Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1892-03-10
ROME OF THH Jury.

hOhE OF TIKI JURY
ciety and for that reason the law prescribed a
penalty. With what that penalty was the jury
had nothing to do. They were to pass merely
on the evidence submitted. Mr. Tag
CART then explained to the jury the
term homicide and defined the different
grades Of the crime; After explaining
what the indictment charged Mr.. Taggart
stated what the government intended to prove.
but at the outset Judge Wilson asked that he be
allowed to except to anything in Mr.. Taggart s
opening which in the opinion OF the defense
was not warranted by the evidence Such a
right being granted by the court, MIR. Taggart
continued.
WHAT WOULD BE SHOWN.
1t would be shown by the government, said
Mr.. Taggart, that the defendant secretly and
at a pistols point compelled the girl he had
killed to marry him; that when this was learned
by his wife's father and that gentleman asked
the defendant by what right he did such a
thing the reply was In effect that it was his
(the prisoner own affair and that of no one
else; that, ss in most such cases, the
sor-in-aw was taken to his father-in-
laws house; that there he resided until his
actions became such that he was ordered
from the house: that at the very time he
wrote to his wife, few days before the
shooting, addressing his wife as ''his darling
wife" and signing himself as ''your loving
husband" he was engaged in paying attention
to young lady from Virginia which no
married man could honorably pay to lady.
attentions which meant nothing but IN, dis
honor Of the young lady; that the prisoner Wis.,
tied Culpeper, Va. the home Of the young lady.
registered at the hotel there under an assumed
name. and on the day preceding the
shooting took dinner at the hotel with
the young lady; that on the morn
ing OF the shooting the prisoner called
at his father-in-law's house. asked his brother
in-law to accompany him, to his (the prison
er's) brothers house, that peace might be
made between him and his brother: that VI on
his brother-in-aw's refusal to accompany him
the prisoner left with the declaration that be
would get even with him, that he would
PUT BULLET IN HIM;
that later in the day the prisoners wife re-
ceived note from him stating that he was
about to leave the city, and asking if she
would accompany him; that the prisoners wife
replied in q kindly written note wishing him
we'll. but declining TO so with him ;that the pris-
oner addressed another note to her, asking for
an interview, and received in reply another
kindly written note declining to see him.
Mr. Taggart then briefly detailed the circum-
stances OF the shooting, which did not materi-
ally differ with the facts published at the time
in The STAR. Mr.. Taggart spoke for about
half an hour. and was listened to with the
deepest interest, the prisoner hearing the de-
tails of his alleged crime without the slightest
emotion.
JUDGE WILSON FOR THE DEFENSE.
Judge Wilson in opening the case for the de-
Tense said that all Ills client desired at the
hands of the jury was . careful, patient hear
ing Of the case The jury had been most care
fully selected, and the defense had the utmost
faith in their impartiality. Judge Wilson then