The morning news. [volume] (Savannah, Ga.) 1887-1900, 1894-02-02
HILLS CASE NEAR ITS END.
All The Testimony in and the Arsu.
me1tS Under Way.

Prosecution, and in Retaliation the
Defense Calls Witnesses to Impeach
His Reliability Eohols Reads q
Letter Purporting to Come From
Hill Which the Latter Denounces az
a Forgery.
Atlanta, Ga, Feb. 1.-The testimony in
the Harry Hill case was concluded this
afternoon after some most sensational
passages and argument is now going on.
Four speeches will be made tomorrow,
two for each side, and then the case will
go to the jury.
When the court opened this morning the
typewritten confession which Hill was al-
legged to have sent to John W. Echols
from Chicago just after his fight, was in
troduced and read. The letter is the CEN
trail point in highly sensational feature
Of the case, The defense claims that
Echols, who had u quarrel with
Harry Hill Just before his fight,
and is now aligned with the prosecution,
forged the letter in order to convict Hill.
Echols has had a most unsavory connec-
ton with the case from the first, despite
the fact that he was made assistant
counsel by the prosecution. He was put
In this position, the defense claims, as .
reward for his treachery to the prisoner,
and also to seal his lips upon damaging
evidence under the rule Of professional
Information. Yesterday Echols got badly
tangled up in his testimony for the prose-
cution, and this. with the letter he pun
forward this morning, resulted In his
impeachment by the defense. While his
side replied with witnesses who youched
ht q AaIta
that the jury will not now give Echols'
evidence much credit.
CONFLICTING TESTIMONY.
He was not only impeached, but several
highly reputable witnesses introduced In
rebuttal swore positively to material
facts that he had just as positively de.
MED. Echos was the main witness for
the prosecution, being introduced to sub
stantiate Mrs. Porter's story. His im-
parchment is a damaging blow TO the
prosecution, but there are many tech
nical points in the case which still
hang heavily over the head of the de-
fendant. During the reading OF the
letter TO Echols, put In as Hills confession
Of guilt, the defendant arose inthe crowd
and dramatically exclaimed, addressing
the jury, that he had never before heard
Of such letter, and that it was a forgery.
He was made TO sit down by his attorney.
Later on he took the stand aud repeated
| his denial.
TEXT OF THE LETTER.
This letter reads:
Chicago, May II, Is93--Co John w. Echols,
| Attorney at Law: My Dear Sir-Alone abb
s9nt from friends and native land, am going,
| after careful and mature deliberation, 70
compound IN concise form the situation COM
plete, relating TO the overwhelming calamity
which has befallen all who are interested in
the unfortunate anair about which you are
so familiar.
In this I shall avoid, as fur as possible, all
that pertains to sentimentality, yet cannot
reject the faith which entertain in merci-
ful God, OF his Willingness to receive the
erring back Into his foId again. In the long
journey have taken TO this point
great opportunity has been Afforded
me for meditation. The accom-
panying summary / shall recapitulate as
perfectly as memory will serve me, so far as
relates TO overy monetary act connected with
the case l shall column the amounts, FROM,
whom obtained, the interest thereon, aggre-
eating. Us far as possible, every item and cir,
Gumstance connected Then give explanaa
tion for application of all that was spent.
do this as matter Of Justification TO your
self, TO Mr., Hin, the lady In question and to
myself have no ability TO express my deep
concern for her and the anxiety through
which. know she IS passing, yet with me
she VIII always maintain the same exalted
station OF which she has been the oecupant
for many and MANY years
TO express the error OF my course woult be-
useless story; 1 can only say regres was
prompted by the desire and ambition 70 sue
cess. ana nAu Lnt i1JbS ulTtctta SUCCESS IOE
me. how different would be the attitude to-
day. You said very appropriately to me,
"barrycyou have'played and lost" How often
these events occur, aud were the acts OF US
all known, they would seem stupendous.
None are conseienceelean, none can place
their hand on the heart and say, There is no
God"
OF course you are aware that this lady had
on many occasions done for me acts OF kind
ness. both beautiful and ra;tous in my OK
treme anxiety 10 recoup ner, to redeem that
which might have been lost. TO avoid her
from aspersions which the world Is so willing
10 cast at the unfortunate, and especially IL.
that be lady. Is II possible, therefore, that
could have been so unRrateful as TO abandon
this desire for her protection? In all this do
ing was prompted more through the con-
Germ which entertain for her than for my
self.
After the first circumstance which relates
70 the matter OF Mr. Carey, recognized that
she was displeased. but she granted forgive
ness, joining me In the hope Of its beneficial
reDoIndinR. II there was wrong committed
on my part, the initial act was the stigma. all
subsequent ones were prompted by reason or
paliiation with the hope that the business in
which subsequently engaged and which
knew knew was 2 certain OF lar more
tions. standsas my only excuse TO all except
the nrst event.
judged plan Of things, the call seldom pro-
duces the conner Nature does not often say,
See" 10 poor creature at the time when see
ing can lead 10 happy doing, or reply Here"
seek has become an irksome. out worn game.
We may wonder whether at the acme and
summit OF human progress these anaehron-
sns will be corrected by finer intuition, a
closer interaction OF the social machinery
than that which now iolts us around and
along; but such completeness is not TO be
prophecied or conceived as possible. From
maladroit delay springs anxiety, disappolnt-
menis shoek catastrophes and all else in
the fate OF destiny.
OF course, IL is my object that this entire
matter should be kept exclusive and sacredly
private, but II the world must know all that
Is connected with the afialr. should not dis
approve this communication being made
public.
know my wrongs and that silent monitor
called conscience never fails to inject his con-
demnation when either commit or attempt
to commit that which Is wrong. trust the
! spirit OF those most dear to me, who have
gone before. and of the gentle character OF
! this lady, each in themselves have been the
| lnstrumen tality that has prompted the good
that 1 NAV have accomplished, or the
higher purposes that have actuated
me But am going to conclude
| what Ihaye written, and what shall append
| is honestly and faithfully true. AS for my
! own remorse and grief. can only attribute IL
rs coming from acts OF my own. The thorns
| / reap. are OF the tree planted. They tear
me- and 1 bleed. But well might / have
| known Whist fruit would spring from such q
\ hitfar HARRY