St. Paul daily globe. [volume] (Saint Paul, Minn.) 1884-1896, 1892-12-01
A RETURNED VICTOR.

William w. Erwin has returned to st. Paul,
quietly and as any citizen would, though if he
were belted warrior or college oratorical
contestant and had achieved such a victory
as was heralded from Judge Kennedy's court
at Pittsburg, he would have been received
with all imaginable honor.
TIT
Mr.. Erwin talks IN very modest and re-
served way of the outcome of the trial of
Sylvester Critchlow. first of the Homestead
locked-out men to be placed On trial for
murder, aud whose acquittal is accepted as
an augury that none of those under indicl-
ment will be convicted.
TT
Talking with a GLOBE reporter, the dis
tinguished advocate said he had come home
to rest up before the beginning of the other
trials. incidentally. he will probably be an
honored guest at the entertainment given by
the st. Paul Trades and Labor assembly at
Market hall, Tuesday. Dec 10. The fine,
strong face of the Tall Pine bears little
apparent trace of the great mental labor and
physical WEAKNESS necessarily involved in
such a tremendous legal combat. but never
theless he realizes that rest is an aDsofu to
essential to continued success at the present
time.
esL@S t+tt
1T was the prayers of the women and
children of Homestead that won that case, +
said Mr.. Erwin. drifting into running-rer
view of the now famous trial. 'The prosecu-
ton was conducted with great ability and
relentless determination. They had appar-
emily planned and built up a narrow, COM
pactand impregnable case. At least, so it
seemed to those on the outside watching the
contest, but knowing nothing of the plans of
the defense. The very narrowness of the
prosecutions case, however, gave us the
opportunity to flank them. How we sue
ceeded the public already knows.
TIT
1.-THE discharge of Critchlow regard as a
victory of the people. All through the trial it
was the spirit of the Republic against the
crumbling formulas of the old English law.
Our stand was an appeal from the law of
Moses to the teaching OF the Christ, the in
spiration of brotherly relations among men.
While the press chronicled utteranees and
actions it lost sight of or ignored the moral
scope or the defense's position. We fought
our case as a battle of liberty, and when the
time came for attack, the prosecution found
itself without ground to stand on.
TIT
II am informed that Hugh Ross and John.
McLuckie. members of the advisory board,
have surrendered" continued Mr.. Erwin,
and, now that the opening battle has been.
fought and won, all the men who left Home
stead through fear of prosecution will doubt
less return and submit to the law. The trial
of cases will reopen the first Monday in Janu-
airy, but which cases will be tried first 1 am
unable 10 say
TT
In connection with Mr.. Erwin's return an
other interesting incident of the trial has de-
veloped 1t will be remembered that the
opening address for the defense was made
by Lawyer Argo of Iowa. When he was
about to close he asked of the court that En-
win be allowed to speak briefly, which re-
quest was granted with the consent of the
prosecuting attorneys.
++++
The st. Paul criminal lawyer was in a
mood to be dangerous 10 the prosecution.
and his resoundlng sentences were shot forth
with vim that made it impossible for the
best stenographer in the court to follow him.
H. Schumacher of this city, who has re-
ported Mr.. Erwin's speech for a long time,
stated yesterday that this speech, which has
been referred TO as "a spread eagle effort"
was one OF the best and most meaty he mas
ever heard.
t+t
sit was utterly impossible to report 1t, I"
said Mir. Schumacher, land. though we had
secured crack shorthand man, the speech
was lost. My hand and arm became cramped
in the effort to follow the speaker. and l was
compelled to desist. as was also Reporter
Mendephall, of Pittsburg. 1t was one of
those talks man makes as if by inspiration.
The spirit of Lexington and Bunker Hill
resistance to lawless invasion. the feeling of
self preservation, the rights of man under
the fatherhood of God, the fight of the peo-
pie against ppression-pervaded every sem
tence. 1t was the diamond point of the case.
1t entirely changed the status of Frick in the
minds of the people down there. and it is a
great pity It was lost. Carnegie's manager is
no longer referred to generally as Mister