Wood County reporter. [volume] (Grand Rapids [i.e. Wisconsin Rapids], Wis.) 1857-1923, 1892-11-17

| Ihere when wet and dripping with the
blood of the victim. But there was one
piece Of evidence more Gamning than
all, which irrevOcably chained the ac-
cused to the deed; it was this. The
hOuSemaid who had been deDuted to
set the room in order after its unhappy
mistress's death. had, in the natural
fear and horror of the situation, per-
formed her duties but carelessly, so that
she had overlooked fact that the de-
tictive had the next day discovered,
VIZ. torn piece OF wOman'S dress
caught.in projecting nail on the back
of the chair in which the victim had
been seated when surprised by the MUIR
derer. This fragment of clothing had
been found to exactly fit piece miss
ing from the front of the prisoners
gown. while the cash on her hand an
swered to the width Of the knife found
in her pocket. and might be conjectur-
ed to have been accidentally inflicted
On herself. while Stabbing at the poor
young lady. That she should have en-
tered the room, and left it before the
murder had been committed, was prov
ed to be an impOssibility, by the fact of
her having the dripping knife in her
possession, unless it was to be supposed
that she had .Willfully, and for the pur-
pose Of attracting suspicion to herself,
in cold blood, have inflicted the wound
upon her own flesh.
If he were obliged to anticipate the
defense, it was because he was entirely
in the dark as to what might be set I'D;
and if it was urged that the prisoner
neither gained by, nor could have any
motive for the crime, he would reply
that such was the intricate constitution
of the human mind, that there were
M oo,.
haps the prisoner had thought that. her
honorable, beloved rival once removed.
she would be first in Lord Lovel's at
fectiOns, and in the heart OF the child
she profoundly loved; but if she had no
motive, who could have had one?
True, the jewels Mrs. Eyre wore that
night had disappeared; but when it was
to be remembered that a crowd of ser
wants had been let loose in the room.
altogether demoralized by the confusion
Of the situation, it was impossible to
say that, beneath that temptation which
creates thieves, the diamonds had not
been snatched up and hidden away, to
appear in other form when the hue and
cry after them was past. The commit
tai OF the man DiggeS had been a blum
der Of justice for which there was no ac
counting; had he been guilty, he would
not deliberately have shown himself to
the assembled household at a moment
when all eyes naturally were seeking
for the murderer.
1t would be said that the evidence
was merely circumStantial, and this
was so; but if all the parts, if each
atom, Of the evidence were complete, he
thought it was as conclusive evidence
as could be had. The parts of evidence
must not be considered separately, but
taken altogether; and if the chain of
proof were complete, the objection to
such proof fell to the ground. He
would now call those witnesses who, if
they cOntradicted neither each other
nor themselves, might he considered to
give something better than even direct
evidence.
He tnen proceeded to tell the jury
their duty in the case before him. 1t
was one that required firm minds and
upright hearts, with clear and intelli-
gent UNDERSTANDINGS.
Should their verdict be an acquittal,
it must be in the teeth of OverWhelm-
inc testimony to the contrary. If, on
the other hand, they found verdict of
guilty. it would afford satisfaction to
those who, taking into consideration
the youth and blameleSSneSS Of the vic
tim, could find no parallel to its cruelty
in the history of crime.
He spoke for twenty minutes, but
this was the gist OF his speech. When
he reseated himself, from the Judge
downward, there was only one person
present who had not mentally register
ed verdict Of guilty against the prison
er.
The first witness to the accusation
was the man Digges.
III -bno1
knocking together with fear, he was
placed more dead than alive in the box.
When called upon to take the oath, he
stared idiotically, uttering such uncouth
bowls, as set the whole court into Stifed
laughter, and could not be got TO touch
the Bible, being fully persuaded that
whatever he did would cOnduce to his
ruin-and only on catching Mr.. Eyre's
eye and receiving from him a reassur-
ing glance, showed any sign of recover
ing his scattered wits.
And so the inquiry into the bitter
tragedy of Madcap's death began with
broadcast farce, for the sense of what
the man said seemed actually lost in
the absurdity of how he looked while
saying it--thOugh the sum total drag
ged bit by bit from his unwilling lips,
and emitting all legal Wrangles, was as
follows
On tie afternoon of the murder. he
had placed q ladder against his mis-
treSS'S window for the purpose Of re-
moving some weeds that were growing
around it; but being wanted by the
cook for some kitchen-Stutf. he had for
gotten the ladder till reminded Of it by
his master, who had come into the hot
house about four O'Clock, and had told
him to saddle a horse and ride to the
nearest town where eXotics might be
purchased, and to bring back all that
he could find.
In doing this he had forgotten the
ladder, and. after arranging the flowers.
had gone home for his supper. and to
bed; but at half past ten he had woke
up, and remembe<ed the ladder. and
how his master who MIGHT be smnkinu
a cigar out of doors that evening. would
probably see it, and be angry with him
for disObeying his orders, on the NOR
row. He had, therefore, put on his
clothes and gone up to the Hall, but to
reach the ladder he must pass the draw
ing-rOOm and library windows The
window of the latter was partly up. and
he saw his master sitting at table
writing, his head resting on his hand.
The draWing-rOOm window was also
open, and as much as could be seen Of
the room behind, brightly lit (''an of
muck of Candles" in Digges' vernacu-
lar, and he drew back when he saw
two people in the window, so frighten-
ed that he had much ado not to cry
out. Asked why he was frightened, he
said that one was his mistress, and she
had got fire playing all about her head,
and neck and arms. He wondered
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