The news & observer. [volume] (Raleigh, N.C.) 1894-current, 1897-07-23

ever saw any Of this great and open
wrong-doing? Remarkable state of af-
fairs, this.
''This woman has been called friend
less. This is not true. She is not friend
less. The great State of North Carolina
today rises up in it's majesty and might,
takes Ter by the hand and says, I'm
your friend, your wrongs shall be
| avenged And you, gentlemen, are the
instruments chosen for this. The purity
of the homes of this land are in your
hands.
mo woman is safe if such crimes
as this go unpublished. 1t is no trivial
matter. 1t is one of the tragedies of life,
tragedy fraught with more than the
destiny of one man and one woman. The
good name, the purity, the safety of
every home circle in this land is at
stake
Mr. w. b. Snow was the next speak
err He argued the issues involved, for an
| hour. In his speech Mr.. Snow went
| fully and thoroughly into the evidence,
sifted it carefully and asked the jury to
weigh it impartially and give the defend
ant the benefit of all reasonable doubts.
At the conclusion of Mr.. Shows argu-
IL
at which time argument was resumed
Mr.. Armistead Jones speaking for the
State He, like the counsel who had pre-
coded him, took up the evidence in detail
and sifted it thoroughly. He was very
severe on the defendant and some of his
witnesses. He spoke for nearly two
hours, and was followed by Mr.. w. G.
Douglass for the defense.
Julian Hester is a dead issue in this
case" said Mr.. Douglass. ''The guilt of
this defendant is the living issue.
when woman lets down the citadel
of her virtue and permits the enemy to
enter. truth goes long before virtue.
when woman stands in the nakedness
of her shame, it is natural to pull the
cover of promise Of marriage over her
in mercy, to shield that nakedness.
did you see Julia Hester crying upon
that stand? She is one of the finest emo
tional actresses / ever saw
In speaking of Abraham Hester, Mr..
Douglass said: Protect your families,
not by taking into the bosom of your
household men who pitch their tents to-
wards Sodom, not by taking into the
bosom of your family one who deals out
liquid hell-ire.
admit that Julia is beautiful gazelle-
eyed girl, what does it prove? The evil
dence in this case is like two clouds COM
ing together, they clash as the forked
lightning flashes. Somebody has lied.
If you meet obstacles and can't get over
them, you must fix a verdict of not guilty.
81 am tired of sickly sentimentality
about women. Ordinarily the women of
North Carolina need nothing but their
own virtue to protect them from seduc-
tom
1t was nearly O'Clock when Col. Argo
began the closing argument for the de-
Tense. At 7:30 o'clock the court adjourn
ed with the understanding that he be al
lowed to conclude this morning. He said:
"If you can convict this man on this
evidence every man in the community is
| in danger of being convicted by means
of the effort of a worthless woman's de-
sire to backmail.
"A drunkard's vows, woman's tears
are of little worth.
Julia Hesters condition is due to the
untoward condition in which her child
hood was placed. She deserves our SYM
pathy.
'"This prosecution is for the purpose Of
collecting that $1,000 damages that Abb
ram Hester got a judgment for at the
last term of court"
"Well, it can't have that effect" said
Judge Robinson.
81 understand that. but that is its OBJ
ject and not to vindicate Julia Testers
character, as the other side claims. II
old Hester wanted to vindicate his daugh-
ter's character, why did he not take a
gun and go hunt the seducer when he
came back from Texas and say, Here
you come marry this girl and wipe out
the disgrace you have put upon her. The
whole world would have applauded that.
But instead he waits three or four years
and then comes here and asks damages.
1t is not blood that he wants, but
money"
Here the court adjourned to meet
again this morning at $50 o'clock.
The general belief is that Robertson
will be found guilty. If so he will be
sent to the roads, as the crime with
which he stands charged is a penitenti-
airy offense.
Whatever the verdict may be, he has,
even on his own evidence, been shown
up in very bad light and it will always
be believed that he is a guilty man.