The Indiana State sentinel. [volume] (Indianapolis) 1868-1895, 1894-04-18


i human nature were 20 be considered
more deeply than the statements of
witnesses. The question was not wheth-
er William g. p. Breckenridge had vio-
lated any ordinance. human or divine,
had been guilty of moral turpitude, con-
duct which brings upon him condemna-
ton, but whether those two parties had
agreed that he was 10 become her hus-
band and she his wife. TO awaken hor-
ror before the public there had been a.
tale that Col. Breckenridge had led
astray a gultless girl and had led her
down the path of nine years of immor-
atty to a marriage contract ruthlessly
violated. The jury was to determine
whether there had been any such guilt
less little girl. whether she had not been
a mature and knowing woman. He de-
MED that the woman to court
| redress a great wrong. No wrong could
| be redressed in that way. Nor had she
| wanted the balm of money. for she has
| said there was none
What of the aIotives
Her motive did not rise TO the quail
ity of revenge, nor even of hate, but
sent abroad to every home a leaven she
knew 10 be vile. the influence OF which
was measureless. For what motive
does the desperate woman walk on any
| stage. She deliberately turned from
everything that man or woman could de-
sire and proclaimed her shame. This is
a vestibule of wider stage upon which
! she desires to enter 1t is the right of
| any individual to corrupt public morals
by the excuse of seeking reparation for
wrong. What is there OF reparation for
wrong but TO go home to her mothers
fireside. TO Him alone who can grant
reparation for a wrong?'
Her early life was not what il should
have been, he continued. but was what
her letters showed her to he. 1t would
be said: You, Mr.. Butterworth. are de-
Tending sin. But no. have a little fami-
ly of my own. one son who had TO fight
| the battle Of life against fearful Odds
No. he was defending the standard Of
womanhood, the virtue of city and of
country girls. No man could say that
seduction was possible under the cireum-
stances which had been portrayed here.
He protested against such a standard
being raised for virtue. As for his
! client no one knew through what mire
that man had been dragged. and such
was the penalty of sin. He did not
want the jury carried away by the whis
per floating IN the air that a verdict for
his sim He asked them also not to COM
mend a woman who had borne herself
as this plaintiff had. not to elevate her
| for the degradation of him. Such a YER
dict would mean to the girls that virtue
was but a cloak to be thrown off or
! put on. American wOmanhood should
| be indicated by the standard to which
wives and mothers must be held.
At $40 o'clock Mai. ButterwOrth fin
| ished. There was some consultation
| among the attorneys and then Mr.. Viii
son, stating that he was hoarse. asked
| the court 10 adjourn, so the crowd dis
| persed and several gentlemen pressed
! forward to congratulate the lawyer.
| WASHINGTON. April 13.-The great
| speech of Mai. ButterwOrth in the Pol
Ian
| day by the great argument of Judge Jere
| Wilson, who began the final summary
| for the plaintiff. He disclaimed all at
! tention TO deal in oratory and yet ne was
| able to use oratory of the most effective
| kind.
THE defense Of Adem." was what he
S the credit Ge or h eo sad Ad aa
| had always been deemed a coward and
a craven. He did not attempt to assert
| that his client was free from fault, but
| that just far she had strayed from
| the path Of womanly virtue she had been
| led by the man. On two or three inn
| portant points he drew logical deductions
! from the evidence. which surprised even
| the lawyers. He has a long right arm
| tipped with an accusing index finger
| which serves to drive his deductions
home. The long, boRy forefinger was
| several times levelled in denunciation at
| Col. Breckenridge. which made the, Ken
! lucky orator shift uneasily in his chair.
| 1t was a terrible arraignment TO which
he was subjected and he would have been
| something less than human had he not
| shown the effect of it as he did
| Judge Wilson will continue for an in
| definite time tomorrow and then Judge
Bradley will deliver his charge to the
| jury, and the trial will be ended when
a verdict is announced
Large Audience.
Judge Jere NJ. Wilson was compliment
| ed today by the presence of a large au-
dience of his colleagues of the legal pro-
| fessiOn and OF members of congress to
hear his reply to the attacks of Col. Phil
| Thompson upon his client and the elo-
quent appeal Of Maj Butterworth Mr..
! Wilson's voice was low and impressive
as he told the jury that it was his duty
| to reply TO all the defendant had said
as witness and through his counsel. \
| startling thing had been urged on his
| behalf, viz: that this case with all it's
| revelations should not have been brought.
| He thinks" began the attorney,
| speaking through counsel that this case
| never should have been brought, that it
is spreading pollution through the, coun-
| try: and l do not wonder. L am sorry
| that my friend, Ben Butterworth, is not
here. He has said that we are to blame
| for spreading this pollution through this
country. II what this defendant has
| confessed on the stand be true is it pos
sible that such things are not TO be re-
! dressed? Is it possible that in the sun
| light of our civilization there is no re-
| dress? You can not tie a milestone
| around his neck and sink him in the sea
| for the fishes to feed upon him; you
| cannot shut him in a cage and double
| lock it to keep him from polluting the
women of the country; you cannot do
| that, but you can secure the redress that
| the laws Of the land have provided"
Mai. Butterworth had spoken of the
| revulsion of feeling abroad against this
| case. But he had forgotten that in Great
! Britain. when such things became a
| stencil in the Anglo-SaxOn nostrils, peers
| tons dragged from closets and had been
condemned. had been banished-aye
| bright stars as had been said, had been
| dragged from the armament.
Assumes the Responsibilities.
Even if this We're the first case"
thundered Mr.. Wilson, 81 would be proud
of my part in condemning such conduct.
Ny friend Carlisle and l take this re-
sponsibility, and we take it willingly,
even proudly. L suppose my friend But
terworth would say that if the third
count in this Indictment be true he
would Danish the woman and send the
man to congress. / stand here for a
higher womanhood. 1 stand here to de-
mand the same standard from woman