The Roanoke times. [volume] (Roanoke, Va.) 1890-1895, 1891-11-21
ROANOKE TINES BUREAU.
BILLIARD & PERsINGER BLDG,
SArrxt ~

lounges furnished by the deputy sheriff.
Hon. w. w. Moffett, for the defense,
in opening attended to the responsibility
involved upon tho Jury, asked for the
same patient attention which they had
bestowed from the beginning of the
trial. and asked them to lay aside all
prejudice and fears that might arise in
the discharge of their duty. He ac-
cused Major Ballard of varying from
the evidence to prejudice tho minds of
the jury.
II do not say there is no such thing
as circumstantial evidence, for if I did
you would not believe mo, nor would I
be respected as hope deserve. There
is circumstantlal evidence, but it must
be from chain that does not lack n con-
Meeting link, and in this case | claim
there arc missing links to prove that
this woman Susan Watkins has ever
been murdered, and certainly decidedly
lacking in links to prove tho prisoner
at the bar did tho act"
Counsel hero read and explained tho.
hrst instruction to the jury. Referring
to the description of the so-callod lonely
spot whore the body was found he en-
SANoNOACQ w SuOW JuiC III was muCh
freQuented place, and then tried to prove
that Charles left Taylor Watkins about
the time that the body was found and
was seen walking leisurely to Salem, an
act unlike crime for which tho pris-
oner was charged. He then tried to
show that the body found was not that
OF Susan Watkins, tho only evidence
being the watch found on her person.
and that possibly the name might have
been engraved thereon since the in
quest.
Major Ballard here interrupted and
requested the speaker to keep to his
notes, which he resented, In follow.
ing the woman from Washington's to
Taylor Watkins, Mr.. Moffett said that
no evidence had been produced to show
that this was Susan Watkins.
Instruction No. was then read.
The speaker next claimed that the
commonwealth had not traced tho pris-
oner and Susan Watkins to within 400
yards of the place she was murdered,
and then made passing allusion to the
celebrated watch key in tho Cluverius
case.
He claimed that it had not been
proven that Charles was so anxious to
get this woman out of tho way, and that
Miss Cox could not possibly have identi-
fled woman on the dark rainy night
when Charles asked for the lamp, and
furthermore that Charles would never
have obtained lantern had he then
had murder in his heart formed, as the
prosecution had stated, on the Sunday at
George Washington's; murderers do not
want light. He used tho same argu-
ment made by Mr.. McClung that the
woman that was murdered was never
properly identified as Susan Watkins,
and, admitting that Susan was shot in
the hand, the doctors stated that tho
dead body was free from any pistol
wounds.
Mr.. Motfett dwelt at length upon the
evidence of Asa Jackson tho man who
saw them last together, and endeavored
to destroy its value. Referring to the
letter written by one s. G. Williams to
Bon Wright, he stated that Bon could
not recognize the writing of the prisoner
when he had not seen him write for ten
years and had only received two letters
from him in that time. AS to the con-
yersation of the prisoner in Jail to Ben,
he thought it likely that he was not re-
ferring To the letter produced in court,
and that another could easily havo boon
substituted and placed in the envelope
shown.
1t was after o'clock when Mr.. Moi
fott finished, and the speech was lis
tened to with great attention.
After recess of one hour for dinner.
Mr.. a. Il. Pugh, tho senior counsel for
defense. opened his speech by congrat-
uating the jury on the fact that this
case was now about to DO drawn to
close. "a case, he said, that we re-
gard as one OF the most important
that has transpired in the history of
this commonwealth. Tho representa-
tive of this State claims the conviction
OF the prisoner at the bar and in claim
ing so, goes outside Of the evidence
that has been produced by the wit
nesses that you have heard. | claim
this case is purely circumstantial, and
not one particle of scintilla of evil
dcnce to prove that there is any posi-
tive proof"
lie then recited the instructions OF
the court as to cir,umstantial evidence
and claimed that there has not been
sufficient evidence to prove the convic-
ton of the prisoner. Charles Wat
kins, claim, has not been shown by
the evidence TO have been any nearer
tho body found dead than the city of
Roanoke"
Taking the testimony OF many OF the
witnesses, he dwelt on these, and in.
deed, his principal limo OF argumens
was trying TO impeach tho evidence of
tho various witnesses which, in the
absence of his quoting any testimony
from his notes, he seemingly succeeded
very well in doing. point we'll taken
by this speaker, but poorly proven, was
that it was the white woman Ida with
Charles at the time he asked M.ss Cox
for the lantern
lie then attacked the manner IN
which the commemorative attorney
Ind snnnltr f-.,r,, shn unrr 80. y. -.