The Mankato free press. [volume] (Mankato, Blue Earth County, Minn.) 1879-1924, 1894-06-08
FROM WEDNESDAYS DAILY.


returned into the court room after an
absence of only fifteen minutes. 1t
had arrived at a verdict of mot
guilty. and the great trial of Will
liam Conway for the murder of Harry
NJ. Walraven was at an end. The
jury was polled and was then dis
charged.
The jury took rwo ballots, the first
resulting eleven for acquittal and one
for conviction. On the second ballot
all were for acQuittal. One OF the
jurors states that he believes that all
but one or two Of the jurors believed
that Conway was perhaps guilty, but
that they did not feel justified in de-
claring him guilty on the evidence OF
Empey.
The court ordered the discharge of
the defendant, and he is now free
man, and probably the happiest man
in MankatO He received the con-
gratulations Of his attorneys and
friends with that mOdesty Of demean-
or and expression that has at all times
during the trial characterized him.
This case has lasted for two weeks,
and has undoubtedly been the longest
and hardest fought case that was ever
tried in the county There have been
more unusual features connected with
this case, from first to last, than the
oldest attorneys have met with in
their experience.
In reaching the verdict it did, the
jury brushed aside the testimony of
Geo. Empey as unworthy of belief or
at least as so unreliable as to be I'M
safe to convict man of in SO serious
case. Employs peculiar negotia-
tiOnS with some Of the attorneys for
the defense, his evident desire to get
could, and his confessed deceits, to-
gether with the hard character for
Yeracity given him by witnesses for
the defense, undoubtedly caused the
disregard of his testimony in the
minds of the jury.
County Attorney Benedict has
labOred hard and faithfully to solve
the mystery of the Walraven murder,
and has discharged his duty to the
people of the county fully and well
He has left no stone unturned that
would throw light on the case, and
the fact that. Conway was not con-
h;
ability as prosecuting attorney.
This case has attracted public inter-
est to an unusual degree on account
of the prominence of the deceased
and the mystery surrounding the case,
and it cannot be said that everything
was not done to fathom it that could
be done.
Lorin Cray conducted the defense
almost wholly during the trial. He
had been spoken to only the day the
trial began, yet he took hold of the
case with SO much boldness and intel
ligence that he brought it to sue
cessful issue. His work in dealing
with the witness Empey was brilliant,
professionally speaking. In the con-
duct of this case he has added much
to his already enviable reputation as
lawyer.
MR.. CRAyS' ARGUMENTS.
Mr.. Cray, continuing his argument
yesterday at ternOon, reviewed the
movements of Conway, and his asso-
citation with Layne. There is no evil
dence worthy of belief that Conway
ever stepped his foot within the
Schwartzenbach house. Conway's APP
pearance at this house is explained by
his two visits there to get the tools
which Mr.. Schwartzenbach had given
him permission to leave there. Con-
ways interest in Laynes approaching
arrest is explained by his friendship
for ahim and the fact that they had
been together so much. Conway re-
manned in the city when he knew that
he was suspicioned and being shadow
ed. Conway's conversation with Nc
Dermott is what any man would have
said under the circumstances. In
Rome ktheucourtS were organized to
convict those brought before them,
but it is not SO in this country. A man
was lead through the streets of Jeru-
salem and was taken before Judge
who informed him that there was no
charge against him but that he had
better leave the city.
The man who killed Walraven went
there to shoot him. They stood face
to face, the assassin standing between
the house and Walraven, obstructing
his way. / believe that if Walraven
could speak from the grave he would
know his assassin. A robber would
have followed him and struck him
from behind. A revolver struck by
the cane as argued by the state would
have been sent spinning across the