Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1895-07-03
GIVEN TO THE JURY
End Of the Acknowledgement Safe
Cracking Trial.
BILLY WILLIAMS SEVERELY SCORED
Counsel Close Their Arguments and
the Jury Charged.
MIR. BRINE REM ARkS

The trial of Charles, alias Buck. Auffort
legged safe blowers. was delayed this morn
ing because of the attendance of District
Attorney Birney in another court. 1t was
1880 before Mr.. Andrew A. Lipscomb COM
MERGED the concluding argument to the
jury on behalf of the defendants. At that
time the court room was literally packed.
Beside Auffort sat his wife, who held in her
arms their little golden haired child. Close
by also were the young mans mother and
sister.
Mr. Lipscomb's Address.
Mr. Lipscomb referred to the maiden
speech CT his associate, ex-Congressman
Chas- II. Turner. yesterday, as master
full and really wonderful effort. Mr.. Tur-
Eer, he said, had so fully covered the case
that there was very little for him to say.
Yet he wished to speak for while of the
chief witness for the government, Will
Jams the thief. Scoundrel and murderer,
who had spent so many years in prison
that he had suffered cast i'll his eyes by
straininS them looking through prison bars.
He wished. too to briefly speak of the
stupidity of the District detective force and
of how Billy Williams had fooled not only
the local detectives but also the guilsless
and all too-confiding district attorney.
Mr.. LpsConlb stated that he did not deny
did he deny that Williams participated in
it. In fact, said Mr.. Lipscomb, the case
without Williams was as great an absurd
ity as it was fatal to the contentious of
keystone Of the whole affair. and unless
his testimony was corrohorated the gov
ernment's case fell to the ground.
Tie jackson CITY witnesses for the de-
fensa ard the fact that Desmond had made
his headquarters at that place had been re-
f. red to- said MIR. Liscomb, Indicative
CT the young mans guilt He had no wish
TO excuse or defend Jackson City, but be
should remember that Washington was not
immaculate. Last Sunday, stated Mr.. Lips
comb, he saw on visit to the District
Jail no less than half dozen different
games of crap on the way. For himself
he SAW little differc ace between Washing
toa crap ard Jackson City policy.
That Famous Raid.
Mi. Lipscomb pictured the raid ON Jack
son City. made by the gallant Smith of Alex
andria and the grave and digniiie1 Hol-
linberger of Washington. at the head OF
two alexandria policemen and a dozen or
more alleged Washington detectives, ac-
corpanied by two war correspondents
from Washington. The net result of that
raid, declared sIr Lipscomb. was the ar
rest of Desmond. stupid, thoroughly
frightened boy of twenty-three. Desmonds
vaise was then scar he'd by the mighty
HolliEberger, who. MIR. Lipscomb remarked,
was not bright enough to discover hair on
iagless dog. No dynamite cartridge was
then found in the VGlSe, said Mr.. Lips
comb, and he strongly minated that it
was placed therein subsequently by some
one antagonstiC TO Desmond.
Scoring Billy Williams.
Mr.. Lipsconlb paid Billy Williams the
compliment of deyoting the greater part of
his speech to reflections upon the reputation
OF the man. Should the devil exclaimed
Mr.. Lipscomb. dive down into the deepest
depths of he'll and bring up the most de-
PRAYED scoundrei, he would bring up with
him the image of Billy Williams. the thief
ana murderer. who counts time by the
crimes he has committed, and whose only
friends are those he met in the half of his
life spent behind PRISON bars. 1t is on the
testimony of such a being the district at
torney wishes you, gentlemen of the jury.
to tear a young husband and father from
his wife and child and send him to prison,
and on such testimony you are asked to
convict Desmond, a foolish. wandering boy
That You will do that, gentlemen. l do not
for a moment believe"
The one real question in the case. said
Mr.. Lipscomb. in conclusion, was whether
W illiams' testimony. wholly uncorrobo-
rated, as he claimed 1t was. was to be
taken in preference 10 that of the sixteen
witnesses for the defense, who fatty con-
tradicted him. The government claimed
that Auffort and his relatives were actuated
by personal motives in giving their teStl-
mony. But. gentlemen, exclaimed Mr..
Lipscomb, do not forget that Williams
is even more personally actuated. BY and
through his false testimony Williams hopes
to secure his liberty. If you believe him
you will enable him to regain that liberty,
and you will be party to the turning
loose ag Tin upon the community of a man
whose hands are red with the blood OF
human beings, and whose life from child
hood up has been darkened with innu-
merable crimes. Are you willing to take
that responsibility upon yourselves? For,
if you believe him and convict these de-
ferdants, that will be the result. l do not
believe you care or will dare to assume
such responsibility. The murderer should
be killed the moment he steps from the
jail for if the district attorney be so fool
ish as to liberate the villain and self
confessed thief and scoundrel, the lives
and property of the people of this COM
mt nifty that very moment will cease to be
safe"
Closing Argument.
Mr. Lipscomb closed at 1915, when Dis
trict Attorney Blrney arose to make the
closing argument in the case. He besought
the jury to allow no mere sentimental
considerations 10 influence them. 1t was
not pleasant to prosecute any one, but
crime had been committed. and the sole
question was: Did the defendants commit
it or participate in it? If they did, they
should be convicted. whether they were
young or DID, or whether they were or We're
not husbands and fathers. Mr.. Brney said
he acknowledged the very bad character of
Williams, but he declared that the Witness
es for the defense We're for the most part
from that notorious plague spot across the
river, jackson City. and the characters of
those frequenting that place were as bad as
that of Billy Williams. The defendants
frequented Jackson City, Desmond living
there, and they were, therefore, far from
immaculate. Williams undoubtedly hoped
for liberty through his testimony for the
government, but the defendants sought
liberty through similar means.
Defends the Police.
Mr.. Birney warmly defended the Wash
ington police force from the reflections
cast upon it by Mr.. Lipscomb, saying that
its members ranked as high in integrity
and intelligence as those of any other To-
cality in this or any other country He
also defended the wife of Williams. 1t
might seem strange, remarked Mr.. Birney
that she loved such a man as Williams
but If women loved only good men man
would soon become an extinct animal. In
concluding his address Mr.. Birney con-
torded that the testimony of Williams had
been sufficiently corroborated to warrant
a verdict of guilty as to both Auffort and
Desmond, and he begged the jury to allow