Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1893-12-14
POWER OF SIMPLE ELooUENCE.
How 1t Once Saved the Neck of u
Texan ON Trial for Murder.


Texan ON Trial for Murder.
A prominent lawyer of the lone star state.
who recently visited New Orleans. related
to a Picayune reporter the following story
of a murder trial in his Texas home: The
prisoner was on trial for his life. The evil
dence had all been heard. The states at
torney had just taken his seat after most
;ncisive statement of the evidence wherein
he had demonstrated the utter failure of
the prisoners theory of self-defense. The
prisoner was a stranger in the county. The
counsel for the prisoner was stranger
too known only by reputation TO the judge
and the bar, and that reputation was one
of great ability, perfect integrity and a
marvellous knack of "snatching verdicts
each time by some new turn. This gaunt
yet graceful gray-headed man arose, SEEM
ingly without looking at the jury, though
each man felt that he was unde.' the powe.
of that wide-open gray eye. After bowling
to the judge and saying few almost in
audible words of courtesy to his honor. he
turned to the prisoner and said:
You must die, Jcha--die by hanging. II
will be for no fault of yours, By no fault OF
Ihe judge o, Of his jury, OF OF the good peo-
pie OF the county; neither win it be any
fuult OF the Inv. The law CT Texas is u!
right. though you die innocent. The law,
though It's machinery may sometimes ex-
pose perjury. can't always prevent the false
swearing of witae:ges. Judges and juries
have not the power, though they sometimes
exercise the authority of Almighty God.
They couldn't look down into the SOILS OF
those perJa- ei Witnesses ami see the malice.
hate aid private parpcse that cjlCred and
TWISTED ILL che iact5. " e can't help Ii noW.
fot. mist tie az you nave lived. Ike a
brave man. / don I neei ~ tell you that.
J ne woman wf" bore you. three months be
Ire you saw the ii1sht Of heaven, carried IN
.;er arms f-0n enc OF the blood!est iields OF
the late war. The bleeding, sense!ess form
Of your father, while shot ana shell St.ii
shrie&ei and the ;:roaEs Of the dying filled
The air. Aa1 your father. whose mailiIe /
ooGy we laid to rest las; week. WAS net
matched In all this land. These trusted you,
and their biood can bctray No trust. Ghe
only message ne sent you was. Tel him
We believe III him We VIII lay you beside
them. IN few days this Oh white head
viii be ia:d Ee%t 10 you. III not be as!aI-
ei to be buried soon beside you, John. You
are so Ike the other john that see the
visions OF happy boyhood while gazing into
the same true eyes-cOntuSed with these is
the pride have tiScn IN my friends boy.
While we lay these bodies in the church
yard over the mountain we II appeal this
case. We II Try il all over again up yUn Ter.
Then III a Few Of the boldeSt and grandesl
figures he sketched his i3el OF trial in
rious presence the false witness is dumb
and the inerraEt Judge needs not the AID Of
counsel or ct j.rors." Then ne pictured IN
low vibrating tones the eagernesa with
which the mother, and the calm confidence
with which the father awaited nelyea' S
verdict, the quic,s rush. the entrancns,
soul-satisfyinS embrace of both al the
words, mot guilty" Then, taking UP both
hands of the prisoner, he looked down In
his face for moment steadily. then. bend
ing forward with mother-li,ie tenderness.
kissed him twice on the forehead, saying,
IN a whisper audible to all, We can wait
for that? So, good bye. John. my boy
Bowling respectfully again to the judge he
took his seat. still holding one of the pri5-
cner's hands. The district attorney. who
through all this sat with his back half
turned to the speaker and to the jury. rer-
vously and excitelly chewing his toothpick
and crossing and recrossing his legs, began
reply which quickly ended after a good
look at the Jurors faces in a stammerng
request to them to do their duty. The
judges charge was scattering. He seemed
to scarcely know what he said. The Jury
did not hear him. Not the slightest Incl
dent occurred to break the spell. They
went cut, returned, and in a very few
moments the verdict of mot guilty. was
recorded What was the force that
worked" this result?