Telegram-herald. ([Grand Rapids, Mich.) 18??-1892, 1891-04-09
TALKING TOTHE JURY
CROWDS SURGE IyIo COURT ROOM
To Catch the FaiHsess Syllable Uttered
kither tor Agatnst the Aooasea-
The 1ass Wali Probably go 10
the jnry IeasghG

II 10 almost over. In twenty-four
hours more Wm. Eaesn viii ee free to
breathe the All OF spring untfsmmeliea,
or ne will pace a dungeon cell. All day
long as be listened 10 words of testl-
mony or 10 the arguments Of counsel
to the jury. q look OF the intensity of
realization Was dellneated on ms care
worn countensnoe. AT times while nis
attorney was speaking OF him and his
widowed mother. tears streamed down
ms taoe While the poor old woman
sobbed aloud,
Bemnd the bar railing crowded into
every available inch OF standing room
stood a motley collection o. men. boys.
women and garls, while inside the raj
every seat WAS occupied by witnesses.
lawyers and especially favored iew WHO
always manage 10 secure front seaIs,
even al circus. The Kaleidoscope
aggregation OF faces was at once solemn
aud llldlcrons. The old man OF seventy
wears, w,tn gray and scrawney shiskers,
peeped over the shoulder OF bright
school girl, while the shaTp-eut features
OF prndIsh female might be detected
IN iuxtaposltlon 10 the bloaJed and M
famed face OF beer gnzzler. On all
the faces intense curiosity wss deplcled.
A low hum OF conversation disturbed
the quiet OF the place until toe balllt
announced that ihe court was ~ ses-
sion, and then silence ensued that be-
came painful until the FIRST witness MAS
called.
The Defense Continued.
Patrick Rogers. for the defense. was
too SICK To appear on the witness stand.
and James Wslsh was the first witness
OF the day. He stated that Eagan bore
a good character.
DR.. Wood wss placed on the stand as
an expert. He had read the testimony
of the phyacians and said that he
should expect man who had received
such injuries as O'Connors, bat that Il
was impossible 10 tell IN this case
whether death resulted from the blows,
intoxication, the cold. or from all conf
bined. The last is the most probable
hypothesis.
Al this point Patrick Rodgers came
in looking very slck. He testified that
he had dealt oat the beer at the Per
kin's dance three times. and that II was
free for all, and that the next day he
egg covered with blood near the body.
The defense rested.
Talking To the Jury.
The afternoon witnessed the begin
ning of the end. Mr.. Mcknight opened
the argument for the people. While
he spoke Esgan watched him closely
and with knitted brows and fingers
clutching and relaxing.
seemed to realize that a few more
hours would gave HIM freedotnlor living
death. HIS family seemed 20 share MS
suffering. Air. Mcknight went on and
gave the definitions OF murder IN the
first and second degrees, manslsnghter IN
and lustlfiable homicide. He then en-
tered upon = review of the testimony,
claiming that the evidence pointed
conclusively TO crime of the FIRST
degree. AS he exhibited the garments
of VConnor the crowd hungry for sen
satlonal details arose and craned their
necks 10 safely Its morbid curiosity.
Mr.. McknIgnts arrangement began
shortly after two O'Clock and lasted for
one hour and forty minutes.
sauisbury's Eloauenc~ @.
recess of ten minutes was given
and the argument for the defence was
begun by Mr.. Salisbury. in hls review
of the testimony he dwelt particularly
upon the action of Eagan as showing
that there was no malice, no fore
thought, IN any OF his actions on the
fatal night. tnat everything 10 the con-
irary pointed TO the death as entirely
accidental or caused by the action OF
Eagsn in seli-dcfense. His address
was long. tresome and spirtless, and
its effect upon the audience was such
as TO thin out the attendance percept-
IDLY. Before It's close court adjourned
yesterday afternoon 20 begin again to-
day. Mr.. Mathewson, for the defense,
will speak this morning, and his argu-
ment VIII probably occupy al The fore
noon. In the afternoon Mr.. McGarry
will close the case foT the prosecution.
1t is expected toat the jury vii retire
for tie formation Of the verdict after I
O'Clock. Considerable speculation is
being INDUCED IN a. TO the probable out
come, and opinions sre numerous and
freely expressed al the way from lnno-
cence 10 murder in the first degree.