Catoctin clarion., 1897-04-22
THURM0NT Frederick County, Maryland, Thursday, April z, 1897

y, ApIU &, 1851
fense, admitted that the prisoner had
been in Mr.. Trent's house on tho night
of the murder, but asserted that he had
left it before eleven o'clock. He had
gone to ask Mr.. Trent's assent to his suit
to Olympia Raven. Mr.. Trent, in refus-
ing it, had observed that he intended
marrying her himself. This statement,
which was confirmed by the testimony
of Mrs. Raven, q witness for the prose-
cution, showed that the deceased must
have been man of loose morals, for it
had been shown that he was at the time
already married to another lady.
A man of loose morals Is certain to
have enemies, and such enemies as are
apt to be moved to murder. Again. Mr..
Trent was q dealer in diamonds; he was
known to be often in possession Of gems
of immense value; he might easily have
boon murdered on this ground; but it
was not even pretended that this had
been the prisoners motive. In fact, no
motive whatever had been assigned-for
to be informed that one has rival in q
lady's affections is certainly not q mo-
tive And not only were the prisoners
social position and character incompati-
Bile with such a crime, but his conduct
on the evening Of the murder could not
be reconciled with guilty purpose. He
had given his true name to the porter at
the club. and had left him with the
svowed intention OF going to seek Mr..
Trent at his house. Again. he had an
nounced himself by name to the care
talrer, Simpson. Persons lneditating
murder do not act in this way. As re-
garded the dagger, the prisoner frankly
admitted 1t to be his. He had taken it
with him to Mr.. Trent's house that
night for peculiar reason, which from
its nature was not susceptible Of proof.
but the very simplicity Of which should
commend it to the credence Of the jury.
Miss Raven had admired the dagger at
his studio, and the prisoner had resolved
to make her present of it.
He had accordingly taken it with him
on the evening in question, intending,
after his interview with Mr.. Trent at his
club, to call upon Miss Raven at her
house and give it to her. But, contrary
to his expectation, he had not found Mr..
Trent at his club, and again, contrary
to his expectation, Mr.. Trent had refused
his assent to his suit. In his distress and
preoccupation he had forgotten on his
departure to take the dagger away with
him. He had gone from Mr.. Trent's
house to his own studio, and had there
spent the night; and this would sufl-
ctently account for his disheveled appear
ance the next morning But surely a
murderer would have fled, and as surely
he would not have left behind him such
: piece Of Svidence - the fatal dagger.
But, ON the other hand, the real mur-
derer who used tho dagger had the best
Of reasons for leaving it in the wound;
for 70 do 50 would be to divert suspicion
from himself. And who was the real
murderer Unquestiouably tho short
man with the dark beard whom Mrs
Simpson had seen between eleven and
twelve o'clock. The presence there Of
this man had not been accounted fof.
Yet the fact of his presence there had
cilable with the guilt Of the prisoner.
And for the jury to bring In . verdict
against the prisoner would, therefore, be
to add another murder to the one already
committed. Let the short man with the
dark beard be found and the mystery Of
Harry Trent's death would be mystery
no longer.
The district attorney, In asking for q
verdict against the prisoner, said he
should have been we'll pleased had there
been better evidence to offer IN his favor.
But really there was no defense. The
visit Of tho prisoner to the house was
conceded; the possession Of the dagger
was conceded; dispute on matter in
volving q woman's love was conceded;
the fact that no one else was admitted
to the house was conceded. As to the
prisoners explanations about the dagger,
even had they been matter Of legal
evidence, they were utterly futile and
Ridiculous No sensible man would
credit them for moment. and 1t would
make no difference as to the probability
of tho prisoners guilt if they were cred
tied. With respect to the conflict of ev-
idence regarding the identity Of the
prisoner with the person whom Mrs.
Simpson Thought she saw, the district
attorney was far from wishing to dimin-
ish Whatever weight it might have in
the jury's eyes. But he fancied it would
have very little.
The old lady had been asleep aud was
still only half awake when she went up
stairs. She had had glimpse Of some
one through a crack Of door, and had
thought it was a short man with beard.
But he might have been sitting down,
and shadow might have caused the ap-
pearance of q beard The jury would
have noticed that Mrs. Simpson, in the
witness box, had worn spectaclee. She
certainly was not likely to have worn her
spectacles to bed, however, nor to have
put them on to 60 up stairs on voyage
of discovery after candle. Consequently
that glimpse of hers through crack in
the door was likely to have been q very
blind glimpse indeed. But it was un-
necessary to pursue the subject or to
weary the jury with further details.
Everything pointed one way, and that
was to the prisoners guilt. 1t was ter
rible thing that man Of his position and
training should be guilty Of crime SO
hideous, but it was the jury's duty to
pronounce as to the facts And their YER
dict. besides avenging the death Of an
honorable and honored citizen, would
show the world that in the city Of New
York there was but one law for rich and
poor, for gentle and simple.