Fergus County argus. [volume] (Lewistown, Mont.) 1886-1946, 1893-11-23
THE D 10 I
The Masterly Eloquence Of Orr Able County
Attorney Coupled with the sphinx-Like
Silence of Defendants Counsel
Results in a Verdict of
Not Guilty.

Ever since the editor Of the Mud Geyser
attempted to eat up Tim Cronin, early
last summer. it has been pretty well under
stood that the cannibal would go free il it
lay in the power of our county attorney to
clear him; and this MacGowan found to- be
no difficult Ia sk as the result of the trial
shows. From the first MacGowau hss COM
pletely ignored Mr.. Cronini in the case, even
going so far as Ia select the jury in the
case without consulting the complaining
witness as to whether he objected to any
of the jurymen. or ALLOWING him within the
bar To counsel with him as the case pro
greesed. Mr.. Cronin had employed coun-
sci to assist in the case, as Mr.. MacGowan
ell knew, but this fact was also entirely
ignored by Mr.. MacGowan, 80 determined
was he that nothing should transpire
which by any possibility might result in
the conviction OF the cannibul from Kan
sas. In the selection OF the jury there were
only two men, Mr.. Canine and Mr.. Kane,
whom counsel for defendant attempted to
rave excused for cause. as having formed
an opinion upon the merits of the case, but
the two jurymen were not excused upon
that ground. AS though by precoucerted
arrangement with defendant and his coun-
SCI. or through fear that possibly those two
men were Objectionable to defendant, Mr..
| MacGowan promptly excused both OF them.
using two OF his three peremptory chal-
lenges for that purpose, and retained men
upon the jury who are known to be on
friendly terms with the defendant, and who.
though perfectly honorable men. would
naturally look upon the testimony 10 the
most favorable light to the defendant.
In the next place it was quite evident to
a man up a tree that Mr.. MacGowan was
determined to bring out every point favor
able to defendant and seemed to be in con-
slant dread lest anything else should get
into the record. So well Was Mr.. Morrison
satisfied with the defense put up by Mr..
MACEDONIAN that he did not feel called upon
to Introduce any other evidence or to make
any argument to the jury. Feeling that his
work was well done and not wishing to de-
stroy the effects OF it by any argument in
which he would be bound to ask for a con-
~viction at the hands Of a jury, even under
the evidence given, Mr.. MacGowan very OBJ
IkiISly Till " any atkuuiCher
and after the judges charge the case was
given to the jury.
1t is not to be wondered at hat the jury
brought in a verdict of not guilty when the
state had made so poor "a case, notwith-
standing the fact that the judge charged
the jury that the only excuse for the biting
was self defense, and no one ever heard OF
a man defending himself in good faith by
biting. when he was upon mis- feet and no
one had any hold upon him. 1t lis just
possible that a set of circumstances might
arise in a fight in which one of the p%artici-
pants would be justified in biting the other, |
but Mr.. MacGowan was very careful not
to hint that such a state OF facts did not
exist in this case, and SO the cannibal is
king, thanks to our efficient county at
torneyu |