The Dispatch. [volume] (Provo City, Utah) 1891-1895, 1891-05-23
The Brightest Paper in this Section
HIS OWN DEFENSE.

make a siatements"
'Your honor" cried Lawyer Lang
springing to his feet, your honor, before
you pass on this request, | should like tC
make a statement myself"
"What is it, Mr.. Lang?" asked the Judge
It's just this" said Mr. Lang witt
something more than his usual acerbity
you remember of course that when this
man, Cephas Love, was first brought t.
trial he 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 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 to break down his reserve
for whine l first accepted your honor's in.
junction perfunctorily, l ended by becom-
ing deeply interested in what is certainly a
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
]
this month of August, 1890. he was found
in the very act of throttling another man
to death at No. S63 Pine street; that he
was arrested in 1lagrarte delictu by Officer
Thomson, and that he has been confined in
the city prison ever since. he is no more
a client of mine than he is your honor, and
1t would be gross misuse of termI 20 styl>
him defendant"
As Mr.. Lang sat down the man referred
TO as Cephas Love shook hands with him
cordially, and repeated his request :or a
hearing.
ut is a rather unusual proceeding at
this stage of the trial, - said the Judge, ''for
a person in your position to make a state
men, but the whole proceedings in this
case have been unusual Moreover l have
not the right to deny you. Do you wish
your statement to appear rs evidenced"
eye, sir"
'Take your place on the witness stand
then and be swOrn.'
lie repeated the clerks mumble-iumble
of words with slow emphasis. aud laid an
information upon tie concluding words,
$50 help me- God, " that gave them a rev
erential effect not often heard in that court
room.
q
paper was at this moment making showed
tiny, neat man, sitting primly with
crossed legs and smoothing out the folds
of Il red silk handkerchief spread over his
knees. His hands, face and scalp were of
false ruddiness shat 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 flax white hair and two
a+r,l,r e Il. I II
on each cheek ike small powder puf7s
His eyes were light blue aud moist, his lips
thin and straight, and the rest of his feat
ures ordinary and Inexpensive. He was
dressed in suit Of dark gray clothes, and
loGZcI something retween an upper ser
vat ans! q small lawyer. There had been
even more than the Usual interest felt in
tie case, the court room was crowded, and
when the prisoner began there was
strained attention TO hear what he had TO
say.
my name is corr ectly 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 tlirty-two years. It is
Cephas Clavering Love, although the mid
die name is very seldom used. | am GO
years of age, and was born at Memphis.
Tenn, on the 18th of April, 1927. came
to San Francisco thirty-three wears come
next Christmas eve, and for twenty-one
years thereafter was a clerk for the law
firm of Kit;ridge & Shaw, as l believe YOUR
honor wei knows For the past twelve
years | have been engaged in the law sta
tionery department Of Ncssrs. Rocker &
Co. These gentlemen, together with many
others, ] understand | have the right to
summon as witnesses to testify as to my
general good character, but | shall put
none Of them to this inccnvenience''-
Proceed, Mr.. Love- said the Judge, for
the witness had stopped, and was nervous
ly rubbing the palms OF his small, withered
hands with his handkerchief.
Thank you, your honor" said the old
man; Pm not used to making long
speeches. All need further say in any
preliminary way about myself is that | am
widower, with one married daughter
living in Norfolk, Va; that am a mexlber
or DR.. Walls church; that | live temper
ately, drinking but little and smoking
less; that am quiet, law respecting, God
fearing old man. Yet | sit here today in
this court a murderer"
"Your honor" exclaimed Mr. Lang.
once more spgingIng to his feet, "I must
insist that The witness be instructed.
Your honor knows that a plea of not
guilty was entered in the court of examina-
ton. and similar plea has been formally
entered in this court of Arrangement This
man is on trial; he has not been convicted.
and l 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, believe, Mr. Lang"
said the judge, "and fully appreciates the
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 a some
what shaky hand toward the Judge: You
need not caution me, your honor. am.
as you say. thoroughly aware Of the gray
ity of my words-and position What !
say is simply the truth, and the trash can
injure no one. / am murderer, and !
purpose telling the story of my crime with
out attempting any palliation"
There was a stir in the court room. and
a yelled woman-the mother OF the victim.
1t 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
tempt at sensationalism here" with Vi
brating foreinger pointed in the direction
of the sobbing woman, "and ask that it
be stopped"
"Well, now" said the prosecuting at
torney with hot sarcasm, eve must say we
like that During the whole of these pro-