The weekly messenger. [volume] (St. Martinsville [i.e. St. Martinville] La.) 1886-1948, 1891-02-14
Heard in His Own Defence.

.Ilavc your honor, permission to
make statement"
"Your honor cried Lawyer Lang,
sprinSing to his feet; your honor, be-
for you pass on this request should like
to make Il statement myself
What is it, Mr.. Lang" asked the
Judge.
''lt's just this" said Mr.. Lang. with
something more than his usual acerbity !;
you remember, of course. that when
this man, Cephas Love, was first brought
to trial he was without counsel; that he
refused to secure any. and that YOU there
fore peremptorily appointed me as such.
The appointment was useless, for the de
PENDANT has absolutely and uncondition-
ally refused to say n word to me concern
inc his case. wish it to he distinctly
understood, however. that this silence of
the defendants has been maintained in
the face of my most diligcnt efforts to
break down his reserve. for while first
accepted your honor's injunction per
funCtorily, | ended by becoming deeply
interested in what is certainly q unique
case--so far as my practice goes. What
/ wish TO state with particular stress is,
that am absolutel1 and entirely igno-
rant of the nature of the statement which
Mr.. Love has asked permission to make.
In fact, sir, all ! can officially claim to
know of this man is. that on the 18th Of
| this month of August, 1890, he was
found in the very act of throttling an
other man to death at No. S63 Pine
street, in this city and county
of san Francisco; that he was arrested
! in Hagrdnte delictu by Officer Thomp
son. and that he has been confined in the
city prison ever since. He is no more a
client of mine than is your honor. and it
would be a gross misuse Of terms to style
him defendant
As Mr.. Lang sat down, the man re-
fcrrcd to as Ccphas Love shook hands
with him cordially, and repeated his re
quest for hearing.
1T is rather unusual procecding-at
this stage of the trial, " said the Judge
/ "lOr a person i'll your position tn make Il
statement. but the whole proceedings in
this case have been unusual. Moreover,
| | have not the right to deny YOU. DO
I you wish your statement to appear rs cy-
! idcncc"
/ YES, sir"
Take your place on the witness
stand, then. and be sworn.
He repeated the clerks humble jun
| bic Of words with slow emphasis and
laid an intonation upon the concludin"
words. $50 help me God, that gave
them rcyerental effect not often heard
i'll that courtroom.
The sketch which the artist of NOM
ING paper Wa, at this moment making,
showed Il tiny, neat man. sitting primly
with crossed legs and smoothing out the
fold5 of . red silk handkerchief spread
over his knees. His hands. face and
sraip were OF "a false YuddincSs that was
caused by network of small veins il,
the skin. and that was made all the moro
vivid D. the contrast of fringe of llaA,
white hlir and two patches of close
trimm,d whiSkcr, that lay on each check
like Smai! powdcr-puif>. His eyes were
LIGHT blue and moist; his lips Wire thiI
and straight; and the rest of lis feature,
ordinary and inexpensive. He wa
dressed in a suit of dark gray clothes, anC
looked somcthin" bctween an uppe
servant and small lawyer. There ha'
been even more than the usual intercs
felt in the case, tn courtroom wa
crowded. and when the prisoner bega
there was strained attention to hea
! what he had to say. made all the NOR
necessary because of the low and rattle
thick voice in which he spoke.
My name is correctly given on tn
documents in the case, believe h
, began: "bcsidcs which, il has been o
q the city directory for the past thirtytw
wears 1t is Cephas Clavcring Love al
though the middle name is very seldor
| used. am siXty-threc years of age, an
| was born at Memphis, Tenn. on til
@ thirtcenth of April, 1927. l came t
, San Francisco thirty three years com
next Christmas eve, and for twenty on
. years thereafter was a clerk for the la
|, firm of Kittridge IL Shaw, as | beliey
your honor well knows. For the pas
u twelve years have been engaged in tn
!. law stationary department of Messr
V Rocker q Coe. These gentlemen, t.
. gether with MANY others, understand
have the right to summon as witnesses
c testify as TO my general good characte
e but shall put none of them to this ii
- convenience"
proceed, NJ. Love-" said the judg
{ for the witness had stopped and w