The Corvallis gazette. [volume] (Corvallis, Or.) 1862-1899, 1895-09-26
IMPERlHL MILLIONS
By JULIAN HAWTHORNE

| tCopyright. 1891. by American Press Associa-
tion.l
The dagger was produced in court and
identified by Simpson. It was of Japa.
nese manufacture, very sharp, with a
curious y carved hilt.
Mrs. Simpson. called by the defense,
testified that between eleven and twelve
o'clock on the night of February twenty
five, she and her husband being then in
bed. and her husband asleep, she had re-
membered having left candle burning
in an upper room of the house. She had
feared possible fire, and had therefore
put on her dressing gown and gone up
stairs to put out the candle. As she
passed the library door she looked
through, it being ajar, and saw Harry
Trent and another gentleman talking
together. The other gentleman was
short-shorter by a good deal than Mr..
Trent-and had dark beard or whis-
kers. She had only a glimpse of him III
passing; he stood rather sidewise toward
her. She did not think he was seated,
but could not swear that he was not.
She was sure she saw hair on his face.
He did not at all resemble the prisoner.
She was able to give no explanation Of
| his being in the house. Mrs. Simpsons
evidence was. the only thing of any
weight brought out in favor of Darke,
| but the old lady weakened little under
the district attorneys severe cross-ex-
ami-ation.
Daniel Parker, a policeman on duty
near the house on the morning of Feb
| ruary twenty-six, testified that he was
summoned by the witness Simpson at
| fifteen minutes past six a. M, and de-
scribed the position in which he found
the body. After making u brief survey
of the premises he got assistance and
communicated with the captain of his
precinct.
Frank Munroe, detective, said that
| the case had been put in the hands of the
| detective bureau at eight o'clock on the
morning of February twenty-six, and
| that he had been detailed to investi-
| gate it. There was q safe in the study
at the new house; it was open, and
it contained papers; by whom it had
been opened, and whether or not any
! papers or valuables had been alb.
stracted from it, there was nothing to
show. The windows of the rooms were
close and fastened; there was no sign
anywhere of forcible entry. From in
formation he obtained, he believed that
the prisoner, Keppel Darke, was the last
person with Mr.. Trent before the lat
ter's death. He obtained a warrant for
his arrest, and served it on him at his
studio, in West Twenty-third street, at
ten minutes before eleven o'clock a. m.
| February twenty-six. The prisoner, just
before his arrest, was overheard to say
something about killing the deceased. On
being arrested he asserted his innocence.
Olympia Raven gave her evidence very
quietly and clearly. She had known the
prisoner for year. She had commits
stoned him to paint her portrait for pre-
fifth of February was the day appointed
for the last sitting. She had arrived
with her mother at the studio at half
past ten. The prisoner had informed
her that Mr.. Trent had told him the
night before that he was contemplating
marriage with her. She had denied the
truth of this, and her denial had brought
out the avowal of the prisoners love for
her, which she had reciprocated. AT
that moment the detective had entered
and made the arrest.
Cross-exam1ned, she deposed that she
had frequently seen japanese knife
similar to the one produced at the pris-
oner's studio; she had admired it greatly.
She had noticed nothing in the prisoners
manner or speech at any time that was
inconsistent with his perfect innocence
of the charge. She believed him utterly
incapable of such crime.
Mrs. Raven, recalled, said that she had
thought Mr.. Darke behaved very queerly
on the morning of February twenty-six.
He looked disheveled and haggard, and
was violent in his manner. She had sup
posed him to be intoxicated.
DR.. Taylor deposed as to the appear
ance and character Of the wound that
caused decaased's death. The blade had
penetrated the left lung and reached the
heart. The blow must have been de-
livered by person standing behind the
victim. There was no sign of a struggle.
Death must have been instantaneous.
Various witnesses testified to the pris-
oner's good social standing and previous
good character.
Mr.. Banllick, in his speech for the de-
fense, admitted that the prisoner had
been in Mr.. Trent's house on the night
of the murder, but asserted that he had
left it before eleven o'clock. He had
gone to ask Mr.. Trent's assent to his suit
to Olympia Raven. Mr.. Trent, in refus-
ing it, had observed that he intended
marrying her himself. This statement,
which was confirmed by the testimony
of Mrs. Raven, witness for the prose
cution, showed that the deceased must
have been man of loose morals, for it
had been shown that he was at the time
already married to another lady.
"A man of loose morals is certain to
have enemies. and such enemies as are
apt to be moved to murder. Again. Mr..
Trent was a dealer in diamonds; he was
known to be often in possession of gems
of immense value; he might easily have
been murdered on this ground; but it
was not even pretended that this had
been the prisoners motive. In fact, no
motive whatever had been assigned-for
l.. = - E. i IL