when court adjourned He said that Mr..
Ciagett In the opening argument had referred
to this as a mysterious case, In which the under
current Of facts had not been brought out.
This was far from the wish OF the counsel for
the defense. They only wished that more Of
the inside facts of the case had been brought
to light.
Mr. cLAaErT OBJECTS.
Mr.. Clagett who had Just entered the court
room, interrupted the speaker to object to his
statement that the counsel for the prosecution
had full knowledge of the facts. and had only
allowed such to leak out a. would support their
case.
Judge Bradley sustained Mr.. Clagett in the
stand he had taken. Mr. Geneste, he said,
must confine himself to the consideration Of
what had been proved in this case and not
what might have been proved. The court was
responsible for much that had been excluded.
keeping it out, as he had done, on the ground
that 1t was not proper and competent evidence.
MIR. Gereste then said that he would devote
himself TO the argument raised by the prosecu-
ton that the defendant had a paramour, and
this offered a motive for him to shoot his wife.
He spoke at some length upon the testimony
OF Mrs. lie CONT that she had found her hus-
band In Miss Eatous room on Friday morning
OF the week preceding the shooting The
room was small, he said. and the witness ad-
United that she went into the room at the
earliest opportunity, and yet had not been
able to find her husband there. 1t was i'm
possible for the man to have escaped from that
room by avoiding the vigilance of Mrs. lie
CONT, who was on the lookout in the hall for
MIN ali that night. Yet notwithstanding all
her suspicious that all was not as 1t should be
between Miss Eaton and her husband, Mrs. lie
Coint according to her own story continued to
regard Miss Eaton as her bosom friend This
state OF things was an unnatural one and tended
to throw discredit upon Mrs. LIE Coint's entire
story.
THE CIRCUMSTANCES OF THE SHOOTING.
Mr.. Geneste continued the argument that all
the evidence in the case went to show that
there we're improper relations existing between
the defendants wife and the witness Frost
lhey were In Miss Eaton's room when she I'M
fortunately went to sleep. Frost took dis
honorable advantage Of the occasion and did
what he could not do in the defendants room.
for Mrs lie Coints little boy was asleep in that
room.
When the defendant came upstairs he found
MS VIE emerging from the rear room. She
attempted to prevent him from entering that
room and he saw the figure OF a man there.
AIR. Geneste spoke earnestly of the feelings that
must necessarily overcome q husband under
such circumstances, aud said that if there was
any state of things in the world that would JUS
tify man III using deadly weapon il was that
In which Lee ONT sOund himself that night
Mr.. Geneste closed at a few minutes before
II O'Clock, and, as AZ. Thomas rose to speak.
Judge Bradley remarked that he would have to
finish his address by IL O'Clock. Dir Claget:
had opened III less than an hour, Mr.. Geneste
had spoken altogether for two hours and
Mr. Cole to an hour and o half in closing the
case.
Mr. THOMAS sEPAKs FOR THE DEfESsK
Mr.. Thomas, in beginning his speech for the
defendant, explained how he became connected
with the present case. and spoke of it as one
that had been conducted as though dollars and
cents were at stake instead of the liberty of a
human being. Little consideration had been
shown the defendant and his counsel had been
shut out in their efforts to put in much of the
testimony that would be of service to his side
OF the case. He criticised the methods used
by Mr.. Clagett in his opening address in deal
ing with giittering generaiities instead of with
the facts In the case. The result was that the
defense did not know what the prosecution
claimed. and even the Jury would not know
what their position was until Mr.. Cole had had
his final say.
Mr.. Thomas spoke Of the animus that actu-
sted the witnesses for the prosecution. The
boarding house in which the shooting occurred
had been referred to as an eminently respect
able place. In respectable boarding houses the
boarders are wont to so to bed at seasonable
hours. There was much in the life at Mrs
Rogers boarding house that was open to criti-
clsm, and in his opinion Mrs. Rogers was as
much an interested party in the present trial
as the defendant at the bar. Frost too, was a
hands.
Mr.. Thomas consumed something less than
an nour IN his address, and at its conclusion
Mr.. Cole arose at once to begin the closing
argument
DISTRICT ATTORNEY COLES CLOSING ARGUMENT
Mr.. Cole said that the lawyers for the defense
and perhaps the defendant himself were dis
gruntled because the prosecution had not con-
Quoted the case in a manner that best suited
them. The trouble with the defense was that
they had not a particle Of proof on which to
rely ana were endeavoring to work up a feel
ing In the matter that would clear their client
They had made what they probably
considered telling move when they Of
fered TO let down the bars and admit
all the evidence that might have any bearing
upon the case. This was very nice, but it was
contrary to propriety and ali rules of law The
N an spv rod tn