The Salt Lake herald. [volume] (Salt Lake City [Utah]) 1870-1909, 1891-07-19


prisoner, just before his arrest. was over
heard to say something about killing tht
deceased. On being arrested he asserted
bis innocence.
! Olympia Raven gave her evidence very
! quietly and clearly. She had known thu
prisoner for year. She had commissioner
him to paint her portrait for presentation
| to the deceased. The 18th of February was
the day appointed for the last sitting. She
had arrived with her mother at the studio
at 10 30. The prisoner had informed hel
that Mr.. Trent had told him the night be
/ fore 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-examined, she deposed that she
had frequently seen a Japanese knife
similar TO the enc produced at the prls-
oner's studio; she had admired it greatly
She had noticed nothing in the prisoner
manner or speech at any time that was IN
consistent with his perfect innocence OF TIE
charge. She believed him utterly incapable
OF such crime.
Mrs. Raven, recalled, said that she had
thought Mr.. Darke behaved very queerly
on the morning Of February 26. He looked
disheyelec ana haggard, and was violent IN
intoxicated.
DR.. Taylor deposed as to the appearances
and character Of the wound that caused de-
ceased's death. The blade had penetrated
the left lung and reached the heart The
blow must have been delivered by person
standing behind the victim. There was no
sign of a struggle. Death must have been
instantaneous.
Various witnesses testified to the pris-
oner's good social standing and previous
good character.
MIR. 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 1t
before eleven o'clock. He had gone to ask
Mr.. Trent's assent 10 his suit to Olympia
Raven. Mr.. Trent, ia refusing il, had OBJ
served that he intended marrying her him
self. This statement, which was con-
tirmed by the testimony of Mrs. Raven, a
witness for the prosecution, showed that
the deceased must have been man OF
loose morals. for it had been shown that he
was at the time already married 70 another
lady.
A man of loose morals is certain to have
enemies, and such enemies as are apt to be
moved to murder. Again, MIR. Trent was
a dealer in diamonds; he was known to be
often in possession of gems Of immense
value; he might easily have been muir
dered on this ground; but it was not
even pretended that this had been
the prisoners motive. IL fact, no mo-
tive whatever had been sssigned-for
TO be informed that one has a rival IN a
lady's affections is certainly not a motive.
And not only were the prisoners social
position and character Incompatible with
such crime, but his conduct on the even
ing of the murder could not be reconciled
with guilty purpose. He had given his
true name 70 the porter st the club, and
had left him with the avowed intention Of
going to seek Mr.. Trent at his house.
Again, he had announced himself by name
to the caretaker, Simpson. Persons medi
tating murder do not act in this way. AS
regarded the dagger, the prisoner frankly
admitted it to be his He had taken it
with him to Mr.. Trent's house that night
fer a peculiar reason, which from its
nature was not susceptible of proof, but
the very simplicity Of which should COM
mend il to the credence of the jury. Miss
Raven had admired the dagger at his
studio, and the prisoner had resolved to
make her 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 expec-
tation, he had not found Mr.. Trent at his
ton, 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 lad there spent the night; and this
would sufficiently account for his dis
heveled appearance the next morning. But
surely a murderer would have fed,
and as surely he would not have
left behind him such piece of
evidence as the fatal dagger. But,
on the other hand, the real murderer
who used the dagger had the best of rea
sons for leaving 1t in the wound; for to do
so would be 10 divert suspicion from him
self. And who was the real murderer!
Unques tionably the short man with the dark
beard whom Mrs. Simpson saw between
II and II o'clock. The presence there OF this
man had not been accounted for. Yet the
fact of his presence there had been sworn
TO, and that fact was irreconcilable with
the guilt OF the prisoner. And for the jury
TO bring in a verdict against the prisoner
would, therefore, ne to add another muir
short man with the dark beard be found
and the mystery Of Harry Trent's death
would be mystery no longer.
The district attorney, in asking for a
verdict against The prisoner, said he should
have been well pleased had there been bet
ter evidence 20 offer in his favor But
really there was no defense. The visit of
the prisoner to the house was conceded;
the possession Of the dagger was conceded;
dispute on matter involving a woman's
love was conceded; the fact that no one
else was admitted to the house was con-
coded. AS 10 the prisoners explanations
about the dagger, even had they been mat
teE OF legal evidence, they were utterly
futile and ridiculous. No sensible man
would make no difference as to the proba-
bility OF the prisoners guilt if they were
credited. With respect TO the conflict of
evidence regarding the identity of the
prisoner with the person whom Mrs.
Simpson thought she saw, the district at
torney was far from wishing to diminish
whatever weight 1t might have in the
lury's eyes. But he fancied it would have
very little
The old lady had been asleep and was
still only half awake when she went up
stairs. She had had a glimpse Of some
one through a crack of the door, and had
thought 1t was q short man with beard
But he might have been sitting down, and
a shadow might have caused the appear
ance Of beard. The jury would have
noticed that Mrs. Simpson, in the witness
box, had worn spectacles. She certainly
was not likely to have worn her speciacles
to bed, however, nor to have put them on
to go up stairs on voyage of discovery
after candle. Consequently that glimpse
of hers through a crack in the door was
likely 20 have been very blind glimpse
indeed. But it was unnecessary TO pur
sue the subject or to weary the jury with
further details. Every thing pointed one
way, and that was to the prisoners guilt
II was terrible thing that a man of his
position and training should be guilty of
crime so hideous, but it was the jury's duty
to pronounce as TO facts. And their YER
dict, besides avenging the death of an hon.
~ nj ~