The Providence news. (Providence [R.I.]) 1891-1906, 1895-02-05

The trial OF Lawrence c. Keegan for the
murder of Emily Chamber was concluded
this morning at 9:27 o'clock when the
jury took their seats for the last time
in the court room and through their fore
man, Charles o. Buckle, announced
that they had found the prisoner guilty
as found in the indictment. The case
o'clock and at 1925 they announced that
they had reached an agreement and retired
for the night.
A vast amount OF work was done yester-
day, the court being in session contin-
uously from 8: 80 o'clock, with the excep-
tion OF an hours recess at noon. The
morning hours were occupied In the ar
gument of the defendants counsel,
Mr.. Pierce, whose plea for his
client was one of the features of
the trial. Seldom has an argument been
presented in criminal cause before the
Rhode Island bar more efficient than that
OF this attordey. his analysis of the case
was careful and logical and he allowed
no fact TO escape his attention which
would favor his client or damage the gov
ernment case. The interest was the most
intense manifested during the trial.
The court room was crowded
to the doors and in the corridors many
people waited in vain to gain admission.
In the afternoon Mr.. McGili also spoke
for his client, ably seconding the
efforts of his ASSOCIATE and
at half past three O'Clock
Mr.. Dubois arose TO argue in behalf
of the State. Mr.. Dubois opened in
q striking manner: "May 1t please
the Court, Mr.. Foreman and
gentlemen OF the jury" he said,
"on the afternoon OF Monday, September
q, 1894, at about / o'clock, two things
occurred in the city OF Providence.
A woman darned her blue stock
ings with violet yarn and a
man borrowed 32-caliber revolver.
To establish the connection between that
man and that woman has been the work
OF the past week, and how well the State
have done 1t, you, gentlemen, are to decide.
There is a Divinity that shapes our ends,
rough hew them as we may, and there Is a
fatality hanging over this case which
is more than circumstance. /
prefer to call it the workings
of all disposing Providence. A woman
goes to franklin stable to hire horse.
They are going to give her Prince but
Prince has lost shoe and cannot
go. Prince was a medium sized horse,
inconspicuous in all particulars,
but for the want of nail.
'Nettie,' an undersized animal with
striking peculiarities, was attached
to Howell gig pheeton and delivered to
the woman. To this circumstance, trivial
as il may seem, the State is indebted for its
net of evidence which has been thrown
around this defendant whose guilt or in
nocence you will shortly be called upon TO
determine"
Mr.. Dubois continued to carefully out
line the evidence in the case showing how
each circumstance tended conclusively to
establish the guilt OF the defendant. He
then attacked the alibi presented by the
defense and distinguished between the
circumstance under which the witnesses
for the prosecution and the defense testi-
fled TO having seen Keegan on the mem
orabe Thursday in question.
"When the people for the prosecution
first recollected these circumstances they
were fresh in their Minds" he said. "The
theory of the defense seems to be an alibi
or anything else which will create
a doubt. You can take your choice
and bite at either hook
you wish. But you have heard the de-
fendant contradict his own witness. Give
the defenant the benefit of every doubt,
but
Don't Chase the Butterflies of Doubt
imported by the defense. Why didn't
Kcegan tell Taylor, his friend, at their in
tervlew, when he said II looks black for
me- that he was not on the Hart
ford pike because no was looking
at blue prints on Westminster street?
This man says IL looks black and why
should we disagree with him, gentlemen T?
will not try TO move your pity, but call
upon you for careful consideration OF
this case, and when you have done so
there will be nothing 10 wish FOR in the
issue OF the State against Lawrence e..
Keegan."
The Attorney General concluded his
argument at $50 o'clock. During Its de-
livery profound silence reigned over the
court room. 1t was remarkable scene,
one seldom witnessed in the history OF
criminal actions in this State. While
tho speaker had been delivering his dam
aging address against Keegan night had