The Topeka state journal. [volume] (Topeka, Kansas) 1892-1980, 1895-08-02
GIVEN TO The JURY.
Arguments Closed in the Taylor
Brothers Case.
Brutal and Horrible Facts of
the Crime Recalled.
GOES TO THE JURY.
The Speeches Are Closed Up by
aNight Session.

the court house, eager to hear the
arguments in the Taylor trial, and by
8 o'clock every available seat was
occupied Even the judges bench was
occupied and standing room was at
premium. A majority of the audience
was composed of ladies, who have
throughout the trial displayed as much
interest as the sterner sex. About $3.50
o'clock Judge Rucker walked over to
the court house from the hotel and
climbed the stairs and edged his way
through the crowd to the bench.
few minutes later Sheriff Stanley
walked in with the two eel
ebrated prisoners, William P. and
George Taylor. The terrible strain
to which they have been
subjected the past week is beginning
to tell on them and they look haggard
and worn. Accompanying them were
their wives, children, mother, father,
brothers and sisters, who took seats
Immediately behind the defendants
and in plain view of the jury. Mrs.
George Taylor has two children,
neither of which is old enough to APP
preciate how terribly disastrous this
trial may prove to the future of their
father. William Taylors wife, who,
the defense claimed, was not well
enough to be placed on the witness
stand was in court, and to all appear
ances was as well as could be expected,
after what she has gone through, Her
three children were with her.
Mrs. Meeks, the mother of the MUIR
dered man, stepped into the room
almost unobserved and took her seat
at the side of the prosecuting attorney.
At 9 o'clock the Judge called the
court to order and Prosecuting At
torney Bresnehan stepped forward
and read the courts instructions for
the defense. He was followed by r.
T. Lozier, who read the defendants
instructions.
The instructions for the state by
Judge Rucker were clear, convincing
and to the point. He told the jury
that they were the sole judges of the
weight to be given each witness, and
if they found from the evidence beyond
a reasonable doubt that defendants,
William and George Taylor, were
guilty of the murder of Mr.. Meeks, it
was their sworn duty to say so by a
verdict of guilty. He explained that
reasonable doubt is substantiated
doubt arising from the insuficiency of
the evidence, and not a mere posi- bill
ty of the defendants innocence. The
court instructed the jury that fight
raises a presumption of guilt, and if
the jury believed from the evidence
that defendants fed to Arkansas to
avoid arrest, then they must take that
fact into consideration.
In giving his instructions for the
defense the court was liberal and fair.
The court instructed the jury that if
the whole evidence leaves the minds of
the Jury in such condition that they
are neither morally certain of the de-
PENDANTS innocence nor morally GER
tain of their guilt, then reasona BILE
doubt exists, and the jury must give
the defendants the benefit of such
doubt by acquitting them. Flight,
unexplained, raises a presum ptiOn of
guilt. But flight, accounted for other
wise than for avoiding arrest and
trial, raises no such presumption, as
the prosecution in this case seeks a
conviction upon circumstantial evil
dence alone The law requires the
state to prove their guilt beyond a
reasonable doubt, but the defendants
are not required to prove an alibi be-
yOnd a reasona BILE doubt.
L. A. Holiday, who is the mayor of
CarrolltOn, then arose and opened the
case for the state. He dwelt at length
upon the testimony of Mrs. Meezs,
mother of the murdered man, as to the
receipt of the ''Be ready at 10 o'clock
letter and the understanding that the
Taylors were coming to take the fam
lily away.
Bill TAYLOR had testified that the
letter had reference to a meeting the
next morning at 10 o'clock in reference
to the $50 he was to advance Gus
Meeks on his insurance policy. Mr..
Holiday dwelt upon the fact that the
Meelzs children had been put to bed
with their clothes on; that the letter
was mailed at o'clock in the after
noon, and that everything indicated
that the time referred to was that
same night.
IF the letter was an innocent one, "
he exclaimed, "why was it not signed?
That letter alone is fatal to the de-
Tense and sufficient to warrant convic-
ton
Referring to the ''bloody butchery''
and remarkable escape of Nellie
Meeks. the speaker dramatically ex-
claimed:
II now believe in a special provi-
dence, but 1 never did before this Incl
dent"
While Mr.. Holiday talked the jury
listened with rapt attention. George
and Bill gazed unmoved at the speaker
and their relatives exhibited slight
concern.
Mr.. Holiday dramatically referred
to George Taylors statement on the
stand that he kicked the straw off
Meeks and saw his face. He acted as
if he were hunting a dead dog!" the
attorney shouted.
The testimony of Mrs Carter and
Jimmy Carter that George drove
straight to the house after being in
formed of the finding of the bodies,
and the evidence of every witness who
saw the bodies before they were un-
covered, that there was from twelve
to twenty inches of dirt, chaff and
straw over them, was dwe1t upon as
conclusively disproving Georges testi-
nony.
Mr.. Holiday closed with an express