The Sauk Centre herald. (Sauk Centre, Stearns County, Minn.) 1886-current, 1895-03-07
ERWIN'S HOT SHOT
The Tall Pine !PourS 1t Broad
side Into the Case Of
the State.
BllxT AS JUDAS ISCARIOT
He Should Have Expiated His
Crime by Suicide-Eustis
Also Scored.

nv 'OSAN AhoS0 IAPioION TIC
Crime by Suicide-Eustis
Also Scored.
MINNEAPOLIS, March 7.-"Penitential
saint and murderer and "human
tiger" are the epithets used by the
great criminal lawyer, w. w. Erwin,
in his bitter and scathing arraignment
OF the states two star witnesses Claus
A. Blixt and Adry Hayward. It was
one OF the strongest arrangements ever
heard from the lips Of this lawyer, a
man justly held by his fellows as skilled
in arts Of speech and elocution.
Surprised Even the Audience.
There has been general recognition of
the power Of this man. but if the crowd
anticipated the picture he drew Of
crawling, grovelling, fear-crazed Grim
inality, to illustrate the position of Claus
Blxt in relation to this case, there was
nothing in the awe-struck faces turned
toward him to indicate it was what they
expected
The tall, eloquent lawyer was at his
best, and in all his criminal practice,
probably, there has never occurred a
situation which demanded so urgently
all his dramatic fire and fervor Of utter
ance. Standing where but few hours
before, poised on uncertain footing, was
the slight form Of the states attorney,
Erwin looked the character he was
called on to assume, and that he felt it
as well was evident in every line of his
strongly marked countenance.
The Calm Before the Storm.
Not sound, not even the rustic Of a
handkerchief disturbed the silence of
the court.
It was the calm before the storm. In
q moment there burst forth from the
heights of intense feeling such SILVER
ing blast of accusation and invective as
never was listened to by judge or jury
before in this county. There was a
horrible clanking of travesty on merri-
ment in the laugh he gave when intro
ducing the name of Claus Alfred Blixt
this creature in whose face the county
attorney had been able to discern the
light of Gods truth and justice shining
SO brightly.
His Picture of Blixt.
With gestures SO hideously uncanny
that they stirred the hearts of men and
women alike, Erwin pictured this MUIR
derer from his point of view. With
back curved in bow and face distorted
beyond human conception Of hideous-
ness-his long fingers hanging loosely
downward, Erwin pictured Blixt as a
bloody minded scoundrel from the tips
of whose CORY fingers the blood Of poor
Catherine Cling was constantly and for
ever dripping, and dripping and drip
ping.
Judas, after he had slain the Savior,
contemplated his own uselessness and
hung himself. That was what Blixt
should have done, and then the forgive
ness of God, perhaps-expiation, then
forgiveness.
The Weakness Of Adry.
Another witness for the state was a
man so weak and deformed of mind
that he had not been able to compre-
bend even the divine command
'.honor thy father and mother" man
j. so iI-starred of mentality that he be-
came highway robber-plotted crime
for recreation, and ended by plotting
the death and destruction of q brother
This was the creature by means of
whose falsehood and perjury on the wit
ness stand the state had offered to cor
roborate Claus Alfred Blixt. Recreant,
renegade to soul and mind and blood
this tiger, this fend in human shape,
had been placed on the witness stand to
corroborate cruel, bloody, shameful,
hypocritical murderer, canting tiger
j.. of bloody mien-these were the wit
nesses the state asked the jury to
believe.
Erwin paid his respects to M. B.
Wilson ann George w. jerks and
wound up by stating that this long in
troductory address had been made in
order properly to prepare the minds of
the Jury to consider the evidence.
Explained to the Jury.
Mr.. Erwin entered in an explanation
of the rules under which the jurors are
to act in arriving at verdict. These
rules, he hoped, would be prominently
OrOuRut luUO wow LII oAAAo SeSoO.
He wished the jury to fully under
stand the position of the attorneys for
the defense. Their duty first was to aid
the court in setting forth all the evil
dence, and in the second place to aid the
Jury in sitting as the august judge OF
the facts.
Down to Testimony.
II am here to help you find the
truth" said Mr.. Erwin in entering upon
an analysis of the testimony. what
ever may have been my ambition when
young man, that is gone. I am here,
and with Gods help, I will try to show
YOU the light, the truth. You are here
to seek justice and truth, and not t.
meet the approval Of public clamor. Lei
us see what this case is? The defendant
is accused Of inducing Claus A. Blixt to
take the life of Catherine Cling. What
evidence does the state rely upon? You
look at the evidence and not the charge
Who are the persons relied upon? Whose
evidence alone is relied upon? Here
YOU are confronted by your first duty
"You may be careful who you bring;
but if you bring murderers and insane
meu we will criticise. And who have