The Roanoke times. [volume] (Roanoke, Va.) 1890-1895, 1891-11-07
MANY LADIES IN THE COURT,
Wysor Makes the Opening Ar.
gument.
An Eloquent and Powerful Speech for
the observation-disclosures Brown Fol-
lows for the Defense-Locai Interest
In the Great Trial Increasing and tho
Courtroom Crowded.


NEwBERN, Va, Nov. 6.-lSpeciall-
More local interest was shown in the
Feagles murder trial to-day than before
at any stage of the proceedings. The
weather was bright, warm and delight
full, and, as a consequence, the cour
room was crowded in every part. The
gallery, over the rear portion of the
room, was filed with ladies almost en-
tirely. The stairways leading ND to
the gallery on either side of the room
Was closely packed, as we'll as the space
in the rear and at the sides and in from +
of the bar, and even within the clerks
enclosure and the judges bench. Two
Pulaski City clergymen, the Rev. w. A.
Book, of the Christian Church, and Rev.
G. q. Smeade, rector of the Episcopal
Church, found standing room on the
rostrum behind Judge Bolen's seat on
the bench. People were present from
all sections of the county, so deeply has
interest increased in this celebrated
trial.
The forensic battle was begun few
minutes past o'clock, j. Z. Wysor,
esq, leading off in tho argument. and
his brilliant and eloquent speech was
listened to with the closest attention.
Addressing first the court and then
the jury, Mr.. Wysor reminded the Jurors
that they occupied an unenviable posi-.
ton, for they were called upon to try
young man, in tho full flush of man.
hood. who had an aged mother, loving
and fond wifc, and sister and child, and
a lisping babe, for terrible crime, the
very mention OF which made all pause
and hold their breath. He continued
by saying that when the law lays its
hands upon man it afllicts the hearts
OF others, and by quoting.the Apostolic
statement that mo man liveth unto
himself and no man dieth unto him.
SELF.
"No man liveth unto himself" and II
the law shall take the life of William
A. Feagles many bitter tears will be
shed.sHNo man dieth unto himself. ("
and this is true of John H. Caddall. Bit
tor sorrow pierces the heart of his widow
and all the honey has been sucked out
OF her life. The nows of his death
struck CONSERVATION in this community
and shook our social fabric. Good wo-
men prayed that their homes might be
saved from such a visitation. The
crime of his Staying was an assault on
our civilization.
Every man before that occurrence
could sit under his own vine and fir
tree in safety. Now no one feels Sc.
cure, because q man has been murdered
in broad daylight. The killing of John
IL. Caddall was an assault on you, gem
tleman of the jury; on me; on our wives
and children, and, if there were no
other there is one man in this commu-
nifty who would do so, there is ono man
who would strike back at the murderer.
What is the crime of which William
A. Feagles Is charged?
1t is charged that on that beautiful
day the prisoner went and waylaid and
shot John III. Caddall, and beat his
brains with rock. The prisoner is
charged with nothing less; he could be
charged with nothing more. 1t is too
horrible, you say. My ply is that
somebody did it, and I could as we'll
think that a man with low, retreat
ing forehead, a wrinkled face and a
cold gray eye did it as some one else.
MIR. Wysor reviewed the testimony of
many OF the witnesses, weaving to.
gether the facts that he thought proved
tno gum Oh the prisoner. lie called
the jury's attention to the law of cir
cumstantial evidence, which he likened
to rope, one filiament of which by
itself was not strong enough to hang a
dog, but pile filiament on filiament and
1T would be strong enough to hang n
man.
Mr.. Wysor then rapidly scam I'd: other
portions of the testimony and showed
how severely it bore on tho guilt OF
Feagles. His description Of the death
scene as Caddall's spirit took it's de-
parture from his body was thrilling
and effective one.
Mr.. Wysor was followed by Judge r.
nj. Brown, of Pulaski city, who very
ably discussed the law OF circumstantial
evidence. and argued that properly APP
piled to this case the facts indicated
the innocence of the prisoner, and that
he ought TO be acquitted OF the crime OF
hich he stood charged.
Judge Brown spoke about an hour be.
fore dinner. and still longer time after
dinner.
Judge Brown was followed by NJ. r.
browning, who ably defended tho pris-
oner, lie had not concluded his argu-
ment when the court adjourned at $50.
shropshire shecp-Breeders.