The Providence news. (Providence [R.I.]) 1891-1906, 1895-02-04

Inc trlal OF Lawrence ". heeehn iOr Tue
murder OF Emily Chambers practically
ended Saturday afternoon shortly before
o'clock when the Attorney General
arose and announced 'sThe State rests"
Today the arguments OF tho opposing
counsel are being presented and Judge
Wilbur Is to deliver his charge but this
will hardly effect the case materially as 1t
is from the testimony that the jury will
be instructed TO form their opinion,
and the testimony was concluded nearly
two days ago. 1t has not been an easy
task or either prosecution or defense and
every inch of ground has been stubbornly
contested on both sides. While .she pros
ecution presented wonderfully strong
array of circumstantial evidence, it was
met by surprisingly vigorous defense
and the case which will be given to the
jury will demand the greatest care and
dcliberation in weighing it. Out of all
the mass OF testimony which has been
submitted the Government seem to have
clearly
Established Two Facts,
one that the woman who hired the horse,
Nettie, and the phaeton was Emily Cham
bers, and the other that the unfortunate
woman met her death while in this car
riage. The first OF these facts Isl proved
by the finding OF the mS~iered woman's
shawl in the buggy after its return 10 the
stable. The second seems to be
substantiated by the discovery
OF blood on the cushions Of
the phaeton, and by the manner in which
the underclothing found on the body
were scorched, showing that the victim
met her death while in a sitting posture.
All but these two facts in the case are de-
batable, and the verdict of the jury must
be based, IL would seem, on the identity OF
the man who Mrs. White and other of the
States witnesses saw on the Thursday OF
the crime riding in phaeton buggy
drawn by a small black horse, and accom-
panied by q woman In black. IL the
States witnesses are believed, that man
was Lawrence Keegan, but IL, on the other
hand, the defendants witnesses have
weight 1t could not have been the accused.
Thus the decision must finally rest on the
credibility of the witnesses and their
ability and opportunity to judge to what
they have testified. III Keegan's alibi has
raised reasonable doubt as TO his pres
ence on the Hartford pike he must be
acquitted; II not, his guilt would seem
established.
The States rebuttal of the defendants
witnesses Saturday afternoon was mainly
directed TO the overthrow OF his alibi by
statements which the prisoner made
shortly after his arrest.
AT the conclusion of Editor Lingane's
testimony
Edmund III. Kirby,
Journal reporter, testified 10 an inter-
view which he had together with
Mr.. Rosenfeld with Keegan on
the evening OF Tuesday in the first
week of October, just previous to the de-
fendant's arrest. At this interview Kee-
gan said that shortly after dinner on the
Thursday of the murder he went down
town and visited saloons on Pine and
Clifford streets. He subsequently went
to Grimes and thence to the corner of
Pine and Richmond streets, and then went
home. After Keegan had told of his
journey to the corner of Pine and
Richmond streets his statements became
confusef. Mr.. Kirby had second con-
versation with Keegan at his cell in the
court house on the day he was taken from
the city hall. He was indefinite in his
statements as to his whereabouts on
Thursday, but said he went from Sullivan
& Farreli's and thence to Grimes, after
which he went homo.
j. j. Rosenfeld,
city editor of The Journal. was present at
the firstsinterview which Kirby had with
Keegan and corroborated the testimony
OF the forme witness.
General Nelson Wall,
warden OF the state Prison, said that he
was present at a conversation which John
Conole had with KeegGn. Keegan sent
for Conole to come to the prison and in
quired IL Conole remembered having met
him near the crusher at Cranston on
certain day. Mr.. Conole did not remem-
Der and the interview ended.
John Conolc
Knightsville teamer, told OF Keegan
sending for him TO come to the jail. Con-
ole did not remember of seeing Keegan in
Cranston, whereupon Keegan said that
when he met Conole the latter had bas-
ket OF green corn In n peach basket. Kee-
gan claimed that he spoke TO the witness
and asked the time OF day, " hereupon
Conole took out his watch. Conale re-
piled that he carried no watch, and Kee-
gan asked no more questions. Conole
said that he did not remember meeting
Keegan and did not remember the cir
cumstnnce Of his carrying green corn in
peach basket. Keegan did not say
what day he met Conolo, and
did not refer TO the hour
The witness said, however, that 1t was
late In the afternoon when he carried tho
corn.
The Last Witness
in the case was William III. Hayden,
Telegram renorter who interviewed