The Scranton tribune. [volume] (Scranton, Pa.) 1891-1910, 1894-12-07

The twenty-hrst and last states, IL
the jury in their deliberation find evil
dence that would create reasonable
doubt of defendants guilt. they are
bound to give the defendant the bene-
fit of the doubt Or If from any and
all the evidence taken together,
reasonable doubt of the defendants
guilt is raised, either as to the degree
of crime or the commission OF the
crime itself, he should have the bene-
fit of the doubt.
On these points Attorney Colborn and
District Attorney Kelly argued before
court, after which Attorney Watson
addressed the jury for the defense. He
closed his argument at noon and when
court convened in the afternoon Attor-
ney Colborn began addressing the jury
in behalf of the defense.
Attorney Colborn's Plea.
If the Jury was not convinced by the
arguments for clemency in behalf OF
Beck they could not help but be
charmed by the irresistible flow OF Mr..
Colborn's eloquence. He reviewed the
testimony of Mrs. Kramer and said she
had perjured herself on the witness
stand in order to shed the blood of an
innocent man. Beck bought the re-
volver to kill himself; the evidence of
the bullet marks on his chin, the testi-
mony of DR.. Parke, and the statements
of the defendant himself, all agree on
that point. These facts could not but
raise a reasonable doubt in the minds
of the jury.
1t is not a case, he said, where malice
or prejudice should bias a verdict; al
though the defendant sat as one dumb
through the trial, not understanding a
word of English, away from his home,
parents and friends and without a cent
of money in his pocket. He did not
ask for mercy, but justice and ver-
diet less than that of first degree would
not compromise truth or sacrifice JUS
tice. God in creating man hesitated,
but Mercy down upon bended knees,
said, God, make man." and God having
made man, said, go; you are child of
Mercy and deal likewise with your
| felow-man." If public opinion and idle
curiosity in court of justice demand
an innocent mans blood it is not, he
said, the province of the twelve men
| to pay heed and shape a verdict on
/ that plea. The defendants life is in
your hands and let your verdict be what
your consciences will dictate in justice
between the prisoner at the bar and
/ the commonwealth of Pennsylvania.
District Attorney Kelly took up the
remainder of the afternoon on behalf
of the commonwealth. He congratu-
| lated the court, jury and all connected
! with the case that its termination was
approaching He then began slowly,
conclusively and logically to draw from
! the evidence in the case a seemingly
unbreakable chain of guilt around the
| defendant. He pictured how the heart
of Beck became filled with malice
when he first was told that Mary would
not marry him.
Malice made him decide to do some
thing desperate and he bought re-
| Volver. If the defendant was insane or
not in his right mind, impelled to de-
stroy himself by lMary's refusal to
marry him, why did he haggle with
Hardwareman Lally over the price of
the revolver. Mr.. Kelly read the law of
murder in the first degree to the jury
and explained the different passages
He lashed the attorneys for the de-
fense for their assumption that Mrs.
Kramer and other witnesses of the
commonwealth perjured themselves.
Bullets All Accounted For.
Two bullets were found in the revol-
yer, one was found by Coroner Kelly
in the dead girls brain, and two We're
found imbedded in the wall, one five
feet from the floor, the other about
eighteen inches. These completed the
five bullets in the revolver and the
question is, where is the bullet that Is
supposed to have wounded Beck s
chin which would have struck the
ceiling? Mr.. Kelly said he did not want
to discredit DR.. Parkes testimony, but
he may have been mistaken in his opin-
ion thatthe wound was from bullet.
Mr.. Kelly used this argument to show
that Beck had at no time attempted
or intended suicide If Beck is insane
the verdict should be acquittal, but in
sanity is the only haven of refuge when
all other avenues of escape are shut off.
Beck had sanity enough to drive a
hard bargain for the weapon and Mr..
Lally, who sold it to him, testified that
he was perfectly cool. In concluding
Mr.. Kelly told the jurors to give the
case their consideration and arrive at a
verdict based upon their consciences
and the evidence. Judge Edwards adj
journed court until 7.3O o'clock in the
evening.
The closing chapter in the trial was
Judge Edwards charge to the jury be-
ginning at 7.3O last night and lasting
just an hour. The court room was