The Providence news. (Providence [R.I.]) 1891-1906, 1897-04-01
Telephone No. .i3.
THE BRAN CASE.
Complete and Effective Review by q
Lawyer.

Lawyer.
In The Green Bag for April, under the
title, "Why Thomas Bran was found
guilty." Charles Il. Grinnell, Esq, of the
Boston bar, tells the story of the Herbert
Fuller's voyage, thu three murders the
trial, and the sentence of Bran, in the
actual order of events. The author at
tended the whole trial because of its re-
markable character, and heard every wit
ness. He has sifted the testimony and
restated it in this article, us plain, con-
secutive history of what happened on the
Herbert Fuller, before, during and after
the murders, coming To the conclusion that
the verdict was inevitable on the evidence.
1t begins with the loading of the vessel
in Boston, in June, 1896 The history of
Bran, the first mate, Is given ana he Is
sci with the steward before sailing, and his
interview with young Monks,the Harvard
student, begin the life on board the ship.
The crew is described, and the peculiar
experiences of Charley Brown are stated.
Charley is also described. The captain and
his wife appear on the scene. The arrange
ment of the several rooms In the after
house is described. The ordinary life on
board is pictured, and the speedy falling
out between the first and second mates.
The stewards dramatic recollection Is
brought iHte-play. Brain,s criticism
of the captain begins and grows. 1t
is told how the evidence shows the even
ing before the murders To have been spent,
where every person was mt the end of IL
who was on the watch before and after
midnight, and the conduct of those per-
sons who were awake ut the time of the
murders. The mooted questions about
lashing the wheel are touched upon, ar
the details of what the murderer had to do
from room TO room are specified as IN
creasing the improbabllity that Charley,
who had never been below, did the muir
ders The awful hours from two o'clock
i'm the morning until four, when Bran
and vcung Monks sat with their pistols
pointing crosswise waiting for daylight,
are given, and then followed by the excit-
ing morning when the crew were walked
up, and everyone wondered and was
afraid. The visit of the crew 10 the after
house to see the dead bodies is an unusually
dreadful scene. The strange conduct of
Bran, in avoiding an examination OF the
bodies; i'm his silent calculation when
Monks discovered the murder of the cap
tain, resulting in saying there was
mutny, and that the second mate Was
forward with the men, when he was dead
in his bunk; in throwing tho axe over
board, his submitting to the will of the
young student and the mulatto cook, all
appear the moie significantly as
they are read in the order of
events The spots of blood are tracked
below and on deck. The light attempt Of
Bran TO dispose of the whole matter by
saying "We will take the bodies up and
throw them overheard, and wash up the
blood, f" and the reply of Henry Slice, the
sailor: "Us doesn't throw 'em overheard,
and us doesn't wash up, - are given with
other striking incidents that disclose the
contrast between the persons who were
watching each other. The extraordinary
paper written a few hours after the
ha hook
with its loose laves, and Br'ms' relation
to them are put into their places. The
curious temporary burial in the jolly
boat the preparation OF the bodies for IL,
and Charley's leadership i'm this appear
The discussion as to what port TO sail for,
and the chage from one plan TO another;
the agreement to live on deck at night;
the unwillingness to bc alone; the super
stition of the crew the suspicion against
Charley Brown, expressed after some
delay; the stewards prompt suspicion OF
Bran on the very day of the murders,
the arrest of Charley under the influence
of Bran how Bran bullicd him after
arrest; the necessity Of wing the boat
containing the bodies; the consultations
leading to the arrest of Bran; his moral
weakness before and after arrest; the dis
appointing effort To communicate with the
passing steamer the slceplessness the ter
ror the exhaustion :the final arrival at Hal
flax. and the examinations there, are set
forth with mass of detail made clear by
being put in the order which the evidence
proycd Then follow comments on the
trial, the opinions Of the jury and tho
Judges and the theories Of counsel. Bran
aud his conduct are compared with
Brown and his conduct. Probabilities
are compared and weighed. The dire
and ,lrctimstantial proof which made II
necessary 10 find Bram guilty Is detailed.
While the story sticks to the -.ysdcncc,
and states with accuracy measurements
and dates. il H. also a study of the human,
mature of the persons involved i'm it, II
shows that the case requires both study
and Judgment They who are interested
i'm problcmatic characters VIII nc apt 20
look here for problem which with gr,al
labor on the part OF the prosecuting ofn-
ccrs was solved. Ihcy who like facts
will find one here on every line. As for
excitement. to furnish this, IL was only
necessary to state what happened hour
IN hour and day by day, and that is the
method Of this story.
sketches of the deck and of the inside
of the cabin are annexed