The Carbon advocate. [volume] (Lehighton, Pa.) 1872-1924, 1892-07-16
ACTING SAVES LIVES.
COUNSEL FOR MURDERERS EMPLOY
THEATRICAL METHODS

How Lawyers who Defend Criminals
strive to Make AN Impression on tho
sympathios Of Jurymcn-somo Notable
Cases Whore Lawyers Succeeded,
For years it has been generally known
among lawyers that all sorts of desper-
ate and theatrical devices arc constantly
resorted to in order to save the lives Of
accused persons But Mr. Wellman
/ was the first prosecutor TO make the
charge in open court and quote an in
stance to fortify his allegation.
Is the practice right or wrong:
Perhaps the most moving part of
/ Lawyer William L. Howe's elegant sum
ming mp on behalf Of Annie Walden
was where he besought the iurymen to
consider her youth, her beauty and her
helplessness.
When Francis l.. Wellman, assistant
district attorney began his summing up
for the prosecution he urged the jurors
not to be moved by his adversary's
emotional appeals He called Mr. Howe
an actor. He said:
IF you had seen him, as | have, go
behind woman defendaht and pinch
her to make her scream and so arouse
! sympathy, you would not be SO much in
| huenced by his theatrical display"
Whom did Mr. Howe pinch?' asked
Mr. Wellman.
ELLA Nelson" was his prompt reply.
you recall that she had shot her lover
dead because he was packing his trunk
and preparing TO leave her. She was on
trial for her life. Mr.. Howe got her ac-
quilted
"When he had got to that part Of his
summing up where he called upon the
jury to look at her. Ella was sitting be-
hind a table, her face toward the jury,
but resting in her HANDS. She had been
weeping for some minutes, but now she
was composed.
"'Look at that facet pleaded Mr.,
Howe in impassioned tones. He strobe
rapidly behind her. Again he cried,
Look at that facet and as he did SO he
seized Elias soft wrists in his strong
hand and wrenched her arms apart.
The woman screamed with pain and
terror.
THAT scream was enough to freeze
the blood Of anybody who heard it.
cannot help thinking that it had much
to do with the verdict.
II do not say that it is wrong for
counsel to employ theatrical methods in
defending their clients. think it is
part of the duty Of the prosecuting officer
to expose this sort of thing to the jury.
Frederick b. House was defending q
man named Becker in the general ses-
sions. Becker had clothing store in
Baxter street. He arranged a candle so
that when it burned down to a certain
point at midnight it would set fire to II
lot Of bagging soaked with kerosene,
and so burn the store and earn Becker a
big amount of insurance. Firemen
quenched the flames and so saved the
lives of seventy-six men, women and
children who were sleeping in the tene-
ments above the store,
"When Mr. House summed up he
was in quaudary. Becker couldn't
understand one word in English, there
fore how could the poor devil weep at
the proper moment? That little diff
Guilty was solved all right. Becker rested
his face in his hands and peeped through
his interlaced fngeYs at his eloquent de-
fender.
"'Think, gentleman, said Mr., House
if you send this wretched man to prison
you will punish those innocent little
ones At that instant Mr.. House drop
ped his handkerchief.
''Wowr came a shrek from Becker
1t began like the scream of a catamount
II died away in a long drawn wall and
choking sobs Becker's tears were like
a shower. Mrs Becker's and the little
Beckers' tears were a cloudburst, Human
nature couldn't stand it, Juror No.
was nice old fellow, retired from bust
ness and living at home surrounded by
sons and daughters and chubby grand
children. lie broke down at the second
drop of Fred Houses handkerchief. Al
the third drop Of the cambria the JUROR
tears gushed out beyond the railing
Answering snifles and gasps came from
two other jurors.
ut seems hard to believe, but it is 0
matter of record that in the face Of tn,
clear evidence against Becker the jury
stood three for acquittal and nine fol
conviction The tears and howls aut
the little Beckers saved the guilty man
And in proof Of his guilt let me add tha
Becker was released under $500 bail
but he ran away, although the case wa
soon brought up for retrial
"Often the question of makeup test
the counsel stage managers ability anC
ingenuity. There was Alphonse Steph
, ami, the young man who deliberately
: murdered Lawyer Clinton G.. Reynold
, for not surrendering Stephani's father
estate fast enough to be squandered. Tn,
defense was insanity.
! perhaps you recall the Stephan VIII,
came to trial Instead Of the handsome
neatly dressed rich mans son, the jurl
saw a wild, unkempt creature, a Cuhhn
in ugliness Stephani's hair had been
/. untouched by shears or brush for months
S He had not bathed or shaved. He still
. wore the clothes no had ON when ar
rested, His linen was in tatters an,
almost black. His outer garments wer
greasy and crusted with accumulation
, Of spilled food, Stephan was a goo,
y actor Not q word did he speak TO an.
one. With large black eyes, as dee
I and mournful as Edwin Booths, IA
S stared glOomily at nothing. Lear was
o model Of sanity beside him. There wa
s more OF less testimony TO show tina
o Stephan had fallen off a pony yer
8 many years ago and hurt his head an.
u that he had always been high tempered
= like any spoiled child. No one hal
i bothered about his alleged insanity
Il though, until after he had killed hi
II fathers old friend.
e Insane, was the jury's judgmen
It after listening TO the testimony anl
% watching the gloomy makeup Of th
Ii prisoner They found him guilty O
murder in tho second degree, and he wa
/, sent TO prison for life. Today he is
p neat, well behaved and short haired COZ
u vict.-New York Herald.
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