, 1891-07-26

night.
The dagger was produced in court ant
identified by Simpson. 1t was Of Japa
nese manufacture, very sharp, with 1
curiOusly carved hilt.
Mrs. Simpson, called by the defense
testified that between eleven and lively,
o'clock on the night of February twenty.
five, she and her husband being then in
bed. and her husband asleep, she had re-
membered having left a candle burning
in an upper room of the house, she had
feared possible fire, and had therefore
put on her dressing gown and gone up
stairs to put out the candle. As she
passed the library door h looked
through. it being ajar, and saw Harry
Trent and another gentleman talking
| together. The other gentleman WA
snOrT-shOrter by "A good deal than Mr..
Trent-and hadra dark beard or whis-
kers. Sne had only a glimpse of him in
passing: he stood rather sidewise toward
her. She did not think he was seated,
but could not swear that he was not.
She was sure she saw hair on his face.
He did not at all resemble the prisoner.
She was able to give no explanation of
his being in the house. Mrs. Simpsons
evidence wa the oTdN thing of any
weight brought out in favor Of Darke,
but the old lady weakened a little under
ihe district attorneys severe crOss-ex-
animation.
Daniel Parker. a policeman on duty
near the house N the morning of Feb
ruary twenty-six, testified that he was
summoned by the witness Simpson at
fifteen minutes past six n. IN, and do
scribed the position in which he found
the body. After making Il brief survey
of the premises he got assistance and
communicated with the captain of his
precinct.
Frank Munroe, a detective, said that
the case had beer put in the hands Of the
detective bureau at eight o'clock on the
morning Of February twenty-six, and
that he had been detailed to investi-
gate il. There was n safe in the study
at the new house; it was open, and
it contained papers; by whom it had
been opened, and whether or not any
papers or valuables had been alb
stracted from it, there was nothing to
show. The windows of the rooms were
close and fastened; there was no sign
anywhere of forcible entry. From in
formation he obtained, he believed that
the prisoner, Keppel Darke, was the last
person with Mr.. Trent before the lat
ter's death. lie obtained "A warrant for
his arrest, and served it on him at his
studio, in West T~wcnty-third street, Mt
ten minutes before eleven o'clock "A. m.
February twenty-siN. The prisoner, just
before his arrest, was overheard to say
something about killing the deceased. On
being arrested he asserted his innocence.
Olympia Raven gave her evidence very
quietly and clearly. She had known the
prisoner for n year. She had commits
stoned him to paint her portrait for pre-
sentation TO the deceased. The twenty
fifth of February was the day appointed
for the last sitting. She had arrived
with her mother at the studio at half
past ten. The prisoner had Informed
her that Mr.. Trent had told him the
night before that he was contemplating
marriage with her. She had denied the
truth of this, and her denial had brought
out the avowal Of the prisoners love for
her, which she had ~reCiprocated. A.
that moment the detective had entered
and made the arrest.
Cross-examIned, she deposed that she
had frequently seen II japanese knife
similar to the one produced at the pris-
oDer's studio; she had admired it greatly.
She had noticed nothing in the prisoners
or speech at any time hat was
inconsistent with his perfect innocence
of the charge. She believed him utterly
incapable of such Il crime.
Mrs. Raven, recalled, said that she had
thought Mr.. Darke behaved very queerly
on the morning of February twenty-six.
He looked ~disheveled and haggard. and
was violent in his manner. She had sup
posed him TO be intoxicated.
DIR. Taylor deposed as. to the appear
nee and character of the wound that
caused deceased's death. The blade had
penetrated the left lung and reached the
heart, The blow must have been de-
livered by a person standing behind the
victim. There was no sign of "A struggle.
Death must have been instantaneous.
Various witnesses testified to the pris-
ouer's good social standing and previous
good character.
Mr.. Bannick, in his speech for the de
Tense, admitted that the prisoner had
been in Mr.. Trent's house on the night
of the murder, but asserted that he had
left it before eleven o'clock. He had
gone to ask Mr.. Trent's assent to his suit
to Olympia Raven. Mr. Trent. in refus-
ing 1T, had observed that he intended
marrying her himself. This statement,
which was confirmed by the testimony
of Mrs. Raven, a witness for the prose
%cution, showed that the deceased must
have been a man of loose morals, for il
had been shown that he was at the time
already married to another lady.
A man of loose. morals is certain to
have enemies, and such enemies as are
apt to be moved to murder. Again, Mr.
Trent was a dealer in diamonds; he was
known to be often in possession of gems
of immense value; he might easily have
been murdered on this ground: but il
was not even pretended that this had
been the prisoners motive. In fact, Nc
motive whatever had been assigned-for
to be informed that one has n rival in a
lady's affections is certainly not a mo-
tive. And not only We're the prisoner
social position n character incompati.
Bile with such n crime, but his conduct
on the evening of the murder could not
be r%econciled with n guilty purpose. He
had given his true name to the porter at
the club, and had left him with the
avowed intention of going to seek Mr..
Trent at his house. Again, he had an
nounced himself by name to the care
taker, Simpson. Persons meditating
murder do not act in this way. As re,
garded the dagger, the prisoner frankly
admitted it to be his. He had taken il
with him to Mr.. Trent's house that
night for a peculiar reason, which from