St. Paul daily globe. [volume] (Saint Paul, Minn.) 1884-1896, 1895-03-07
IN THE AFTERNOON.
Mr.. Erwin Says. He Discovered
Blixt Was Il Perjurer.

Mr.. Erwin Says. He Discovered
Blixt Was {. Perjurer.
Mr.. Erwin resumed his address as
follows in the afternoon:
Gentlemen of the Jury: | had a deep
and an honest purpose when 1 cross
examined Claus A. Blixt. / did it
bravely and boldly as an attorney,
after having made as careful study of
the case and arrived at as honest con-
victions and conclusions as was able
to from the one-sided view that a man
gets on his own side of the case.
Knowing that this man was an en-
gineer, and was foreigner, / saw the
great danger which attended his tes-
timony. He had not finished his direct
examination, had not got half way
through when 1 saw that had but
one alternative to pursue in fairness to
the jury.
Now, for twenty years / have exam
ined men on the witness stand, and to
my profession there comes a sort of
unconscious sight and judgment, Just
as there does to men in all other pro-
LESSONS of lofe. An engineer on the
train hears something startling which
in the mind of one not expert would
simply awaken the intelligence to look
for it. He instantly turns the lever
before the mind had time to act There
is no use multiplying or trying to illus
trate that proposition. The physician
gives nostrum right in the presence
of death instantly without attempting
to use logic, which a non-expert would
use. They call this skill. Perhaps that
is as good name as any other 1t is
simply something that is born of prac-
tice and follows any special practice of
industry.
BLIXT A PERJURER.
1 knew before Blixt got half way
through his testimony that he was a
perjurer. Just as quick as / could see
that, my mind said he won't be able to
voice this perjury unless you show his
ability. Then caution said, now if he
is telling the truth, and you demon
strate his ability, your case falls. Yes,
that is true. But if you demonstrate
his ability, and he still contradicts
himself, you explain to yourself and
the jury this feeling that you have in
regard to the character of his testi-
mony. And so l did question him for
one day and half on matters that
were not Supremely important, not for
the purpose of arriving at any abstract
truth in this case, but for the distinc-
tive purpose of showing to you and to
the nations that this man Blixt was
phenomenal man so far as a grasping
intellect was concerned; that his mind
was strong; that he had the power
and the capacity to successfully commit
perjury; that he was phenomenal in
that regard, both as to capacity of
nina and as to boldness and daring in
the Silly excuses that he proffered
When exposed. l had compared his
statement in my mind l had found
that he had shifted on motives: first
because he was in the power of Harry
hayward by the reason of burning of
Darn. He demonstrated that as his
hrsl hhotiVe. The next statement he
MADE he put it upon the whisky.
lie was dazed and hypnotized and
uhuef the power of a superior mind
an unwilling but passive agent. in an
Hyphouc condition. Then, | saw him
on the witness stand swear that the
thlhS winch moved him to do this deed
was lear Tor wife and love of home
1hese thlngS taught me just as swiftly
DIS CLOUD on your horizon on the farm
tells you 1t Will rain in two hours. and
you peSln to put up the hay. These
lhiIiSs told me his absolute condition
ana know never could show to Won
HIS absolute condition unless | demon
SIdteo the great capacity the pheno
mehal capacity of his mind. consider
ing MS circumstances in life. for thev
are extraordinary, wonderful.
had been duped in the Barrett case
right IN this forum. Henry Barrett
hau simply changed positions with
refer and he had sworn that he did
what Peter did, and that Peter did
what ne did, and baffied me on cross
examination. and the innocent bow was
nung. He had confessed that to his
Jaller' and we took it before the gov
erhof and begged for pardon So, I saw
IL was absolutely necessary 10 bring
out TINS strong, absolute fact i'm rela
tion TO Claus A. BliXt, with the dis
tilct understanding that if, with his
strong mind, he could take I'D and ex
pam ms prior contradictions, his en-
peiilshmentS, would fall beneath the
power OF tnat mind. 1t was an abso-
iu.ei! necessary procedure. was iusti-
heo. mad concluded that matters
wound turn out just exactly as thew
nave. L think Blixt has proved him
sell 10 be the most astonishing and
daring perjurer l have ever seen upon
the witness stand. And if there is one
thlng in this trial that l thank AL
mighty God for-for it was not NV art
that brought it about, but it was that
bllxt, by his own statement, and his
own words, and by himself has demon
strated this condition of character
Bllxts testimony is a fabric Of villain
Gus construction. 1 think / will he
able to show you its original elements
and now 1t was reared, and where the
additions were put to it, and where it
was painted, until finally he erected
spire upon it, and the attorney called
1t the church of the living God.
A MYSTERIOUS CRIME.
Before I go into this, one word in re-
lation to this crime This crime is as
mysterious now as it was in the BEGIN
n1ng, just as mysterious. There is q
reason for that. This case ought to
be taken UP this very moment. STONED
right here, if it could be done. If the
laws permitted it, but they do NOT. If
ought to be sent into the grand inrv
room for investigation, before any one
was tried. 1t was a practical usurpa-
ton of the grand jury which let this
case, with all its mystery, come before
this trial court
Our people, in the height of their
business, have been for years talking
about the abolishing of the grand Jury
system. In some states they have
abolished the grand jury, on account
of its ponderous character because In
peaceful rural life its ponderous ma
chinery is not necessary, there being
no hidden and concealed crime COM