New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1899-07-02
HlRRISON'S MURDER CASE.
HOW HE WON ONE OF THE FEW THAT DAN
VOORHEES, EVER LOST

VOORHEES, EVER LOST
From The Minneapolis News.
The scars are almost healed The small boys
of the Civil War period are growing gray, and
Hoosiers who used to be afraid to go into Ken
lucky and Kentuckans who dared not cross into
II diana now jug for catfish from the same
skiff and swap war lies and plug tobacco in per
feet amiy The war must be over.
Ben Harrison's appearance in one of the great
est INSULTS in the worlds histOry-the boundary
dispute between Venezuela and Great Britain
is not his first cause ctlebre by am means. He
may recall onc in which he participated when he
was twenty-five years younger than ne is now,
with Dan Voorhees, as opposing counsel. He
may remember il because il one of the few
murder cases Voorhees, ever lost The state Of
Indiana had found fault with one Bill smith
that was not his name, but twill serve-becauSe
ELL had killed 4 farmer. 1t was a most unprO-
voked murder. for Bill and a party Of registering
companions had stoned the farmers house. and
when he appeared without the mOat TO max"
physical protest they set upon him most say
agey He was stabbed to death with u jack
knife in the hands OF Smith Harrison was
called in to assist the Prosecuting Attorney. 1t
was a great day at the county seat, and the
courthouse was packed to witness the battle
royal between the two giants of the forensic
arena. Smith a very unprOmSing candl-
date for nature and had ancestry had made Il
low brOwed degenerate IF him 10 begin with. ana
his own efforts had not improved his makeup.
While the witnesses were being examined ne
leercd and grinncd and spurted tobacco juice
vigorously extracted from quid which. from
the swelling in his check. seemed to be of about
the size Of the ordinary egg Of commerce. Voor-
hccs. calling each juror by his first name
"Bili." jim or Jack" as was his wOnt-made
a most mpassoned plea for the young man,
begging his twelve peers to give him just one
more chance" He ruug the changes on that
text for three or four hours. and the more elo-
quent VOORHEES, became the more Smith grnned
and eXpectorated.
When Voorhees, had finished Harrison walked
close m TO the prisoner, regarded him most at
'entivcly for length Of time that seemed an
hour To tn jury ana spectators ana an age To
the culprit and after he had finished his survey
exclaimed in mock continuation Of NOorhees'S
speech: Yes, give him one more chance" And
the deadly sarcasm in his tone was like thrust
to tn heart 10 the defendant. With malignant
Harrison sized up the degenerate
again for an intermirable length Of time. and
the jury could not help doing the same Give
him more chance" Kissed the cold bloode1
cruel Harrison, and then the haying began. II
ever a man verbally skinned alive that same
Bill Smith was, and Voorhees, Acknowledged
after the trial that his clients fate was sealed
when Harrison first mutely called the jury's at
tention 10 the prisoners utterly deprayed ap-
pea rance and then sneered. Give him one more
chance" Smith got twenty years. which Mr..
voorhees, declared was a light sentence. consid
ering all the circumstances.