Delaware gazette and state journal. (Wilmington, Del.) 1883-1902, 1892-02-11
HOW THE VERDICT WAS RECEIVED.
Scene In Court When Blackburn
Was Declared Not Guilty.

Scene In Court When Blackburn
Was Declared Not Guilty.
Prisoners Who Pleaded Guilty Sentenced
--Biackson's Trial Postponed--The Sad
Case of Amor IL. Burnett.
The Blackburn murder trial attracted
10 the county court house Monday
afternoon an immense audience. Mt
Ward resumed his argument nj . dc
o'clock and continued talking until 4. 90
Blackburn's reason for not DENYING nj
the cars Mrs. Gardeners accusation, he
asserted, was that it was an impropeI
place and tho accused mans mind was
full OF suspicion as to who committed
the crime. When he got the Gardiner
FAMILY upstairs Blackburn said Don't
accuse me Of the murder, Hinesley did
IT," Mrs. Gardiner had stated positively
the lawyer commended, that Blackburn
was not present when Mrs. Blackburn
said "Oh nom, know'd this long ago"
MIR. and Mrs. Gardiner had both forced
In evidence before he had a chance to
object, and, he asked, "Why this seem.
ing malevolence 7" Blackburn, he
claimed, denied the accusation -four
times, once directly and three times
constructively. Blackburn did moi
dream what he found but the suggestion
OF his dream, prompted by his sister
urged him TO search for the missing
child. The gross body and bloated face
OF Isabel Scott, he declared, were an in
dex to life of vice; her testimony was
improbable on its face. Mr.. Ward spoke
of the difficulty to prove and alibi and
said 1t was a hardship to have to account
for all the, time, and asked "If we have
proved where Blackburn was one-half
the time is it not wonderful" He
sifted the evidence most thoroughly and
in conclusion stated "We have proved
our case with preponderance of evi
dence."
Encouragement Biggs consumed the
next % minutes filing exceptions to
Mr.. Wards law authorities on circum-
stantial evidence.
AT 4.45 o'clock, when the closing
argument for the State was about to be-
gin, recess was taken.
When county court reopened Tuesday
morning Mr.. Ward, counsel for the de.
fence in the Blackburn murder trial,
asked permission to include in his afli
davit of indulgence the names of the
additional witnesses he had subpnnaed,
which request was granted.
AT 1912 O'Clock Encouragement
Biggs began his closing argument for
the prosecution. After touching on the
question of reasonable doubt, he said he
would briefly state the facts of the case.
The counsel for the defence, he said,
had severely criticised Isabel Scott.
That was necessary to get her out of the
case. The defence also wanted to get
Detective Hawkins out, and had at
tackled him. 1t was not necessary for
Mr.. Hawkins to get any vindication
from him, the speaker declared; his past
history disproves that he would do such
a base and low thing as to prompt Isabel
Scott to swear to lie. Mr.. Hawkins
testimony was unimpeached. The de-
fence had linked Isabel Scott and De-
tective Hawkins and hurled them out
with abuse. Whatever Isabel Scott's
life might be, her testimony had been
corroborated, and by witnesses for the
defence. There had not been put on
the stand witness to swear Isabel
scott could not be believed on oath.
If she were bent on swearing
away the life of the prisoner
why was she so cautious in her identiti.
cationg Mr.. Biggs briefly commented on
the witnesses brought forward to i'm
peach the testimony of Isabel Scott and
mentioning Freddy" Clifford as one of
them SAID he was a beauty to contradict
anybody. Isabel Scott had to be careful
how she testified. Any witness cross
examined by the learned and ingenious
counsel for the defence would be made
to lie. He would venture the assertion
that during the last term of court so
persons had asked when they would be
paid their witness fees. "What does the
attempt to impeach Isabel SCOTS testi-
mony amount tor" he sarcastically
asked. Lolo Sivard had racked her
little brain TO produce what sho could
and what did it amount to? Gas for
Richard j. Cook" Mr.. Biggs continued,
II did not think when he was about to
testify that he was competent man to
take an OATH Cook knew nothing ex-
cept that the man had black nous
tache. The contradiction of Isabel
SCOTS testimony amounted to nothing.
Aren't you satisfied" Mr.. Biggs
asked, that when he started out with
Seamans the prisoner knew the boy was
in the carp" If he did know he was
there, then Blackburn killed him. The
testimony of Lawrence McKegney and
Mrs. Trivoli was inconsistent. McKeg-
ney testified that Blackburn came Ia
him at APO p. M, October 18th, and re.
manned until $50, while Mrs. Trivoli
said he came home at 8. 10 o'clock. Out
side Of Mrs. Trivoli the testimony OF
every witness showed Blackburn took
only one nap that afternoon. If he did
take only one nap then he never.had the
dream. IL is in testimony that he told
it before he had it. After failing to gel
Hazel in a trap he had accused Hinesley
of the crime. He had to get up some
yarn and he manufactured the yarn
about the dream. He got 1t up toe
soon, however, and got caught in his
own trap. When the boy was found
Blackburn uttered not word. He was
not surprised; he knew the boy was in
the car, because he had put him there
Abiding to the movements of the
accused he asked whether they were the
actions of an innocent man. II would
take good deal to disturb the even
tenor of Blackburn's way. His conduct
in the dock showed that. 81 never saw
in that dock BEFORE" Mr.. Biggs asserted
prisoner so devoid of feeling" Black.
burn had sat there day after day with.
out the slightest manifestation of feel.
ing. He was man capable of going
anywhere and doing anything. Only d
man so devoid of feeling and so black al
heart as Blackburn could take the life Of
such little child. After he had time
TO lay his plans and concoct his story
the prisoner had said, "Do you accuse
me; why you must be crazyw This
was two hours after he had been charged