Waterbury evening Democrat., 1895-05-11
HIS LAST JURY APPEAL.
Ex-President Harrison Makes
 His Farewell Speech.
TEN THOUSAND PERSONS HEARD IT.

TEN THOUSAND PERSONS HEARD IT. The Address Was Delivered In Closing the
 Famous Morrison Will Casc-Mr. liar
 In Spite of the Heat.
 RICHMOND. Ind, May Il.-Boniamin Harrison, ex-president of the United States, has made probably the last address he will ever deliver before jury. It was in the famous Morrison will case The trial has been going on for five months Three months ago the eX-president was seized with an illness that awakened the gravcst apprehensions for his life
 An intimate friend said to reporter that the former prestdont hoped to live to practice law for many years, but he did not expect ever again to conduct jury trial. This determination he reached nearly year ago and he was induced to reconsider 1t only by the fact that he be- lieved the children of his old friend. the testator, were being wronged by the at tempt of the defendants to secure the bulk of tho property.
 It was hardly O clock on Friday morn ing whom people from the county began to pour into the town of Richmond and before the courthouse was opened for the day nearly 1000 persons wero gathered under the shade of the trees in the court house yard. Soon tho people living in the city began to flock toward the courthouse, and when tho doors were opened an hour latOr To- 900 were waiting to secure places in the big hall. As the janitor opened the doors there was a rush from all sides, and the crowd jammed its way into the room till the seats were all taken and the aiSles and around tho walls were fully occupied. It was with difficulty that the ex-president and the other attorneys in the case sucroeded in getting inside of the railing around the judges dais and a paSSagoway had to ho made for them by the shoriff.
 Appearance of Mir. Harrison.
 MT. Harrison entered the room few moments before tho court opened and mado his way to a seat within the railing. simply lowing to those whom he recog- nized in the crowd
 In opening his address Mir Harrison said: This caso is extraordinary in only few features. There Is a large amount of money involved. but that is of ccnse- quonCo only 10 the parties themselves. It Is of no consequence to you. Juries are not responsible for conscquonces They have but one duty-to find the truth.
 1uCIe nslS never been a case as long this in Indiana. There has never been n caso in which so much turbulence and passion havo boon shown. We were in. decd welcomed into Wayne county, but it came in tho closing speech for the defense It should havo been in tho opening"
 Mir. Harrison dealt to a degree with such phases of tho casa as a man defend. ing the grandchildren of an old friend would naturally havo selected for they gave occasion for earnest eloquencc that other moro prusaic features of the Caso would not havo justified, On the question of tho insanity of the tcsiatOr Mir Harri- son spoke at length, saying that the very best evidence of tho insanity of James Morrison was the will itself for it was a standing evidence that n man of his goncr- ouS character. who had given to the city of Richmond its magnificent parks and its freo circulating library, would not be capable, if in his right mind, of cutting off his grandchildren with so meager a share in his estate
 Tndue Influence Defined.
 Mir. Harrison then took up tho question of undue influence Tho books " said he, say that arguments, persuasion and en- treaty aro entirely lawful They say Mrs. Hubbard might havo gone to her father and asked for rcsiduum as she asked for
 
 perfectly proper. It is only when this por- suasion operates upon a mind too weak to ! deal with it. too weak to treat 1t as an ar gument, that it becomes undue influence | So you can sec that a man or a woman | might bc almost innocent in urging these l which the law says they may, | and yet go a little too far in not mcasur- | ing tho resisting force of the mind to | which they are appealing It has another | aspect. It may bo the result of chicanery | and arts; 1t may be the result of threats | and coercion. When 1t assumes that form. 1t Is justly characterized as criminal In | duo influence may bo proved without the | proof of word spoken. You don't have to put your finger on the man, or the | hour, or the thing said in order to estab- fish unduo intluoncu
 At the afternoon session Mir Harrison addressed himself entirely to tho several wills that had been made by Morrison. and entrusted the liberality of the be- quests to tho grandchildren in the former wills with the paltry sums bcquoathed to them in the last will, made in July be. foro Morrison's death. He referred in terms of extreme deiicacy to the defend ants and to the several interests they had in the will, and expressed the hope that nothing that had been said in the case would be construed to have been born of worse purpose than desire to dis charge all the duties that such employ ment placed upon attorneys.
 Something About the Case.
 Tho judge will instruct the jury today. and decision Is expected by Monday, if It all. There seems to be a general i'm pression that the jury will fail to agree
 James L. Morrison of Richmond, Ind, iied a year ago, leaving property valued It $l.OOO, 900. He had two children-a son, Robert, a member of & wholesale irug firm in Chicago and a daughter, now Mrs, Edgar Hubbard. Robert died some years ago, leaving two children James and Bertha-the complainants in he caso.
 In tho elder Morrison's will, made but l few weeks before his death, he left each 'f these grandchildren $2O 900 and an 'qual share with Mrs. Hibbard in the Morrison homestead. Mrs Hubbard re- 'eives the residue of the estate with the of few thousand dollars left to institutions.
 The plaintiffs attorneys allege that James L. Morrison at the time he made lis will was in an extremely feeble con- lition physically and mentally and could lot comprehend the real value of his es- ate. They further allege that he was un- July influenced by Mir. and Mrs Edgar Iibbard and others.
 Du Maurier Is Coming Over.
 BOSTON. May l1.-A cablegram received D this city announces that Du Maurier,