The Indianapolis journal. [volume] (Indianapolis [Ind.]) 1867-1904, 1893-12-30
MIR. TRUDE's ADDRESS.
An Eloquent Effort That No Doubt In
Huenced the Jury.


Huenced the Jury.
CHICAGO Dec 29-The feature OF the
closing hours of the trial of Prendergast
was the powerful oratory Of the chief
counsel for the prosecution, the famous ad-
vocate, A. s. Trude From the outer steps
of the weather-beaten old courthouse up
to the very bench of his Honor, crowd
sVayed and pushed for seats and standing
room Women were there in number, and
in this connection it is noteworthy that up
to to-day but few women visited the court
room Lawyer Trude said the Importance
of the and the magnitude of its re-
suits appealed to the jurors manhood.
Taking the witnesses for the defense In
order, the lawyer bitterly criticised the
statements Of those who declared that they
believed Prendergast to be insane. He
spoke of the single-tax club members who
had testified. and said:
81 filled with pleasure, amounting
almost to delirium, when my brother Wade
here informed you and me that he intended
to call to the stand Henry George himself.
For he is migratory paranoiac of the
most pestilential type. But he did not come.
l told you that l did not think that Prem
dergast was. under the law the victim of
a delusion. / now say that / don't think
that he ever was an honest or loyal be-
lever in the books, sanctified i'm their
origin. from which he so literally quoted"
The incident of Prendergasts denuncia-
tion of witness Doherty and the use of
language witch he would not have used
had he been loyal to his faith was cited.
The prisoner, supposed by his attorney to
possess great Sanctity, profeSSed religion
to assist in the imitation of his own vanity.
boy after boy, according to the testimony
of many witnesses, was assailed and in
aCf vxh opff incr
his papers at the newspaper Offices" con-
tinued Mr.. Trude. HE took advantage Of
his strength and their weakness. Experts
who saw the defendant but a short time
gave valueless evidence when compared TO
the testimony of the laymen who testified
after long acquaintance with the prisoner.
They had business relations with the de-
fendant, hence their ability to tell intelli-
gently their opinions of the defendant"
THE singie-taX witnesses took the posi-
ton that PrendergaSt was insane because Of
his advocacy of certain religious topics at
times. The brothers Of the church said that
they thought the defendant insane because
OF his advocacy of single tax. There you
are; One side arrayed AGAINST the other.
Reviewing the testimony of the man from
whom the prisoner had borrowed, money.
unfair to christen this boy a borrower of
money from habit. There is no evidence
that he paid any of his debts, but still he
contracted others. And there is no evidence
that he was the pet OF the family, as my
friend Wade SO eloquently and feelingly said
just before he took his seat. He never con-
tributed to the enjoyment or happiness of
that home, nor did he contribute q penny TO
its support When the weather was hot he
slept in the basement because it was the
coolest place in the house, and gave free
rein to all his selfishness. This is CLEANED
from the testimony of his mother. And in
that connection let ii be remembered that
here shall come from me neither now nor in
the future, any word of denunciation crit
icism Of that mother. However recreant the
son may have been. whatever heartburn
have hat mn ar
never forgot that he was her son. Nor shall
l criticise the brother, John.
GUITEAU AND PRENDERGAST.
'In reference TO the medical testimony |
will say only this: There are many par
allels in the case Of Prendergast and the
case of Charles ]. Guiteau. The mention
| of the Guiteau case has appeared as a
nightmare to the gentlemen on the other
| side. But the incidents in the life Of the
| one man are but repetition OF history of
| the other. Both sought the blaze of pub
| lie notoriety. Both longed to be foremost
| in the public gaze and in the public mind
Some men are born to be misers To pile
| up shining gold they imperil their lives
| and liberty; their regulations are long
| since fled. Some aspire TO political emf
nence; some, with sword on hip, will brave
| the fire and steel OF war for prominence,
but others long for position OF notoriety.
| and of such are these men-PrenderSast
and Guiteau.
| How many brutal murderers have
| pressed their faces against the bars OF the
prison cell and with outStretched hands
received garlands and bouquets Of flowers
| placed there by light-minded women2 But
| those DAYS are paSSed-that incentive 10
crime is gone. The lightnings OF the press
| have visited upon them their vengeance,
and those things, thank God are
known no more Charles Guiteau
declared 60 that he eHpe66ted s6 the h,,csn s9
Eartv Es,rEE 70 t appIaud his action. and When ne
found that they did not. that they were
| loudest in their denunciation OF his crime,
he conceived the idea that he was directed
by God: that he received a divine command
to remove the President, and that it was
the eve of God which flashed over the
cleaning barrel OF mat pslOi from Siioh
| sped the bullet that shocked the world
| When PrendergaSt committed the murder
he at first declared that ne expected the
press 10 support him and Justify his act. as
| he was working for the elevation OF the
| tracks But when he found that the press
nn dor tbh ns b hnd reesd the
| call Of his conscience TO remove Mayor
Harrison. There is the parallel, marvellous
| You, gntlemen OF the jury. have your
own ideas regarding the sanity Of The
PwdSds empfoyed by the experts. parancse
and kindred phrases at the time he shot
Mayor Harrison. did Prendergast know
the difference between right and wrong?
| That is the test to apply. The hanging OF
| Gulteau met with the appreciation OF the
| entire world. Notwithstanding the declara-
| ton of the defense to the contrary. All
| the evidence OF the occurrences at the house
on the night Of the shooting show that he
| had reason, cunning. understanding, intel
lgence. When the girl told him TO re-
turn In half an hour he did so. He rea-
| soned He knew what that space or time
was. He returned. and after shooting the
| Mayor twice. when the coachman appeared
he turned the revolver from the breas' OF
| the Mayor toward the coacnman. He ea-
| soned He knew he could keep that man
| (Continued on Second PageJ