The herald., 1894-11-17
1t Was an Exuberance of
Affection That Led to
the Murder.
INTEREST IN THE TRIAL
The Court Room Literally Packed from
Aorning Until Night-EnthralIed
With Details OF . Shock
Ing Crime.

An hour before the dulcet voice OF
Deputy Sheriff Cline announces the seq
sion OF the court open, the "free list" is
entirely suspended in Judge Smiths
departm ent Of the superior court.
The public are aroused. snd instead of
showing signs Of abatement, the strug-
gle. not for comfort in the shape OF com.
Portable seats, but for the mere privilege
OF standing through the long hours
closely packed In crowd of perspiring
humanity, is daily growing more pro-
nounced.
Yesterday some OF tine active young fel.
lows who would, possibly, have been bot.
ter employed coming their school books
than listening to the details of a horri.
Bile murder. took gallery (?) seats on
the corridor lodges, while others stood
mp behind. Oh, it's beautiful to see the
sympathetic interest displayed when
the game 10 made and the stake being
played for 10 human life. "Scratch q
Russian and you will find Tartar"
runs the provsrb. and to psraphrase it,
scratch the mental epidermis OF the
average citizen and the traces OF saw
sgery are made apparent.
And what day of surprise yesterday
was And still more, what pleasure
those court loungers will have today.
Why? Because Herod is to be OUT
Heroded, vice ia to be made to shine as
virtue, and the habitues of the court
room-both male and female-are to be
made src ctators % the very spotneosis
OF crime.
Has the story OF the bloody murder
~ Hunters ranch been told all wrong?
1t would seem so. Have long array of
witnesses perjured them selves in testi.
Tying to what purported to be facte? 1t
would seem go.
The defense began yesterday, and at
once the whole affair. that reeks with
horror, began to wear another aspect.
throughout the cross-examination of
the witnesses for the prosecution, the
evidence sought to be elected by de-
fsndants counsel tended in certain
direction. Now that the case for the
people has been closed, q review of the
sross-examination OF witnesses, taken
in connection with evidence given for
the defence yesterday afternoon, indi-
Gates, to some extent, at all events, the
general line OF argument to be taken in
showing Craig up in new and better
light.
To those who have followed the strong
testimony of the witnesses for the peo-
pie, it will seem futile, almost,
to say that Craig did not
commit black. hideous and
revolving murder. But we are told "the
very elect may be deceived" and so a
few suggestions: George Hunter did
not 60 to the hatraok. after passing
Craig on the porch, to get either his hat
or his coat, but to get pistol. Was il
that pearl handled toy hidden away in
the clock? Quien ssbe! Upon step.
ping out on the porch he fred and the
shot plowed furrow across Craig's face.
To defend himself from assassination
Craig returned the FIRE, and then-God
help him !-he missed mis- aim, the bull
let missed George and sped it's course
through the door and found fatal
Judgement in the body of his darling
vile. With truer aim he fred again to
defend himself against Georges on
slaught. Then just remember with
what Spartan virtue Craig disdained to
give way to grief. No sobs rent his
frame as be eyed the uuivering form OF
his unattended victim. but, stepping
across the dead form of Emily Craig, he
cried for vengeance againet those whom
ne believed were keeping him from his
loved ones. Breathing out slaughter
against his enemies, chasing even his
children before him, he would have
offered them up-a vast holocaust of
blood.
And 90 much for the theory of SELL
defense. Then he WAS drunk, most
assuredly drunk, insanely drunk. with
mental equilibrium upset, but having a
steady hand and steady pair of legs.
10 there any incongruity In that? If
the ordinary man gets drunk from the
legs up it simply goes to chow that Craig
10 an uncommon man, that's all.
Did Craig mark himself on the face as
he lay on the porch OF the Buena Vista
street house, after again deluging his
hands in blood? Well, that's nobody's
business. anyway. The prosecution did
not prove it yesterday, and in law what
mas not been proven cannot be assumed
70 De. And then, too, it is not to be for
got that Craig, poor fellow, was marked
IN that manner by Georges bullet. and
tPe latter was the aggressor. II in the
~Aeo VI LIS kFlot uo SooA bho
lives OF his father and mother-in-law,
with all the speed that he could reach
Buena vista street from the Hunter
ranch, 1t was, probably, only as sacri-
nee 10 the names of the wife he loved so
dearly.
Men OF his caliber display affection in
an odd way. but he did love his wife
10 IL 10 said.
TILE TEsTIwoNy
Inc nret witness yesterday to take the
stand was Asa Hunter. He testified to
Willie having come to him and having
told him about the murder. His wife
tainted. ana after resuscitating her he
got out mis- horse. and. riding bareback,
he went to the scene of the tragedy. He
described how ne found George living
wounded OIL the porch and Emily Craiy
in the Kitchen dead. He heard some OF
ths children crying, but, with that ex-