Wheeling Sunday register. [volume] (Wheeling, W. Va.) 1882-1934, 1891-05-17
had resolved to make her present OF

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 expectation, he had not found Mr..
Trent at his club. and again, contrary
to his expectation. Mr.. Trent had refused
his assent TO his Snit. In his distress and
preoccupation he had forgotten on his
departure to take the danger away with
him. He had gone from Mr.. Trent's
house to his own studio, and had there
spent the night: and this would suif-
GENTLY account for his diSheveled appear
ance the next morning. Bnt surely
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 muir
dprer who used the dagger had the best
of reasons for leaving it in the wound;
for to do so would be to divert suspicion
from himself. And who was the real
murderer? UnQuestionably the short
man with the dark beard whom Mrs.
Simpson had seen between eleven and
twelve 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 ire
conciahe with the guilt Of the prlS-
oner. And for the jury to bring in
verdict against the prisoner would,
therefore. b. to add another murder to
the one already committed. Let the
short man with the dark beard be found
and the mystery of Harry Trent's death
would be a mystery no longer.
The district attorney. in asking for A
verdict against the prisoner. said he
should have been we'll pleased had there
been better evidence to offer in his favor.
But really there was no defence. The
visit of the prisoner to the house was
conceded: the possession OF the dagger
was conceded: dispute on matter in
volving a woman'S love was conceded:
the fact that no one else was admitted
to the house was conceded. As to the
prisoners explanations about the dagger
even had they been matters of legal evil
dence. they were utterly futile and
ridiculous. No sensible man would
credit than for moment. and it would
make no difference as 10 the probability
of the prisoners guilt if they were cred
tied. With respect to the conflict Of
evidence regarding the identify of the
prisoner with the person whom Mrs.
Simpson thought she saw the district
attorney was far from wishing to dimin-
iSh whatever weight it might have in
the iury'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 glimpse of some
one through a crack OF Il door. and had
thought il was short man with beard.
But he might have been sitting down,
and a shadow might have caused the an
pearance of n beard. The Jury would
have noticed that Mrs. Simpson. in the
witness box had worn Spectacle'S. She
certainly was not likely to have worn her
SppctaceS to bed, however, nor to have
put them on to 90 up stairs on voyage
/ of discovery after candle. ConSe-
quentlv that glimpse Of hers through a
crack in the door was likely to have
been very blind glimpse indeed. But
il was unnecessary to purSne the sub
| iect or to weary the jury with further
details. EVERYTHING pointed one wav.
and that was to the prisoners guilt. It
was n terrible thing that man OF his
position and training Shonld be guilty
of crime so hideOus, but il was the
iurv's duty to pronounce as to the facts
And their verdict. besides avenging the
death of an honorable and honored citi-
zen. would show the world that in the
city of New York there was but one law
for rich and poor, for gentle ar
simple.
The Judge. in summing up. said that
the jury must confne themselves to the
legal evidence that had been produced
in court. The statements of the prison
er's counsel regarding the prisoners mo-
tiveS and explanations did not come I'M
der this head. They might or might not
he true, but the jury could not consider
them. On the other hand, the teSti-
mony as to the short man with the dark
beard should receive their careful atten-
ton. 1t might be of Importance. All
the evidence against the prisoner was
circumstantial. There had been in
stances of such evidence being fatally
mistaken, but such cases were as one to
ten thousand where it had been correct,
and it was sometimes even preferable to
direct evidence itself. His address was
short and impartial. and at its close the
iuey retired for deliberation.
They remained out eighteen hours.
When they re-entered court the room
was nearly empty. In answer to the
clerks question the foreman said that
their verdict was guilty of murder in the
second degree, generalization not having
been established. 1t was, as some Of
the jurors afterward explained in inter
views with the reporters, deed done in
the heat Of passion over the refusal of
Trent to listen to Darke'S proposal-the
hasty outcome of quarrel between two
men both loving the same young woman.
The Judge sentenced the prisoner to
| Imprisonment at hard labor for life.
Motion for new trial was denied.
The prisoner was taken back to the
TombS, and arrangements were made
to send him to Sing Sing that night.
CHAPTER ".