The Republican. [volume] (Oakland, Md.) 1877-current, 1891-07-03


oners good social standing and previou7
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 rePus-
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 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 rs 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
nf 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 aSsiSned-for
to be informed that one has rival in q
lady's affections is certainly not mo-
tive. And not only were the prisoners
social position and character incompati-
bic with such a crime, but his conduct
on the evening of the murder could not
be reconciled with 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 mcditating
murder do not act in this way. As re-
garled the dagger, the prisoner frankly
admitted it to be his. He had taken it
with him to Mr.. Trent's house that
night for 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 hel
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. Trnnt's
house to his own studio, and had there
spent the night; and this would sutfi-
ciently account for his disheveled appear
ance the next morning. But surely
murderer would have fled, 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
derer who used the dagger had tine 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 snort
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 irrecon-
cilable with the guilt of the prisoner.
And for the jury to bring in verdict
against the prisoner would, therefore, be
to add another murder to the one already
committed. Let the short man with the
dark beard be fount and the mystery of
Harry Trents death would be a mystery
no longer.
The district attorney, in asking for a
verdict against the prisoner, said he
should have been well pleased nad there
been better evidence to offer in us favor.
But really there was no defense. The
visit of the prisoner to the house was
conceded: the possession of the dagger
was conceded; a 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 tine
prisoners explanations about the dagger,
even had they been matter of legal
evidence, they were utterly futile and
ridiculous. No sensible man would
credit them for moment, and it would
make no difference rs to the probability
of the prisoners guilt if they We're cred |
lite With respect to the conflict of ev-
idence regarding the identity 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 jury's eyes. Bnt he fanciad it wonld
have very little.
The old lady had been asleep and was
still only half awake when she went MP
stairs. She had had n glimpse of some
enc through crack of door. and had
drought it was Il short man with beard.
But he might have been sitting down,
and shadow might have caused the ap-
pearance of beard. The jury would
have noticed that Mrs. Simpson, in the
witness hox, had worn spectIcles. She
certainly was not likely to have worn her
spectacleS to bed, however, nor to have |
put them on to go mp stairs on voyage
OF discovery after IA candle. Consequently |
that glimpse of hers through cracl, in
the door was likely to have been very
blind glimpse indeed. But it was I'M
necessary to pursue the subject or to |
weary the jury with further details
Everything pointed one way, and that |
was to the prisoners guilt, Itwas n ter |