Reporter and farmer. [volume] (Webster, Day County, Dakota [S.D.]) 188?-1946, 1896-03-26

cause by attempting to deny that
which was undeniable. lie therefore
resolved to waive the first, and 10 con-
centrate his forces upon the overthrow
| of the second and vital point III the
prosecution.
He commenced by saying tina ne
would admit the fact that the Leaton
family had persisted by poison, Dut
would totally deny that this poison
had been administered by his client.
Let the jury he said, look upon
Eudora Leaton, where she sits, over
wheimed with her weight of woe! OD-
serve how young, how delicate. now
sensitive she is. Can any one for an
instant suppose that she, a young gin
of sixteen springs, a mere GNU III
wears. an infant still in law, couiu
have conceived, planned and executeu
SO atrocious a crime as the destruc-
| ton of a whole family to clear the way,
for her inheritance OF their estates.
Such Il supposition would be prepos-
ferrous.
1T can only be because, for the deep
atrocity of this crime, the law dc-
mands an instant victim, and no other
is to be found, that this poor child mas
been seized and offered here as a sac
riticc to appease the offended majesty
of Justice. And If in he end u Is
inundated it will be only as the pas
cal lamb slain upon the altar OF the
temple for the sins of others.
Il will not" he continued, affect 10
disregard the meshes OF coincidence
that envelopes my most unhappy client
Like the poor lost dove, beaten
down by the storm and fallen into the
net of the fowler, she Is involved III Il
coil of circumstances that may prove
TO be her destruction. unless the just
Interpretation of an intelligent jury in
tcryene to save her from unmerlted
%martyrdom.
But" he continued, II have a
theory that | shall offer in e%xplana-
ton of those circumstances. which |
firmly believe must ~eXonerate my
| client in the mind of the jury and
every just person present.
Before proceeding further. ! will
read "A few extracts from the records
of the c~oroner's inquest upon the ease.
Here Counsellor Fenton took from
the hands of his clerk certain docu-
ments, from which he read aloud that
part of the evidence given by the late
Lady Leaton. in which she testified TO
having seen the shadow of a wOman's
form upon the wall, and heard the rus
tie of a woman's dress along the floor
Of her husbands chamber Il few mo
ments before he drank the fatal sleep
ing draught that stood upon the stand
beside his bed on the night of his
death.
Next the advocate turned 10 another
part of the record and read the "yi-
dencc given by the late Miss LeatOn IN
which she depOsed that. at the very
time at which her mother heard The
noise and saw the shadow in her faith
er's ROOM, EudOra was seated beside
Agatha'S bed, engaged In the vain
effort 10 read the restless invalid 10
sleep.
Finally. be referred to the record of
the second coroner's inquest. and read
the evidence given by EudOra LeatOn,
in winch she testified that, while
Watching by the bedside of her cousin,
on the night of her death. she fell into
n light Slumber, from which she
was awakened by the impression
of some one moving about the room,
and that at the moment of opening her
eyes. she saw a figure steal away
through the door opening into her own
adjoining chamber; but that on fol
lowing the figure. slie found the next
room vacant. ana therefore fancied
that her half-awakened senses had de
ceiyed her.
The evidence which / have just
read continued Counsellor FentCn.
as he returned the documents 10 the
hands of his clerk. lis Sc significant.
SO important. SO vital to the cause of
Justice. that. had it been permitted to
have it's due influence with the cOro-
ner's jury. no such cruel suspicion
could have fallen upon Eudora I.eaton
as that which has placed her here on
trial for her life. And now At least.
when the evidence shall be duly con-
sidered. it must entirely eXonerate this
innocent girl. From that evidence.
gentlemen of the jury. | draw the
whole theory of his most mysterious
chain Of crime, and that theory
would undertake to establish. as the
only true one, to your perfect satisfac-
ton.
''The whole Leaton family have per-
ished by the hand of the poisoncr.
True-alas! most horribly true. But
who, then, is that p~oiSoner: Who but
that nocturnal visitor, who had stolen
sc n fell assassin TO the chamber of
Agatha Leaton. and while her watcher
~slumbered. put the poison into her
drink, and whose ill-boding form was
seer by the awakening watcher ia
steal away and disappear in the dark.
ness: Who, but that midnight intru
der who, in the temporary absence of
Lady Leaton. glided like 4 evil spirit
TO the bedside OF Lord Ieaton. and
dropped the deadly drug into his drink