The evening herald. [volume] (Shenandoah, Pa.) 1891-1966, 1894-01-20
Special to The HERALD.


POTTsvILLE, Jan. 2o.-AH that John
Briggs could expect to be done and said in
his defense on the charge of the murder OF
James Parft before the court here has been
done and said by his senior counsel, Hon
Charles n. Brumm. The latter has made one
of the best uphill fights ever seen or heard
of in the criminal courts in this county and
by his work in tho case has shown himself y
Jealous, shrewd and indefstisable LAWYER
If John Briggs is convicted is will not be due
TO failure on the part of Mr. Brumm to
rake advantage Of every point and TO fully.
clearly and forcibly bring before the jury
every point tending, or seeming to tend. in
n the prisoners favor. If Briggs is acquitted.
and there are many people who think he has
such a chance i, will give Mr. Bumm al uu
deniable reputation of being one of the bss-
Grim NAL lawyers in the state
lt has been an uphill fight. He started out
with what appeared to be doomed murderer
"n his hands and to day has at his side
client of whom many of the people who were
first carried away by public sentiment are in
doubt on the question ofthe killing Of PART
and some openly declare that under the
statement of facts ss shown by Mr.. Brumu
during the past few days, if they were in the
jury box, they would be obliged TO acuuit
Briggs.
A Pottsville gentleman, Of established
reputation, not a lawyer and entirely dis
interested in either the prisoner or the quasi
prosecution, but who was impelled by
curiosity to attend every session Of the trial
stated last evening that the whole question in
the case had boiled down to a second and
after taking all the testimony into consider
alton he felt that If seated i'm the Jury box be
would be obliged TO acquit Briggs
However, the prosecution has not SUMMED
up. Perhaps afteT il does some of the con
WINGED and some of the doubtful ones will
change their views and perhaps not.
There We're several pirfu scenes in the
court room yesterday afternoon. As an
oratorical effort the summing up was not up
to MIR. Brumm S standard, hut a plain dis
unct and aualyti tical presentation of acts. and
the formation of apparently iusignifcsnf
details into c ear stern evidence i'm favor oil
the prisoner the effort was one Of the counsel's
most remarkable efforts, and 10 was this effort
that caused the friends of the deceased and
the accused TO weep
Mr. Brumm spoke for eight hours, two
Thursday afternoon, three yesterday morn !
ing, and three in the afternoon The readers |
Of the HERALD have had the benefit of what |
was said to the jury up 10 noon yesterday |
Atter the recess Mr.. Brumm devoted some
time to the question on the right of the |
Trac ion Company to lay ts track |
On the disputed territory and to send a body |
Of men, with or without arms to relay the !
tracks and protect the men engaged in the |
work. He took up the ordinance Of the Gil |
Derton Borough Council granting the original !
right Of way and maintained that the street |
which the Council claimed as Gilbert
street was Church street, that the former
iireet is really square east of where the
Council claim il is ana that, therefore, the
rack torn up was ON conceded territory. As
proof that the street claimed as Gilbert
Ieet is not such he stated that if the rail
'Oad were run north on that street as required
~ The borough ordinance there would be no
highway at the north end for a connection 10
un eastward, while at the north end of the
treet one square east there is = highway
lie also stated that the Borough of GilbertOn
ould not complain because the track were
lot extended the full length of the street
Iron which the company claims right of way
ny more than saloonkeeper can complain
a customer drinks but half a glass Of beer
or which he has paid.
Mr.. Brumm spent some time on this point
Z is true, said he, that We didn't 20 as far as
iilbert street, but as far AS we did go we
vent within the specifications and they had