Mexico weekly ledger., 1891-08-27

teDfIaTt LWST1JS-SlX. Inc 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 q 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. At
that moment the detective had entered
and made the arrest.
Cross-exar1ined, she deposed that she
had frequently seen q japanese knife
similar to the one produced at the pris-
oner's studio: she had admiredi it greatly.
She had noticed nothing in the prisoners
manner or speech at any time that was
inconsistent with his perfect innocence
of the charge. She believed him utterly
incapable of such a crime.
Mrs. Raven, recalled, said that she had
thought Nh. Darke behaved very Gueerly
on the morning of February t~wenty-six.
He looked disheYeled and haggard, and
was violent in his manner. She had sup
| posed him to be intoxicated.
DR.. Taylor deposed as TO the appear
ance 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-
liyered by a person standing behind the
victim. There was nc sign of a struggle.
Death must have been instantaneous.
Various witnesses testified to the pris-
oner'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 it, 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 it
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 II 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 it
was not even pretended that this had
been the prisoners motive. In fact, no
motive whatever had been assigned-for
to be informed that one has a rival in a
lady's affections is certainly not a mo-
tive. And not only were the prisoners
social position and character incompati-
BILE with such a crime, but his conduct
on the evening of the murder could not
be reconciled with a 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
tathtL, E3lLlkB-Ju. lCIbD1IS I1GulItttlliS
murder do not act in this way. AS re-
garded the dagger, the prisoner frankly
admitted it to be his. He had taken it
with him to Mr.. Trent's house that
night for q peculiar reason, which from
its nature was not susceptible of proof,
but the very simplicity of which should
commend it to the credence of the jury.
Miss Raven had admired the dagger at
his studio, and the prisoner had resolved
to make her a present of it.
He had accordingly taken it with him
ON the evening in question, intending,
after his interview with Mr.. Trent at his
club, to call upon Miss Raven at her
house and give it to her. But, contrary
to his expectation, he had not found Mr..
Trent at his club, and again, contrary
to his expectation, Mr.. Trent had refused
his assent to his suit. In his distress and
~preoccupation he had forgotten ON his
departure to take the dagger away with
him. He had gone from Mr.. Trent's
house to his own studio, and had there
spent the night; and this would sufi,
GENTLY account for his disheveled appear
ance the next morning. But surely a
murderer would have fed, and as surely
he would not have left behind him such
a piece Of evidence as the fatal dagger.
But, on the other hand, the real muir
derer who used the dagger had the bes'
of reasons for leaving it in the wound
for to do SO would be to divert suspicion
from himself. And who was the rea
murderer? Unquestionably the shor
man with the dark beard whom Mrs
!, Simpson had seen between eleven atit
twelve O'Clock. The presence there o
this man had not been accounted for
Yet the fact of his presence there had
been sworn to, and that fact was irrecon
cilable with the guilt of the prisoner
And for the jury to bring in a verdic
against the prisoner would, therefore, b
! to add another murder to the one alread,
committed. Let the short man with TIL
dark beard be found and the mystery Of
Harry Trents death would be a myster,
no longer.
The district attorney, in asking fer
verdict against the prisoner, said h
i should have been well pleased had Their
: been better evidence to offer in his favor
8 But really there vas no defense. TIL
l visit of. the prisoner to the house wa
e conceded; the possession of the dagge
was conceded; a dispute on a matter in
voiying a woman's love was conceded
q the fact that no one else was adnaitte'
7 to the house was conceded. AS to tn
3 prisoners explanations about the dagger
8 even had they been matter of lega
evidence. they were utterly futile AM
ridiculous. No sensible man wouIi
a credit them for q moment, and it woul
make no difference as to the probabiht
OF the prisoners guilt If they were cred
! TIED. With respect to the conflict of ey
idence regarding the identity of tn
!. prisoner with the person whom Mn
Simpson thought she saw, the distric