Evening journal., 1896-02-17
SWAN and BROWN
Convicted Of Manslaughter, But
Lynch Was Acquitted.
WARD ASKS FOB A NEW TRIAL


the May Tern of the Court OF General
sessi0ns-Brovn aud Swan VIII Not BE
Sentenced Until the Question of New
Trial is Decided-Last lscenes OF q Most
Notable Trial.
One Of the most notable and tragic
trials which has ever occurred In the
Criminal Courts Of Delaware came to an
end, 80 far as testimony and argument
were concerned, In the Court of Oyer and
Tsrminer OF New Castle county. 3 few
minutes before midnight on Saturday
For four days the great legal hght over
Michael Lynch, Daniel Brown aud John
j. Swan, the ex- attendants Of the Della
ware State Hospital at Farnhurst, had
bsen raging at the Court House. and
when Saturday evening came judges,
lawyers, Jurors and prisoners were almost
worn ont, mentally and physically, by the
strain which they had undergone.
There was a disposition on the part OF
counsel on both sides to carry the argu-
ment and charge over until to-day, but
this the court would not permit, as Il
would dlssrrsnge the list Of civil causes
cGlendered for this week. Chief Justice
Lore and his associates upon the bench
we're determined that the case should 20
to the Jury II 1t took until midnight to
bring about that desired result, and II
was Eve minutes after that hour before
Court Crier Smith. in response to an
order Of the court, declared recess until
0 o'clock yesterday morning, the jurors,
nearly all Of whom are farmers and IN
used to late hours, having signihed their
determination to 60 to bed and sleep on
the evidence before returning a verdict.
Lynch In His own Behalf
The dramatic scenes which attended
the appearance on the stand OF Brown
and Swan on saturday morning had not
lost their effect on Saturday afternoon
when Michael Lynch, the last Of the trio.
left the dock and marched TO the witness
stand. eyed by hundreds Of spectators, TO
testify In behalf Of himself and his fell
lows
Il Was 35 o'clock when he began his
story In answer to the interrogatories OF
Walter b. Hayes Lynch, who Is large
man was visibly Affected by the ordeal
which he was about to undergo, for he
we'll knew that he would be subjected to
q most critical cross-ex animation by the
state prosecutors. after he had concluded
his story under direct examination. His
face was pale and Precipitation rolled
down his neck In beads, while nervous
tUitching gave evidence Of the mental
anguish from which he was suffering
He told straight story, however, and
at It's conclusion, those who had watched
the progress Of the trial were more fully
convinced than ever that he had no
guilty connection, either as principal or
accessory, before or after the fact with
the death OF Leon Pisa. or as be is some
times called, Pisa Louis. he said:
II first saw PisR IN th1 bathroom OF
Ward O on October o. 1t was then
about s 30 o'clock Ia the morning. BE
was on the side OF the room next the
window, and propped up against the
pantry Offset. his body incllning towards
the hot and cold water spigots He
looked very much exhausted / said that
thought him too weak to take bath,
but DR.. Clayton said It would be dvisa-
BILE for purposes of rssussitatiou. then
proceeded 70 uudo his clothing and take
it on
Mr.. Hayes called him from the stand
and told him to show the court and jury
just how he had removed Plsa's coat and
shirt. The lawyer took q seat and Lynch
reached over bis back, took hold OF the
coat by the tails, rolled it up to the
collar ard then slipped It over INT.
Hayss' hssd so deftly, easily and quickly
that every one WAS convinced that OAkss
exag aggfrated when he said that the
process was almost violent enough to
break Plsss neck. The demonstration
created a laugh all over the court room
and even the judges were moved from
their eourtly demeanor.
Il used no more force than was
necessary" he said. "Instesd OF pressing
bis head down pressed it up. II
anything When we went to put him 10
the tub l took him by the armpits and
Swan caught his legs between the ankles
and the knees. We lifted him over into
the tub. DR.. Clayton Strengthened out
one OF his legs and that sllo we'd the bo6y
to slide down the Incline Of the tub and
into the water. he had only been In the
water a few seconds when DR.. Clayton
advised that he be taken out IS he
seemed so weak. After we had lifted
him out We partially dried him aud then
took him over to Peppers room, where
we wiped the body dry and dressed him.
Says He Never said It.
Il never said, as Oakes said / did, that
Pisa was nothing bat a G. d crank.
anyhow, when put him In the tub or at
any other time The floor Of the corridor
was slippery remained at FArnhurst
Hospital until 1 was arrested at IL
o'clock on the night OF November q.
On Mr.. whites Rack.
Attorney General White mads an
earnest effort to break down the damag
ing effect Of the prisoners statement
upon the case set up By the State. Lynch
said In answer to his cross Questioning:
81 was away IN another part Of the
ward when the trouble occurred, probably
as far away as from here across tbs
court room, and With several doors closed
between. consequently ! did not know
what had happened when got into the
bathroom. did not 60 10 the bathroom
at that time for any particular purpose,
for often went there in the course OF
the daT. When / first saw Pisa. he
looked weak, and my frst thought was
10 revive him.
II did mot know Of any trouble that
Brown. Swan and Pisa had had until 1
read II In the papers. Oakes was not in
the bathroom when l arrived, or, at
least, l never saw him. Psas face was
very white, although he was a man OF
gallow complexion He looked exhausted