Chicago eagle. [volume] (Chicago, Ill.) 1889-19??, 1893-07-29
JQT. Weal1eTcTafl'S argument


The murder of old r. Weathe rcraft
created the usual nine days sensation,
which died away temporarily at least on
the committal of James Thompson, the
deceased's butler, to take his trial for the
crime. The case could not come on in
the ordinary course of events for four or
five months at nearest, so the public
having taken the learned opinions of the
various newspapers entered a unanimous
verdict of guilty against the accused,
and turned its attention to other matters.
The law officers were to be trusted to do
their duty at the appointed time, and
the papers would, of course, make things
as amusing as possible when that time
came, so James Thompson languished in
his cell forgotten save by those officially
interested in introducing HIM to the
awful majesty of the law.
Vox populi, vox del Let us follow
the example of the sovereign people and
leave old James in his solitary cell while
we give short account OF Mr.. Weather
craft and his melancholy end
He was man of 80 or thereabouts,
retired stock broker. rich and of good
standing in the community, living in
well-appointed house. with large staff
OF servants, much given to quiet hospital
ity, and since his retirement paying more
attention to his Kitchen and wine cellar
than to the Illustrations of the market and
the gamboling (save the mark of bulls
and bears. An old housekeeper presided
over his establishment, and next to her
in importance came the butler, almost
as old both in age and time of service, he
whom we have just left waiting trial for
the murder of his master
1t would have been difficult to point
out any popularity about Mr. Weather
craft, anything to distinguish him from
other hale, genial cd bachelors of the
same class He was commonly supposed
to have no eccentricities, no hobbies, and
few strong opinions; in fact, those who
knew him said he was only "a crank on
one subject.
10 Nc called crank is the penalty
nowadays for holding and airing any
opinion in which at least nine-tcnlhs of
the community do not concur
Mr. Wethercraft was what NAV be
called circumstantiaI evidence crank.
lie held indirect evidence in the deep
est distrust, and though as firm be-
lever in hanging for murder as any
criminal lawyer ON or off the bench. yet
h Id that no evidence save that of re-
putable eye witnesses should send man
to the galows.
On this cheerful topic he was much
given to after dinner discourse, nor was
his rather hating style unknown to the
correspondents columns of the daily pa.
pers lie was known to have written Il
magazine article on the subject, which,
however, never saw the light, though it
spent whole year making the rounds Of
the magazine offices. Such is the blind
ness of the editorial mind. His letters
to the editor" got him interviewed once
or twice when newspapers were very
hard up for copy. He enjoyed the pro.
cess hugely and always asked the re-
porter to "call again"
When the old man was dead and his
butler arrested people said it was n clear
case Of Nemesis that the evidence against
his slayer should be so conclusive and ut
the same time so purely crcumstantial,
and some wig OF reporter was heard to
wonder whether after Thompson's trial,
conviction and execution, old Weather
crafts ghost would address ghostly de.
nunciation to ghostly newspapers from
mere force Of habit, or would sulk in a
cor-cr Of ghostland and refuse to be
interviewed. The case indeed seemed
clear enough Mr.. Weathercraft had
gone to bed on the 18th of November
we'll and in good spirits; on the follow
ing morning he was found dead, stabbed
to the heart. The weapon which was
found buried In the old mans heart was
an old fashioned silver skewer part OF
the family plate, and had clearly been
sharpened for is deadly purpose. The
sharpening seemed to have been done
with file or some such rough nipple.
ment There was very little external
hemoFrhage, only few drops OF blood
being visible
Tho last person who saw his master
alive was the accused himself. Accord
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