The Providence news. (Providence [R.I.]) 1891-1906, 1897-11-12

| young John Whalcn, who says he saw the
blind man go into the woman's room
about the time the murder must have
been committed.
Whalen, who is known to many people
in that part of the South end where he
lived as Happy Jack. may find himself
| in a position where his testimony will
practically save or end the life of the
blind song seller.
In view of this fact, John Il. Crowley
and Joseph Lundy, the lawyers for the
accused man, have already begun TO look
up the mental capacity of the chief wit
ness against their client All day yester-
day detectives in tho employ of the law
yers worked on the history Of the young
man. They went around the peighbor-
hood OF the southeast corner of fremont
ana Pleasant. the home OF the Whalens
teng there. mum bered SO Pleasant street.
There they found n number of persons
who told of the mannerlsms aud habits of
the young man. and some related stories
that showed him TO have been on more
than one OCCASION the butt of Jokcrs, 10
bo referred to slightingly or jocuiarlv as
man who would not take offense.
Enough is kpcwn Of their investigation
TO u ase possible q statement that they
intend to make strong effort 10 show
thRt VII ilen il not "a witness by whose
ties 'imony the lifo OF man should be
sworn awav. No one says that whalen
would wilfully color his testimony. His
sincerity has not IN iiEpeached.
Wfalcn Is % wears oil, ana has worked
nj various jobs since he left tie Quincy
SC ool. when he was ID lie was not
tcularlv bright scholar though he
man iged To keep up with his grades while
IN hool Since leaving 80 ool he has
ft,f fa.,S - 1.Nf l.,
ing tie friend of everybody lie harbored
no ill.wiA against any Ct tie pefseits who
called him Dicknames or tried TO play
jokes on MIN.
Last evening Mrs Whalen was told by
reporter OF the probable line OF action
bv the lawyers for Leavtt, aud was asked
IL her son memory was good. She SAID
1t had always been very good indeed. ard
while he was not n brilliant fellow, he
seem, q Co have an excellent work irg mind.
Mrs Wbalen believes that htr son saw
Just what he says he saw on the night in
question She says he told her he was sick
on that nighJ, and was up and down all
night. She knows TINT lac was sick when
he left home at 9 o'clock to so To tie
Corning street house, whore he had taken
a room because his own home was over
crowded, there neing n large family. He
got wet election day and that had
brought on a stomach trouble which kept
him from sleeping the night of the muir
d T. That accounts for his alleged wake
fulncsS and his chance for seeing what
| he claims he saw, as lie went sever 1
| tiues that night to the hathronm and it
] was in one of those trips tnat he saws he
saw the blind man 60 To the room Of tie
I girl.
I Yesterday Leavitt's lawyers gained q
Ioint-that Of restraining any person
| from removing the tody for burial until
| the lawyers hnd had on ouportunitv 90
make an examination ana have measure
ments and photographs taken. Lawyer
| Crowley visited District Attorney ste-
vans's Office early in the morning nnd
/ was IN consultation with him for some
| time. When he left u was TO hurry to
the home of Medical Examiner lirap,r,
! % whom he had been referred by the dis
! trict attorney. There followed anOttcr
consultation which ended in tho medical
examiner accompanying the LAWYER to he
city hospital mtrgur. where the body of
| che murdered girl j. still held
A R1Xbnry physician. engaged hy the
| defense. met tae npuital examiner and
! the lawyer at tho morguc. Exnminatior :
4 wfrfcir iIr rfrfrr1zr consider Of the grEU.UVr
| impOrtance werp made. The me ciical *
! amiiicr's cXam mnation of the body and of
| the uarSS an the throat were Of such u Gle
| tailed and complete manner that % made
IL unnecessary Tor any extended rXamin.
atom regarding the throat. All that Wa
found necessary was To- verify toe most
important points
The corssel for l.ouitt nre now IRE
oariDg TO make ap effort ~ get Lcavitt