Spirit of Jefferson. [volume] (Charles Town, Va. [W. Va.]) 1844-1948, 1892-06-14

he had the strongest love and affec-
ton for her, as was clearly shown, he
could not be actuated by malice. No
two persons in Shepherdstown had
borne a better character than Miss
Susie Ferrell and the prisoner at the
bar. Honor was her shield, virtue
was her mantle, and innocence her robe
of honor.
None named her but to praise,
None knew her but TO love.
Capt. Baylor discussed evidence
tending to show insanity in logical
manner, spoke of the great difficulty
OF obtaining evidence, and said that
it was only by the mysterious hand of
Providence that some of it was OBJ
tanned. That no sane man would
have written such letter as Smooth
wrote to the father of miss Terrell,
and then be willing to face death
rather than retract it--retract what
everybody knows to be myth and
but his own delusion. That man
should go about the streets and say
he was going to shoot Susie Ferrell-
was this the act Of sane man? He
commented upon the GOODNESS of the
deed and asked if any sane man
could do such an act, portrayed the
fair character of the prisoner
member of the Sabbath School, a
prohibitionest. No one in Shepherds
town bore a better character than
Harry F. Smooth. A criminal must
come by degrees to the lowest depths,
and not jump at one bound from pu-
rityI TO deepest crime. He could not
believe that such wonderful tram
sition could take place, and the Jury
could not believe it. In conclusion he
said there are others deeply interest
ed in this case-sisters who have
stood by him and ask the jury cast no
stigma upon hitherto honored name,
handed down by parents now dead
and gone. THE three sisters of the
prisoner burst into tears, and the
scene became very touching.
Mr.. Marshall Mccormick, follow
ing for the defence, started out ask
ing the jurors not to allow prejudice
or public opinion to sway them. 1t was
case, he said, the parallel of which
there was not the like. Here was a
young man twenty-seven years Of
age, temperate, attentive to his
church, upright, and upon whom not
even the finger of suspicion had been
pointed, desperately in love with a
charming young girl. and he charged
with numbering her. There has been
no murder committed by Harry f.
Smooth Counsel pictured once
happy home, and evidence af n great
change taking place there last fall
the prisoner, from the once bright
and happy boy becoming morose and
seclusive. If the jury, he said, con-
victed the prisoner OF murder in the
first degree, they could only do it
upon the theory that the letters are
true. Drew graphic picture of the
tragedy, and asked the jury if they
could believe sane man would do it.
He appealed to the jury to remember
the golden rule, to do unto others as
| they would be done by, and asked
them to give the same justice to this
man they would ask for themselves.
The evidence of those who saw a
change in the prisoner was greater
than those who did not see It. Con-
GLIDING fine argument, of an hour
and three quarters, the eminent coun-
sci said that no man had deeper SYM
| pathy than he for the now dead girl
but IL would do her no good, would
do her family no good, and would do
the commonwealth of West Virginia
no good to take the life of the prisoner
at the bar.
The closing speech of prosecuting
attorney Brown was able and equal to
the occasion. Be mercifuI, he said;
but be merciful and do Justice. The
evidence ofyinsanity in this case, he
said, was friyolous-the story no
delusion, but gross. malignant lie.
After combating the insanity plea in
all its phases for an hour and half,
he closed by calling attention to his
toric fact that nearly a third of
century ago one of the most notorious
criminal trials of this country took
place in the courthouse at Charles
Town, and that then jefferson
county jury was found eqnal to the
occasion and John Brown was con-
victed and hung. The present jury,
he hoped, would in like manner do
their duty to their county and their
State.
The speeches we're all powerful
and eloquent, and as whole the case
was probably the most ably contest
ed criminal trial which has taken
place in Jefferson county since the
historic case of John e. Cook, of the
John Brown raiders.